| Genres: |
Pop / Rock
|
| Descriptive "tags": |
rock and roll • doo wop • 60s • oldies • 50s • need to rate • tamori club • filth music • boy group • john waters • 1950s • one hit wonder • male vocalists • doo-wop • rock & roll • soul • acoustic • rnb • vocal • rhythm and blues
|
| Decades Active: |
1950s
•
1960s
•
1970s
•
1990s
|
Biography
Formed in 1956 in Bergen County, New Jersey, USA, the Royal Teens are remembered primarily for the 1958 rock ‘n’ roll novelty number ‘Short Shorts’. Originally a quartet called the Royal Tones, the line-up included pianist Bob Gaudio (Robert John Gaudio, 17 November 1942, the Bronx, New York City, New York, USA), saxophonist Bill Crandall, bass player Billy Dalton and drummer Tom Austin. Influenced by black music, they worked as back-up band to travelling R&B artists. Gaudio and Austin had written an instrumental dance song as a warm-up for their stage show. Adding the lyrics, ‘Who wears short shorts? We wear short shorts’, the song was heard by an executive of ABC-Paramount Records, who signed them to the label; the single hit number 3 in the USA. At that time Crandle was replaced by Larry Qualiano and Dalton also left, to be replaced by Al Kooper. Joe Francovilla, formerly of the doo-wop outfit the Three Friends, was added as...
Read the Full Biography of The Royal Teens
|
OLDIES.com on
|
