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MONOTONES

“BOOK OF LOVE“

(Warren Davis, George Malone, Charles Patrick)

Argo 5290

No. 5    April 21, 1958

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They were  buddies living in the same housing project 1n Newark, New  Jersey.  They sang four-part

harmony but were six in number; they called themselves the Monotones because, as one of the group

told Goldmine’s Jeff Tamarkin, “the word means ‘one tone’ and we were so close, like one.”  Warren

Davis, George Malone, Frank Smith, and the Ryanes brothers–John and Warren–started putting an act

together in 1955.  They had already done some singing together as part of their church choir the same

choir that included Cissy Houston, Dionne Warwick, and some of THE SWEET INSPIRATIONS.

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In 1956, the Monotones  were  polished enough to appear on Ted Mack’s “Amateur Hour”: they won the

first week, singing the Cadillacs’ “Zoom,”  but lost the following week.  Soon after, Charles’ brother

James joined the Kodaks, and this group’s successful appearances at the famed Apollo Theatre spurred

the Monotones to think more seriously of their careers.  One day, as the group recalled to Tamarkin,

“Charles heard [this] commercial [“You’ll wonder where the yellow went/When you brush your  teeth

with Pepsodent”] on the radio…  He went home and got George  and Warren  and forged the song out

of it.”

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They made a demo and took it around to all the labels in the area.  Bea Casalin at Hull Records was

impressed, and  quickly arranged to get the group into Bell Sound Studios in New York City.  “Book

Of Love” was initially released in December of 1957 on Mascot, a subsidiary  of Hull Records.  Within

weeks, the response was too much for the little label to handle, and Argo Records–a sub-set of the

growing Chress Record empire–picked up  the disk for national distribution.  The Monotones,

meanwhile, were out having a ball on an extended tour with Bobby Darin and Frankie Lymon & The

Teenagers.

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No one gave a thought to putting a follow-up record together.  By the time word came from the group’s

label to hustle home and record something, it was  already May.  The initial plan was for “Legend Of

Sleepy Hollow,” written by Charles and his brother James, to be the next release; a few more months,

however, were needed to get the eerie–and little noted–classic together.  In the meantime, the label

issued “Tom Foolery,” but it failed to chart.  Eventually, “Legend” was released, but by then, the group

had lost its momentum.  Only three more singles appeared before the group quietly disbanded.  The

Members went off to marriages, the military, and regular jobs.

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The Monotones still perform at oldies shows.  The group [as reported in 1990] has the same line-up

as the day it was  born, except for the Ryanes brothers–both John (d. May 30, 1972)  and Warren have

since died.

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