The Orioles were an American R&B group, one of the earliest such vocal band… Read Full Bio ↴The Orioles were an American R&B group, one of the earliest such vocal bands. Sonny Til formed the band in Baltimore with Alexander Sharp, George Nelson, Johnny Reed and Tommy Gaither and called the group The Vibra-Naires. A local shopgirl and songwriter named Deborah Chessler became the manager for the Vibra-Naires. They soon signed to It's a Natural Records, a subsidiary of Jubilee Records, changed their name to the Orioles, and released "It's Too Soon to Know" (1948), which became a huge R&B hit and was one of the first "race" songs to cross over into mainstream markets. 1949 saw a series of singles by the Orioles, including "Tell Me So" and "Forgive and Forget".
Tragedy struck the group in November 1950. The group was traveling in two cars near Baltimore. Gaither drove one, with Reed and Nelson as passengers. He took a corner too fast and lost control of the car. It rolled down an embankment and crashed into a drive-in restaurant. Gaither was killed and Nelson and Reed were severely injured. Til and Sharp, in the other car, were not near enough to witness the accident. They heard about it when they arrived home. For a short time, only Til and Sharp performed as the Orioles.
They soon added two new members: guitarist/second tenor Ralph Williams and pianist Charlie Harris. Nelson returned in a few days, and Reed a few weeks later. Just a year after their tragic accident, they were involved in another accident in Akron, Ohio, but there were no injuries.
George Nelson left in 1953, to be replaced by Gregory Carroll, formerly of the Four Buddies. This new line-up had several hits in 1953, including "Crying In the Chapel" and their final big hit, "In the Mission of St. Augustine". Williams left briefly in late 1953, and was replaced, for a few weeks, by Chauncy Westbrook. In February of 1955, Reed left and eventually joined an The Ink Spots group. He was replaced by Maurice Hicks. Williams and Harris left soon after. The group continued a short time and disbanded.
Left without the Orioles, Til picked up another group, The Regals, whose members were Tex Cornelius, Diz Russell, Jerry Holeman, Billy Adams, and pianist Paul Griffin. This group became the new Orioles. Til liked the Regals' modern harmony style, and the existing tunes were rearranged to match the Regals' style (in many cases, sounding rather different than they formerly had). During this time, they were often billed as "Sonny Til and his New Orioles". Now without Chessler, they were self-managed. They left Jubilee and signed with Vee-Jay Records.
They continued with this arrangement until 1957 when Cornelius left the group. He was replaced for a short time by Frank Todd, who was replaced by Jimmy Brown. This lineup went until the last day of 1959. Holeman left the group, and Russel the next day, after finding Sonny's car (their means of transportation) repossesed. This was the end of the second Orioles.
Til recorded briefly as a solo artist before putting together the third Orioles group, with members Delton McCall, Billy Taylor, and Gerald Gregory, former bass of The Spaniels. They continued recording, this time for Charlie Parker Records. Gregory left after a couple of years and was replaced by Lawrence Joyner. This group split up in the mid 1960s.
In 1966, Til met Bobby Thomas, a long time Orioles fan. Bobby was singing in a group known as "The Vibrannaires"; coincidentally named the same as the Orioles' original name. This group consisted of Thomas, Clarence Young, Harry Accoo, and Mike Robinson. Thomas, Young, and Robinson joined Til to become the fourth Orioles group. Gregory Carroll was occasionally a member of this group. They recorded until 1975.
Following the breakup of that Orioles group, Til joined George Holmes' Ink Spots, who were Til, Holmes, Ann Lawson, and Larry Reed. With the addition of George "Pepi" Grant in 1977, they began touring as both The Ink Spots and The Orioles (as the Orioles, Lawson was billed as a special guest). Til and Grant alternated leads, and Holmes sang bass. They recorded briefly in 1977.
In 1977, Til formed the sixth Orioles group with former members: Diz Russell and Jerry Holeman from the second group, and Billy Taylor from the third group. The group also sometimes featured Eddie Palmer. This group was together in 1981, when Til died from a heart attack. He was 56.
The group continued, and by the late 1990s featured Russell, Reese Palmer, Skip Mahoney, Larry Jordan (who also tours with The Flamingos) and musical director Eddie Jones, who also works with The Cadillacs. Jones and Mahoney were later replaced by George Spann and Royal Height. Bobby Thomas started his own Orioles group following Til's death. Johnny Reed played with this group until his death in June of 2005.
The Orioles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. Both groups were featured in the PBS special Doo Wop 51 in 2000, with the groups alternating verses on "Crying in the Chapel" (with Bobby Thomas and Larry Jordan on lead).
Tragedy struck the group in November 1950. The group was traveling in two cars near Baltimore. Gaither drove one, with Reed and Nelson as passengers. He took a corner too fast and lost control of the car. It rolled down an embankment and crashed into a drive-in restaurant. Gaither was killed and Nelson and Reed were severely injured. Til and Sharp, in the other car, were not near enough to witness the accident. They heard about it when they arrived home. For a short time, only Til and Sharp performed as the Orioles.
They soon added two new members: guitarist/second tenor Ralph Williams and pianist Charlie Harris. Nelson returned in a few days, and Reed a few weeks later. Just a year after their tragic accident, they were involved in another accident in Akron, Ohio, but there were no injuries.
George Nelson left in 1953, to be replaced by Gregory Carroll, formerly of the Four Buddies. This new line-up had several hits in 1953, including "Crying In the Chapel" and their final big hit, "In the Mission of St. Augustine". Williams left briefly in late 1953, and was replaced, for a few weeks, by Chauncy Westbrook. In February of 1955, Reed left and eventually joined an The Ink Spots group. He was replaced by Maurice Hicks. Williams and Harris left soon after. The group continued a short time and disbanded.
Left without the Orioles, Til picked up another group, The Regals, whose members were Tex Cornelius, Diz Russell, Jerry Holeman, Billy Adams, and pianist Paul Griffin. This group became the new Orioles. Til liked the Regals' modern harmony style, and the existing tunes were rearranged to match the Regals' style (in many cases, sounding rather different than they formerly had). During this time, they were often billed as "Sonny Til and his New Orioles". Now without Chessler, they were self-managed. They left Jubilee and signed with Vee-Jay Records.
They continued with this arrangement until 1957 when Cornelius left the group. He was replaced for a short time by Frank Todd, who was replaced by Jimmy Brown. This lineup went until the last day of 1959. Holeman left the group, and Russel the next day, after finding Sonny's car (their means of transportation) repossesed. This was the end of the second Orioles.
Til recorded briefly as a solo artist before putting together the third Orioles group, with members Delton McCall, Billy Taylor, and Gerald Gregory, former bass of The Spaniels. They continued recording, this time for Charlie Parker Records. Gregory left after a couple of years and was replaced by Lawrence Joyner. This group split up in the mid 1960s.
In 1966, Til met Bobby Thomas, a long time Orioles fan. Bobby was singing in a group known as "The Vibrannaires"; coincidentally named the same as the Orioles' original name. This group consisted of Thomas, Clarence Young, Harry Accoo, and Mike Robinson. Thomas, Young, and Robinson joined Til to become the fourth Orioles group. Gregory Carroll was occasionally a member of this group. They recorded until 1975.
Following the breakup of that Orioles group, Til joined George Holmes' Ink Spots, who were Til, Holmes, Ann Lawson, and Larry Reed. With the addition of George "Pepi" Grant in 1977, they began touring as both The Ink Spots and The Orioles (as the Orioles, Lawson was billed as a special guest). Til and Grant alternated leads, and Holmes sang bass. They recorded briefly in 1977.
In 1977, Til formed the sixth Orioles group with former members: Diz Russell and Jerry Holeman from the second group, and Billy Taylor from the third group. The group also sometimes featured Eddie Palmer. This group was together in 1981, when Til died from a heart attack. He was 56.
The group continued, and by the late 1990s featured Russell, Reese Palmer, Skip Mahoney, Larry Jordan (who also tours with The Flamingos) and musical director Eddie Jones, who also works with The Cadillacs. Jones and Mahoney were later replaced by George Spann and Royal Height. Bobby Thomas started his own Orioles group following Til's death. Johnny Reed played with this group until his death in June of 2005.
The Orioles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. Both groups were featured in the PBS special Doo Wop 51 in 2000, with the groups alternating verses on "Crying in the Chapel" (with Bobby Thomas and Larry Jordan on lead).
Baby Please Don’t Go
The Orioles Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Baby Please Don’t Go' by these artists:
AC/DC Baby please don't go Baby please don't go Baby please don't …
Big Joe Williams Baby, please don't go Baby, please don't go Baby, please don…
Big Joe Williams & Sonny Boy Williamson Baby, please don't go Baby, please don't go Baby, please don…
Bob Dylan (PD) Baby please don't go Baby please don't go Baby please don'…
Gary Glitter Baby, please don't go, baby, please don't go Baby, please do…
Joe Williams / Muddy Waters / T-Bone Walker Baby, please don't go Baby, please don't go Baby, please…
MC5 Baby please don't go Baby please don't go Baby please…
Mose Allison Oh baby please don't go Oh baby please don't go Oh baby…
Muddy Waters & The Rolling Stones Baby, please don't go Baby, please don't go Baby, please…
We have lyrics for these tracks by The Orioles:
a Lonely Christmas It's gonna be a lonely Christmas Just won't be a holiday I'l…
At Night I dream uh-of you,/(Ooooooo.) My heart wanders all the day./…
Baby Please Don't Go Baby, please don't go. (Baby, please don't go.) Baby, please…
Chapel In The Moonlight How I'd love to hear the organ In the chapel in…
Crying In the Chapel You saw me crying in the chapel The tears I shed…
Don't Mess Around With My Love Doh Da Doh Da Doh da Doh Doh Doh Doh Doh…
For All We Know For all we know We may never meet again Before we go Make…
Gettin' Tired Tired Tired chorus. gettin tired, tired, tired, pretty baby, (repeat x3 …
Have You Heard My love must be a kind of blind love I can't…
Hold Me Squeeze Me Hold me, hold me Never let me go Until you've told me,…
I Challenge Your Kiss i challenge your kiss to make me love you more,…
I Cover the Waterfront I cover the waterfront, I'm watching the sea,, Will the one …
I Love You Mostly Love you, love you, love you Oh, for just the chance…
I May Be Wrong I may be wrong but I think you're wonderful I may…
I Miss You Those happy hours I spent with you That lovely afterglow…
I Miss You So Those happy hours I spent with you That lovely afterglow…
I Only Have Eyes for You My love must be a kind of blind love I can't…
I Promise You Love you, love you, love you Oh, for just the chance…
If It's to Be It's gonna be a lonely Christmas Just won't be a holiday I'l…
In the Chapel in the Moonlight How I'd love to hear the organ In the chapel in…
It It's gonna be a lonely Christmas Just won't be a holiday I'l…
It Ain't Gonna Be Like That i fell for your line and took you in stride…
It's Gonna Be a It's gonna be a lonely Christmas Just won't be a holiday I'l…
It's Too Soon to Know Does she love me? It's too soon to know Can I believe…
kiss me baby Hold me, hold me Never let me go Until you've told me,…
Lonely Christmas It's gonna be a lonely Christmas Just won't be a holiday I'l…
Miss You So Those happy hours I spent with you That lovely afterglow…
Moonlight How I'd love to hear the organ In the chapel in…
Night And Day Like the beat, beat, beat, Of the tom-tom; When the jungle…
O Holy Night O holy night! The stars are brightly shining, It is the…
Once in a While Once in a while will you try to give One little…
See See Rider Well now see, C. C. Rider, well now see, see what…
Tell Me So if you don't love me tell me so don't tell…
Till Then Till then, my darling, please wait for me Till then, no…
What Are We Doing New Year's Eve Maybe it's much too early in the game Oh, but I…
What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? Maybe it's much too early in the game Oh, but I…
What are you doing new year's eve_ Maybe it's much too early in the game Oh, but I…
Would I Love You Love you, love you, love you Oh, for just the chance…
You Belong to Me See the pyramids along the Nile Watch the sun rise on…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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IFeelLikeImTakingCrazyPills
This was nearly a decade before Sam(Lightning) popularized his version of the song. His rendition was a response to McKinley's interpretation of the Big Joe's piece in '35.
The best timeline we have for the evolution of this song was:
Big Joe debuted the song in 1935
The Oriel's debuted their version in 1950
McKinley (Muddy Waters) wrote a blues version of this lyrical arrangement in 1953
Sam (Lightning Hopkins) made the tune a bit more famous in 1964
All of the artists knew the song, they had all played it at some point in their career well before they were credited with officially recording it however the timeline we have does appear to be accurate in as much as the version they made famous and the influencers that came before them.
pgroove211
these vocal groups need to be getting their due respect
Dee McC
thx for posting -- love this song
graham nichols
true doowop love it
Devilock79
Back in the 50s, this would have been like a club remix of the Lightning Hopkins version.
IFeelLikeImTakingCrazyPills
This was nearly a decade before Sam(Lightning) popularized his version of the song. His rendition was a response to McKinley's interpretation of the Big Joe's piece in '35.
The best timeline we have for the evolution of this song was:
Big Joe debuted the song in 1935
The Oriel's debuted their version in 1950
McKinley (Muddy Waters) wrote a blues version of this lyrical arrangement in 1953
Sam (Lightning Hopkins) made the tune a bit more famous in 1964
All of the artists knew the song, they had all played it at some point in their career well before they were credited with officially recording it however the timeline we have does appear to be accurate in as much as the version they made famous and the influencers that came before them.
John Benn
WOW WOW WOW !
From a mad keen 75yo Aussie fan.
Russell McCallie
very good song
Paul Pellicci
as cool as hell...
pgroove211
sax solo is incredible
flowerrmb
Can you post crying in the chapel? PLEASE Thank you!!