Jacob Carey (Jake) and Ezekial Carey (Zeke), bass and 2nd tenor, respectively, formed the group in Chicago, Illinois, after meeting cousins baritone Paul Wilson and first tenor John E. "Johnny" Carter at a Hebrew Israelite congregation. Earl Lewis (not the Channels lead) soon joined, and after a series of name changes, (The Swallows, El Flamingos, The Five Flamingos), wound up being known as The Flamingos. Sollie McElroy soon replaced Lewis (who joined The Five Echoes). The Flamingos' first single (for Chance Records), "If I Can't Have You", was a moderate local success, as was the follow-up "That's My Desire", but it was Johnny Carter's composition of "Golden Teardrops," with its complex vocal harmonies and Carter's soaring falsetto, that cemented their reputation as a top regional act of the day.
The Flamingos left Chance Records sometime after their December 1953 session and signed with DJ Al Benson's Parrot Records. Sollie McElroy was on their first Parrot session, but left the group in December 1954, to be replaced by tenor Nate Nelson (who was on their second Parrot session; he's lead on "I'm Yours," released in January 1955). In early 1955, the Flamingos signed with Chess Records, to record for their Checker Records subsidiary. At Chess/Checker, the Flamingos achieved their first national chart hit with "I'll Be Home", which went to #5 on Billboard's R&B chart (Pat Boone's cover version, complete with incorrect lyrics, was a hit on the pop charts).[citation needed] The group also had moderate success for the label with other chestnuts like "A Kiss From Your Lips," "The Vow," and "Would I Be Crying". The Flamingos also appeared in the 1956 Alan Freed movie, Rock, Rock Rock. Both Zeke Carey and Carter were drafted that year (Carter was drafted in September).
Nate Nelson, Jake Carey, and Paul Wilson continued the group with new member Tommy Hunt (added in October 1956). Another new member, tenor/lead, guitarist, and arranger Terry "Buzzy" Johnson, joined in late December of that year. This group (Nate Nelson, Tommy Hunt, Terry Johnson, Paul Wilson, and Jake Carey) began recording for Decca Records in April 1957. Their most notable single was Johnson's arrangement of "The Ladder of Love", but legal entanglements between Checker and Nate Nelson ruined any chance of commercial success.[citation needed] Zeke Carey returned to the Flamingos in 1958, making the group a sextet. (When Johnny Carter was discharged from the service, he joined The Dells, performing with them for almost 50 years until his death in 2009.)
Zeke and Jake Carey were not blood-related, but were considered cousins, because of Zeke being adopted by Jake's aunt and uncle.
That year, the Flamingos began recording for George Goldner's End Records in New York City, where they had several national hits. Almost immediately, the group had their first pop chart hit with "Lovers Never Say Goodbye", written by Terry Johnson, who shared lead chores on the song with Paul Wilson. The formula was a winner as Terry and Paul also led three of the 12 songs selected for their first album Flamingo Serenade - George Gershwin's "Love Walked In", "But Not For Me" and "Time Was". The Flamingos would have their biggest seller in 1959 with another old standard from that LP, on which Nate Nelson handled lead chores. "I Only Have Eyes for You" (written in 1934 by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin for the film Dames) became their biggest seller, and has been featured in dozens of movies and TV shows. A long series of hits followed, including the Johnson-penned "Mio Amore", Doc Pomus' composition "Your Other Love", "Nobody Loves Me Like You" (written for the group by Sam Cooke), and "I Was Such a Fool". LP cuts "Love Walked In" and "Time Was" were also issued as singles.[citation needed] That same year, they appeared in the Alan Freed movie, Go, Johnny, Go, singing a frenetic version of "Jump Children" (originally recorded for Chance Records in the early days). The group became known almost as much for their stage show and choreography as for their harmonies. Groups including The Temptations and The Tavares would later credit the group as major influences.
The group began to come apart at the turn of the decade. Tommy Hunt left for a solo career in 1960. Nate Nelson and Terry Johnson split to form the "Modern Flamingos" in 1961, and went on to record as The Starglows on Atco Records in 1963. (The Modern Flamingos name was used later; the group would include members of the defunct Del-Knights in the late 1960s). New members were brought in, making the group Zeke Carey (tenor), Jake Carey (bass), Paul Wilson (baritone), Billy Clarke[disambiguation needed] (tenor), Eddie Williams (tenor), Alan Fontaine (guitar), and Julien Vaught (saxophone). Also Johnny Carter left in 1961 to join The Dells. Clarke and Williams took duties on most new lead vocals.
A sixth vocalist, Doug McClure, was added in 1962. Shortly afterwards, Clarke and Williams left the group. Founding member Paul Wilson left in 1964, new member Sidney Hall joined in 1966, and Jacob Carey's son J.C. Carey joined in 1969. They recorded several uptempo songs through the 1960s, peaking at #26 in the UK Singles Chart with "The Boogaloo Party". Around this time, the Flamingos formed their own label, Ronze, and produced many of their own recordings.
The group continued recording into the 1970s. A new album was released in 1972 on Ronze, entitled The Flamingos Today. By this time, the group was the Careys, McClure, Fontaine, the returning Billy Clarke, and former Limelite Clarence Bassett, Jr.[8][9] New member Frank "Mingo" Ayers joined soon after. More mildly successful recordings came in this decade, including the uptempo "Heavy Hips", and "Buffalo Soldier".
By 1980 the group was Jake Carey, Zeke Carey, Frank Ayers, and Jerome Wilson. Ayers left around this time, joining the Del Vikings. In 1984, two new members joined: Bennie Cherry and Archie Satterfield. In 1988, the group was featured at the 1988 Grammy Awards.
By the early 1990s, the group was the Careys, Satterfield, Ron Reace, and Kenny Davis. Later, it was the Careys, Reace, and King Raymond Green. Jake Carey died in 1997. The group recorded a new album, Unspoken Emotions, under the Ronze label in 1999. It featuring re-recordings of "Ain't Nothing But A Party" and "I'll Be Home", led by Zeke Carey. The group appeared on the PBS television special Doo Wop 50 that same year. The lineup was Zeke Carey, J.C. Carey, Ron Reace, King Raymond Green, and Larry Jordan. Zeke Carey died in 2001. King Raymond Green and Ron Reace left around that time and were replaced by Earnest "Just Mike" Gilbert and former Dynamic Superior George Spann. James Faison entered shortly thereafter. Tommy Hunt has flown in from England (where he has lived since 1970) to perform with this group twice since 2001.
The group split up in late 2005 due to money disputes. Spann, Jordan, Gilbert, and Faison grouped together to reform Spann's old group, The Dynamic Superiors. Carey brought in new members, and toured with Tommy Hunt starting in April 2007.
Terry Johnson is the owner of "The Flamingos" federal trademark and leads the current incarnation of the group. The current lineup is Johnson, Starling Newsome, Stan Prinston and musical director Theresa Trigg. The Flamingos featuring Terry Johnson appeared on two PBS specials: Rock and Roll at Fifty (in which they were the only group to have more than two songs featured) and Doo Wop Cavalcade: The Definitive Anthology. In 2013, The Flamingos released the Diamond Anniversary Tour CD. They continue to perform in concerts across the country.
J.C. Carey Jr., Terry Johnson, Tommy Hunt, and descendants of Nate Nelson and Paul Wilson, sued PepsiCo for having used "I Only Have Eyes For You" in a 1998 television commercial, allegedly without having consulted the group. The group was awarded $250,000.
The Flamingos received the Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Award in 1996 (where Terry Johnson, Jake Carey, Zeke Carey, Tommy Hunt and Johnny Carter performed) and were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Doo-Wopp Hall of Fame in 2004. The group that performed at the Rock Hall ceremony included Terry Johnson on lead, Tommy Hunt and Johnny Carter. In 2003, The Flamingos recording of "I Only Have Eyes For You" (co-written by Walle (Walter) Dillard) was inducted into the Grammy Award Hall of Fame.
Begin The Beguine
The Flamingos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It brings back the sound of music so tender
It brings back a night of tropical splendor
It brings back a memory ever green
I'm with you once more under the stars
And down by the shore an orchestra's playing
And even the palms seem to be swaying
To live it again is past all endeavor
Except when that tune clutches my heart
And there we are, swearing to love forever
And promising never, never to part
What moments divine, what rapture serene
Till clouds came along to disperse the joys we had tasted
And now when I hear people curse the chance that was wasted
I know but too well what they mean
So don't let them begin the beguine
Let the love that was once a fire remain an ember
Let it sleep like the dead desire I only remember
When they begin the beguine
Oh yes, let them begin the beguine, please make them play
Till the stars that were there before return above you
Till you whisper to me once more, "Darling, I love you"
Then we suddenly know what heaven we're in
When they begin the, begin the, begin the beguine
When they begin the, begin the, begin the beguine
When they begin the beguine
The lyrics to The Flamingos' song Begin the Beguine describe the nostalgia and longing that a particular tune evokes in the singer. The beguine was a popular dance in the Caribbean in the 1930s and 1940s, and the lyrics suggest that hearing the music brings back memories of a past romance. The singer reflects on a time when he was with his loved one under the stars, listening to an orchestra play by the shore. The moment seemed perfect, but eventually, the joy was dispersed by life's challenges.
The lyrics tell a story of lost love and the pain of remembering what was once perfect. The singer yearns to hear the beguine once more, to be transported back to the moment when love was everything. However, he also realizes that reliving the past is impossible, and it's better to let the memory of the love he had sleep like a "dead desire." The song is a beautiful and melancholy reminder of the fleeting nature of love and the power of music to evoke memories and emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
When they begin the beguine
The start of the beguine melody is so evocative, it reminds the singer of experiences from the past.
It brings back the sound of music so tender
The music is so soft and gentle that it elicits a strong emotional response.
It brings back a night of tropical splendor
The melody evokes the memory of a luxurious, exotic night in a tropical location.
It brings back a memory ever green
The recollection of this experience is so vivid that it feels as though it happened just yesterday.
I'm with you once more under the stars
The melody transports the singer back to a moment in time when they were with a loved one, stargazing.
And down by the shore an orchestra's playing
In this romantic memory, an orchestra is playing music by the shore.
And even the palms seem to be swaying
The memory is so strong that the singer can vividly imagine the swaying of palm trees in the breeze.
To live it again is past all endeavor
Recreating this experience is impossible, it will never be the same in the present as it was in the past.
Except when that tune clutches my heart
The only way to momentarily relive this memory is when the beguine melody deeply affects the singer.
And there we are, swearing to love forever
In this romantic memory, the singer and their loved one pledge their love to each other forever.
And promising never, never to part
The pair vow to never be separated from each other.
What moments divine, what rapture serene
The singer reflects on the beautiful, peaceful moments they shared with their loved one.
Till clouds came along to disperse the joys we had tasted
The memory is tainted by the sadness of knowing that their once-perfect relationship has ended or changed.
And now when I hear people curse the chance that was wasted
When others speak of lost opportunities in love, the singer can relate.
I know but too well what they mean
The singer deeply understands the pain of lost love and missed chances.
So don't let them begin the beguine
The singer asks to avoid hearing the beguine melody so as to not be reminded of the heartache that followed their beautiful memories.
Let the love that was once a fire remain an ember
The singer wants to keep the memory of their previous love alive in a smaller, less painful form.
Let it sleep like the dead desire I only remember
The singer wants to keep the memory of their love safely stored away, like a thing of the past that cannot be revived.
Oh yes, let them begin the beguine, please make them play
Despite the risks, the singer desires to hear the beguine melody again in hopes of feeling those romantic emotions once more.
Till the stars that were there before return above you
The singer wants to relive the moment when they were under the stars with their loved one,
Till you whisper to me once more, "Darling, I love you"
The singer longs to hear the words of love spoken to them by their former partner.
Then we suddenly know what heaven we're in
When the singer hears the beguine melody and remembers their love, everything feels perfect, as though they are in heaven.
When they begin the, begin the, begin the beguine
The singer repeats the title of the song to reinforce its emotional impact on them.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind