From:  "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Fri Jul 2, 2004  1:30 am 
Subject:  This Is My Story : The Five Keys
 
THE FIVE KEYS (By Steve Walker)

Rudy West (lead tenor) (born 1932, died 14 May, 1998)

Maryland Pierce (second tenor)

Ripley Ingram (octave tenor) (born 1929, died 1995)

James "Dickie" Smith (second tenor/baritone) (born 1933)

Bernie West (bass) (born 1929)

When we undertook our survey of favourite doowop records recently I was
surprised to find, after I had compiled my own list of one hundred "essentials"
that the group which featured most heavily in that list (equal with the Drifters
with six entries) was the Five Keys (in the overall total of all votes, the
group came fifth, after the Flamingos, the Drifters, the Spaniels and the
Clovers). So here is their story.

Rewind to 1945 - Newport News, Virginia - where two sets of brothers - Rudy and
Bernie West with Ripley and Raphael Ingram - formed a gospel group which they
called the Sentimental Four. They were all students at Dunbar Elementary School
at the time, living within a few blocks of each other in the Marshall Avenue
area, then later at Huntington High School.

Influenced, as were so many of the early r&b harmony groups, by the Ink Spots
(Rudy was a big fan of Bill Kenny) and the Mills Brothers, by 1948 the
Sentimental Four had branched out into pop and r&b. They entered and won
amateur contests in a number of local theatres - the Booker T. in Norfolk, the
Capitol in Portsmouth, the Hippodrome in Richmond and the Jefferson in their
home town of Newport News.

In early 1949, they decided to change their sound, adding second tenor Edwin
Hall as a fifth member. He was from the same neighbourhood, and a mutual friend
recommended him to the group. As the group's sound changed, Ripley Ingram
became a key part with his ability to "float" between first and second tenor and
above, hence "octave tenor". Although they now had a fifth member, they
strangely did nothing about their name for a while, continuing to be billed as
the Sentimental Four for a few more months.

With their changed sound, the Sentimental Four (plus one) won the Jefferson
amateur show for five consecutive weeks, the prize for which was a trip to New
York to appear on the Apollo Theatre amateur show - the big time! Before the
Apollo contest, in mid-1949, Rafael Ingram received his draft notice and
promptly joined the Air Force to avoid the Army. He ended up being sent to
Korea, where he lost a foot to frostbite. (When he returned home, he became a
member of the Avalons, another Newport News group).

Rafael's replacement was baritone/second tenor James "Dickie" Smith, a relative
of Harptones' lead Willie Winfield. Dickie, at the time living in the East End
area of Newport News, was a neighbourhood friend of the Sentimental Four. He
had been singing with a local group called the Virginia Brown Dots, which
frequented the same amateur shows as the Keys. Dickie was now the "baby" of the
group, being a year younger than Rudy.

Before the trip to NYC, Jefferson Theatre manager Isaac "Ike" Burton, who had
become the group's manager, decided that a name change was in order. They were
in his office when a key ring with five skeleton keys on it fell on the floor,
and the "Five Keys" they became. (They even jokingly toyed with "Five Skeleton
Keys"; another name they had kicked around was the "Virginia Gentlemen").

There were around 30 other amateur acts that August Wednesday night at the
Apollo in 1949 (the regular show was headed up by Billie Holiday), but the Five
Keys came in first. Roy Hamilton was on the same show, singing "You'll Never
Walk Alone"; he was yanked off the stage by the crazed stage manager, "Porto
Rico" (who, in a dress, would sound an air raid siren, fire a gun with blanks or
simply use a huge hook to discourage acts which he felt the audience wasn't
responding well to). The Five Keys sang the old standard, "Them There Eyes", and
got a standing ovation.

As a result of their Apollo victory, the group were booked to play a week at the
Apollo and another week at the Howard, as guest artists on the Count Basie Show.
A further benefit of their appearance that night at the Apollo was that Eddie
Mesner, owner of Aladdin Records was in the audience that night and came
backstage to meet them.

Returning to Newport News, the boys joined the "Brownskin Models" revue, and
toured with them during the summer of 1950 (summer was a necessity because both
Dickie and Rudy were still in High School).

Soon after this, the Five Keys became six by adding guitarist Joe Jones. Joe
was from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, but at that time was living in Newport
News. In the early spring of 1950, before the Brownskin Models tour, Edwin
Hall, who had recently got married, left the group. He was replaced by second
tenor Maryland Pierce, lead singer of a local group called the Four Bees. This
group also frequented the local amateur shows, and the Keys and the Bees had
gone to school together (Rudy, Dickie and Maryland were still in school). The
groups would "battle" each other in the neighbourhood.

Now the "classic" line-up was in place: Rudy West (first tenor), Maryland Pierce
(second tenor), Ripley Ingram (octave tenor), Dickie Smith (baritone/second
tenor), and Bernie West (bass), along with guitarist Joe Jones. They also not
only had different lead singers, but different kinds of lead singers: Maryland
had a bluesy voice for ballads and up-tempo tunes (his influences were the Dixie
Hummingbirds, Wynonie Harris, and Roy Brown), Rudy had the sweet Bill Kenny-type
ballad voice, and Dickie did rhythm and scat numbers.

In the spring of 1950, after Edwin had left, the Five Keys landed a radio show
for a couple of months. It was a weekly 15-minute show on WVEC (in neighbouring
Hampton, Virginia), each Sunday morning. Their repertoire included all kinds of
music - gospel, r&b and pop and as their opening and closing theme song, they
chose "The Glory Of Love" (a Billy Hill composition which had been a #1 hit for
Benny Goodman in 1936).

That summer, the Brownskin Models joined James E. Straight's Carnival, which
started in Syracuse, New York and ended up, after three months of wandering, in
Orlando, Florida. The Five Keys thus became part of a tent show, generally
working weekends and using weekdays for travel. The tour was priceless in terms
of experience; they learned to do precision dancing in unison, developing a
routine for each song. Their choreographer was Leroy Watts, a former tap
dancer, who was now working as a barker at the carnival.

Some of the songs they sang on the tour were: that new smash by Nat "King" Cole,
"Mona Lisa"; "When Paw Was Courtin' Maw" (dressed as hayseed farmers), "The
Glory Of Love", "I'm So High", and "Hucklebuck With Jimmy".

In early 1951, the group were signed to Aladdin Records and in April, their
first record was released: "With A Broken Heart" c/w "Too Late" (Aladdin 3085).
Sales were mediocre, but in July 1951, Aladdin issued "The Glory of Love" backed
with "Hucklebuck With Jimmy" (Aladdin 3099). "The Glory Of Love" featured Rudy
West on lead with Dickie Smith taking the bridge - this use of two lead voices
became a feature of many Keys' recordings.

By September, the Five Keys' version of "The Glory Of Love" was taking off in
various territories throughout the U.S.A., holding off competition from versions
by the Hollywood Four Flames, the Skylarks, and the Four Knights. The record
would eventually reach #1 in the R&B charts. Aladdin Records were reporting that
"The Glory Of Love" had become the label's biggest seller ever.

When "Old MacDonald" was released as the flip of the Five Keys' seasonal
offering ("It's Christmas Time") for Christmas 1951 it created enough interest
for Aladdin to reissue it after the festivities were over, this time coupled
with "Yes Sir, That's My Baby".

A high-class session recorded on 4 March, 1952 produced "Red Sails In The
Sunset" (lead vocals from Rudy West and Dickie Smith), "Be Anything But Be Mine"
(Rudy and Dickie), "These Foolish Things" (Dickie) and "Love My Loving"
(Maryland Pierce). The first two titles were released as Aladdin 3127 in April
1952 and sold well in most territories.

Residencies at The Apollo and one-nighters throughout the south increased the
group's popularity. Further releases throughout 1952 kept them in the spotlight
- "How Long", "I Hadn't Anyone Till You",, "Hold Me" and "I Cried For You".

Towards the end of 1952, Rudy West received his call-up papers. During his
absence on military service, his place was taken by Ulysses K. Hicks, another
Newport News friend from their Jefferson Theatre days.

In early 1953, the group recorded their answer to Ruth Brown's mammoth Atlantic
hit "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean" with their own "Mama Your Daughter Told
A Lie On Me" c/w "There Ought To Be A Law Against Breaking My Heart" and
followed this up with their version of "These Foolish Things" and two of my own
favourite Keys numbers - "Teardrops In Your Eyes" and the superb "My Saddest
Hour" which, in early 1954, developed into their biggest seller since "The Glory
Of Love".

In late December 1953, Dickie Smith received his draft notice, enlisted in the
Air Force, and recruited a friend of his, baritone Ramon Loper (who also had a
group, the Bob-O-Links, that performed around the Newport News area), to be his
replacement in the group.

In June 1954 the Five Keys appeared at Moondog's Birthday Ball in Akron, Ohio.
The show, mc'd by Alan Freed also starred Joe Turner, Faye Adams, Al Savage, and
the Joe Morris band. The complete sell-out (many were turned away) was also
noteworthy for the fact that more than one-third of the audience was white, a
fact not lost on representatives of eastern radio station WINS in New York which
was mulling over plans to bring Freed and his show to the Big Apple.

Shortly thereafter the group saw its association with Aladdin Records coming to
an end. They were originally set to go to RCA Victor and its subsidiary label X
(soon changed to Groove), but that deal was soon buried. On 29 August, Dave
Cavanaugh a&r representative for Capitol Records announced the signing of The
Five Keys to the Hollywood based major label. This was a breakthrough for the
group and one of the very few instances of an r&b act getting a shot with a
national major.

Their first session, held at Capitol's New York studios on 30 August, 1954,
produced four tunes: "I'm Alone" (led by Maryland Pierce), "Ling, Ting, Tong"
(Maryland), "Trapped, Lost, Gone" (Bernie West), and "I'm Just A Fool" (Ulysses
Hicks). (Just for a touch of realism, Capitol got a Chinese man to play the
gongs on "Ling, Ting, Tong").

In early October 1954, Rudy was discharged from the army. (While in the service,
he'd sung in good company; with him were Jesse Belvin and David McNeil, bass
singer with the Dominoes). He promptly re-joined the Five Keys, who now had six
singers (Ulysses was being kept on with the intention of phasing him out; in the
meantime, he knew all the arrangements, including some that Rudy didn't know).
However, there were only "Five" Keys on stage at any one time; Rudy was usually
out there, but he left the stage when they did "Ling, Ting, Tong", and Ulysses
came out to replace him.

Rudy had re-joined the Five Keys by the time they started a week's booking at
the Apollo Theatre on 15 October, 1954. It was during this show that co-star
Chuck Willis gave them a song he'd just written. It had a two-voice lead, and
he thought it would fit the Keys' style; the song was "Close Your Eyes". When
this beautiful song was recorded in November, Maryland Pierce took the lead and
Rudy West sang the "echo".

"Ling, Ting, Tong" took off in late 1954, eventually peaking at #5 in the R&B
charts and even crossing over to reach #28 Pop. However, the Keys were outsold
by the kings of the black cover records, Otis Williams & the Charms, who peaked
two places higher.

With "Ling, Ting, Tong" doing so well, Capitol tried to secure another hit by
releasing "Close Your Eyes" (backed with "Doggone It, You Did It") in January.
At the same time, they issued an EP containing all four released songs. "Close
Your Eyes" peaked at #5 in the R&B charts, just as "Ling, Ting, Tong" had done.

Sadly, in January 1955, Ulysses Hicks collapsed and died of a heart attack
whilst the Keys were touring. He was aged just 25.

More classic recordings were made at their third Capitol session, which took
place on 25 April, 1955. "I Wish I'd Never Learned To Read" (once again with
Maryland leading and Rudy doing the echo) and "The Verdict" (Rudy) are two firm
favourites with Five Keys' fans. Both were released and sold well during the
summer of 1955. In November of that year, "Cause You're My Lover" and "Gee
Whittakers" became the group's only double-sided hit.

On 20 November, 1955, Dr. Jive was invited onto the newly-renamed "Ed Sullivan
Show" (formerly "The Toast Of The Town") to bring 15 minutes of rhythm and blues
into the nation's collective living room. He brought the Five Keys (singing
"Ling, Ting, Tong"; they had wanted to do "Close Your Eyes", but "Ling Ting
Tong" was specifically requested by Ed Sullivan's daughters), Lavern Baker,
Willis "Gator Tail" Jackson's Orchestra, and Bo Diddley. This was the famous
occasion where Bo Diddley "forgot" to sing the required "Sixteen Tons" and sang
"Bo Diddley" instead, incurring the wrath of Old Stoneface.

On 23 December, the Five Keys started appearing with Dr. Jive, on his Christmas
week show at the Brooklyn Paramount. Others on the show were Bo Diddley, Ruth
Brown, Clyde McPhatter, Shirley & Lee, the Cheers, the Flamingos, the Four
Fellows, the Turbans, Willis 'Gator Tail' Jackson and his Orchestra (with Mickey
'Guitar' Baker), and that epitome of rhythm & blues singing, Pat Boone. Problem:
the Five Keys' new record was 'Gee Whittakers', which Pat Boone had covered.
Question: who would get to sing it? Dr. Jive's decision came down in favour of
the Keys, which really angered Boone's manager.

At the beginning of 1956, Aladdin issued the final Five Keys single on that
label - "Story Of Love", backed with a re-release of "Serve Another Round"
(which had last been issued in November 1952) on Aladdin 3312. [An L.P. "The
Best Of The Five Keys" would be released on Aladdin 806 later that year]

In April, Capitol issued "I Dreamt I Dwelt In Heaven" c/w "She's The Most" and
in June "Peace And Love" c/w "My Pigeon's Gone". Also in June, Aladdin sued
Capitol for breach of contract (two years after the group had signed for Capitol
via RCA Groove) - the magnet was a chunk of "Ling Ting Tong". Capitol settled
out of court.

A session for Capitol in June 1956 heralded a change of direction for the Five
Keys. Full orchestral instrumentation and a syrupy, pop-sounding female chorus
were added, no doubt in an attempt to grab some of the Platters' market share.
From this session, the beautiful "Wisdom Of A Fool" was released in November to
become a strong seller. It was covered in the UK by Norman Wisdom.

More pop-sounding tracks were laid down in January 1957, by which time we may as
well have been listening to Rudy West at the Copa for all the r&b that the
tracks contained. Tracks like "The Gypsy" and "C'est La Vie" show just how the
Keys' sound had been emasculated. To go along with these big band sounds, the
Five Keys travelled with arrangements for a 16-piece orchestra. This was
standard when they played a big theatre or when they were on tour.

The end of 1957 saw the beginning of the end for the original Five Keys. Rudy
got married, left the group and was replaced by Dickie Threat (pronounced
"Threet"), also from Newport News. Shortly thereafter, Ramon Loper became
another casualty. His mother was living in New York, and he decided to stay with
her. He ended up working with one of the many Ink Spots groups around. Ramon's
replacement was baritone Charles "Bobby" Crawley, who had sung with Maryland
Pierce in the Four Bees back in the late 40's. The group was now: Maryland
Pierce, Dickie Threat, Ripley Ingram, Bobby Crawley, and Bernie West.

The last original Capitol release was in November 1958: "One Great Love" and
"Really-O, Truly-O". After this, it was quiet on the Five Keys scene for a
while, as Capitol allowed their contract to lapse. (There would be four other
Capitol singles and an LP, but these were all reissues in the 60's and 70's).

In the summer of 1959, the Five Keys signed with Syd Nathan at King Records
where they returned, not before time, to their r&b roots. Several fine sides
were recorded ("Ziggus", "Dream On", "Dancing Senorita", "I Took Your Love For A
Toy"), variously led by Maryland Pierce and Dickie Threat, but the group's time
in the spotlight had passed. Rudy followed the group to King as a solo artist
and had three releases in late 1959, but none of them sold well. Despite the
high quality of the Keys' King recordings, the group was going in the wrong
musical direction in 1959/1960.

Various "Five Keys" groups played concerts through the 60's and 70's but by then
the glory days were but a memory. In April, 1992, the Five Keys were inducted
into the UGHA Hall Of Fame, where Maryland and Rudy sang "Close Your Eyes".

Ripley Ingram passed away in early 1995. The beautiful voice of Rudy West was
stilled on May 14, 1998. Ramon Loper, who turned up in New York in 2001, passed
away in October 2002.

"Influencing the Harptones, the Cadillacs, the Solitaires, the Heartbeats and
countless others including many white groups, the Five Keys were a vocal group
for all time" - Jay Warner, "American Singing Groups"

Recommended listening:

Golden Classics (Collectables 5472; 1993) [for the Capitol years]

The Aladdin Years (Collectables 5632; 1995)

Best of Capitol & Aladdin (2-CD; Collectables 79; 2000)

and...just released:

Dream On: The Very Best Of... (Collectables 2875; 2004) [for the King years]
[see: http://www.oldies.com/product/view.cfm/id_28752.html]

Recommended reading: "American Singing Groups", Jay Warner (Billboard Books, or Da Capo Books)

Websites:

Marv Goldberg's site was the main source for most of the above information:

http://home.att.net/~marvy42/5Keys/5keys.html

Also worth a visit - J.C. Marion's Doo Wop Nation:

http://home.earthlink.net/~jaymar41/dwcontents25.html