The Royal-Aires

The Royal-Aires (Brooklyn, New York)

 

Personnel :

Sal Richards (Lead)

Rudy Gasparik

Johnny lem

Ray Frudenberger (Bass)

Frank "Gino" Amodeo


Discography :

1957 - Friendship Ring / Baby Baby (Gallo 108)
1957 - Please Don't Leave Me Now / You're In Love (Galo 110)


Biography :

It was at the Charcoal Ovens that I hooked up with some guys who liked to hang out there, and one day, after the lunch rush, we started singing doo-wop, just for fun. But the more we sang, the more we liked what we heard; and the Royal Aires were born: Rudy, Ray, Frank, John, and me. We started doing local shows, and then went to New York to seek a record deal. While we were doing background for a singer at a recording studio, one of the engineers told us he knew a guy who was looking for new groups.

Frank Amodeo, Johnny Lem, Sal Richards , Ray Freudenberger, Rudy Gasparik..

So we went to see Lee Clark, owner of Gallo Records. We auditioned for him, and he signed us to a record deal. So now we were recording artists, doing record hops all over the country to promote the group. We wound up with a two-sided hit in some of the New England states and a few in the South—“Baby, Baby” was number one, and “Friendship Ring” was number three on the charts in those areas.

Then it started to get played in New York, on the Allen Freed Show—and if he played it, it would become a hit. But he didn't play it for long. Payola was big in those days, and the owner of Gallo Records refused to pay to have the record played, so it went off the charts quickly. When the second record was released, the same thing happened. We tried to keep going, doing shows around town, but when the kids didn't hear the record on the radio, they didn't show up. The group split up after two years
Sal Richards (Behind the Laughter, Hidden Tears)

Frank Amodeo was Gino of Gino & The Dells . Frank "Gino" Amodeo with Peter Chacona, Louis Reyes and Augie Borgess. The group started in '62 on the Long Island streets of Eastern Suffolk County, NY. "Altar Of Dreams" became the title song  of Clark Galehouse's Shelley and Golden Crest Great Hits.   The record never got any exposure and was a limited  pressing record so the value is higher than the group's other releases. This was the group's only actual release while Gino released three singles with the unlisted Dells. Frank "Gino" Amodeo was with the Reflections(on ABC-Paramount Records) & he was Darin D’Anna on World Artists.

Songs :

         
Please Don't Leave Me Now                       You're In Love                    

Friendship Ring                                    Baby Baby    

 

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