The “Golden Hits Of The 50s”
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SILHOUETTES
(SILHOUETTES)
Ember 1029
No. 1 February 24, 1958
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As a child Richard “Rick” Lewis (b. 1933, Philadelphia, PA., tenor) received training in the arts at his
neighborhood recreation center. From 1946 to 1949, he was a member of the Philadelphia All Boys Choir.
During his army internship Rick performed with JESSIE BELVIN, the PENGUINS; Curtis Williams and
possibly THE HOLLYWOOD FLAMES’ Gaynell Hodges as the Swords at the service club in Oxford. On his
return to civilian activitiesin Philadelphia, in 1954, Rich joined the Parakeets–Ernie Banks, Benny Hart,
James Jenkins a pop act. For a while they played state fairs, carnivals, made the “Harlem Holiday Review”
at the 81 Theatre in Atlanta; even toured Canada. When the promised money didn’t come the Parakeets
flew.
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In 1955, Rick was offered a position as their road manager for THE TURBANS. He accepted but after a few
tours and the death of his mother, he returned to Philadephia to tend to his family needs and to singing;
hooking up–as fate would have it–with The Gospel Tornadoes, Earl Beale, baritone; Raymond Edwards,
bass; Bill Horton, lead, and ex-Parakeet tenor James Jenkins. Jenkins at this point left the group to fill
Lewis’ slot with the Turbans. In 1956 at Rick’s insistence these sacred singers went secular, changed their
name to The Thunderbirds and hammered out Rick’s devine intervention, “Get a Job.”
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While appearing at the Uptown Theatre they attracted the attention of DJ, producer and owner of Junior
Records, Kae Williams. Williams really liked their ballad and intended “A” side,” “I’m Lonely.” Arrange-
ments were made and in August 1957, The Thunderbirds were ushered into the Robinson Recording
Laboratories at radio WIP. “Get a Job” was chosen as the flip side. Rollie McGill was brought in to honk
sax, and Earl dreamed up the groups new name, a cop on the title of the RAYS runaway hit “Silhouettes.”
Junior Record’s arranger, Howard Biggs, came up with the “sha na na na” hook, and Edwards worked up
this little “yip, yip, yip, yip, yip, yip, yip, yip, boom, boom,boom, boom,boom” bit and the boys were ready
to cut.
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“Get a Job” sold over a million copies, becaming one of the first R&B singles to cross-over into the pop/
rock world and to simultaneously topping both charts. With time, it became one of the most played and
most memorable rock’n’roll recordings of all time.
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While their fleeting fame lasted they played the Apollo, toured with Sam Cooke, Clyde McPlatter and made
extensive Alan Freed and Dick Clark Caravan tours. Both the TEMPOS and SHEP & THE LIMELITERS
(recording as the Heartbeats) would record “answer records.” The Miracles would also, with their very
first disk sing of finding that elusive job. The follow-ups–one and all–were fine-fine efforts and all failed.
“Headin’ For The Poorhouse” was an uptempo reworking of the job theme. “Bing Bong” was devinely
dumb. And “I Sold My Heart To The Junkman” is a passed over and forgotten classic; and their finest
ever. While the Silhouettes faded, Patti LaBelle & the BLUEBELLES (STARLETS) would establish
themselves with their frantic rendition of “Junkman.”
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After the release of “Rent Man” in 1962, Horton and Edwards left the group. They were replaced by
Cornelius Brown and John Wilson. Later that year with the aid of Jerry Ragavoy (producer of Garnet
Mimms hits and the MAJORS) and VAN McCOV, the revamped Silhouettes recorded a single each on the
Grand and the Imperial labels. Sales were poor and the group called it quits in 1968 after the release of
their only album The Original and New Silhouettes –’58/’68 Get a Job.
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