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The Five Satins "In The Still Of The Nite" Ember 1005 B 1956.

I posted this record about 6 years ago, but with no video.....just a picture. Now, you get to see this great record in action. Here it is. The Five Satins with their "B" side, In The Still Of The Nite. Sit back and enjoy!

One of the greatest rhythm and blues ballads of all time was a B side, and the Five Satins who recorded that B side, "In the Still of the Nite," were actually only four Satins. But those Satins were undoubtedly one of the finest vocal groups of the '50s.

Fred Parris of 24 Sperry Street in New Haven, Connecticut, was expelled in 1953 from a vocal group known as the Canaries. The avid ball player (he once had a tryout with the Boston Braves) decided to form his own group and labeled them the Scarlets. The quintet of Hillhouse High School students included Sylvester Hopkins (first tenor), Nathaniel Mosely, Jr. (second tenor), Albert Denby (baritone), and William L. Powers (bass).

"Dear One" had a classic rhythm and blues harmony sound. Fred's Plaintive lead, shifting to falsetto riffing while the baritone and bass took over, helped make the record a New York hit in the spring of 1954. The flip, "I've Tried," was another solid ballad with more than a hint of the melody line from the 1948 Benny Goodman tune "Beyond the Sea."

Music was later added to "Rose Mary" but not to "All Mine"; upon its release on Standard Records "All Mine" became the first rock and roll a cappella release. The sound was ahead of its time and few people ever heard it.

Fred came up with a rocker titled "The Jones Girl," but before the group could record again he was back at the army base in Philadelphia. One night he found himself on guard duty. At around 3 a.m. alone and pining for his sweetheart, Fred put down his rifle, picked up his pen, and wrote one of the greatest ballads of all time, "In the Still of the Night." After he returned to New Haven, he and the Satins went into the basement of St. Bernadette's church in New Haven on a December night in 1955 (this time the musicians showed up) and cut the two sides on Marty's trusty two-track. There were only four Satins on the date.

Billboard's June 9th review of "The Jones Girl" called it an "enthusiastic vocal treatment of a bouncy rhythm opus with a strong solid beat." About "Still of the Night" they wrote, "The Satins chant with warm expressiveness on a smoothly paced ballad with dramatic lyrics."

On September 1, 1956, "In the Still of the Night" charted on Billboard's R&B lists and one week later did the same on the Pop charts. The song had become such a symbol of the '50s that most listeners don't realize it never came close to being a number one record (except in New York and on various big-city charts); it only made it to number 24 Pop in the fall (#3 R&B). Still, its steady play on radio for over 35 years has made it a multi-million seller, though its author Fred Parris and the group were never honored with a gold record. It is usually among the top five songs on annual and holiday oldies shows and marathons.

Turntable used: Audio Technica AT-LP120 USB Direct Drive inputted straight into the sound card using the built-in pre-amp from the turntable.

Cartridge used: ATP-2XN using 78 3 mil needle.