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).

I May Be Wrong
The Orioles Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I may be wrong but I think you're wonderful
I may be wrong but I think you're swell
I like your style say, I think it's marvelous
I'm always wrong so how can I tell

Deuces to me are all aces
Life is to me just a bore
Faces are all open spaces

You might be John Barrymore
You came along say I think you're wonderful
I think you're grand but I may be wrong

I may be wrong but I think you're wonderful
I may be wrong but I think you're swell
I like your style say, I really think it's marvelous
I'm always wrong so how can I tell

Deuces to me are all aces
Life is to me just a bore
Faces are all open spaces
You might be John Barrymore
You came along say I think you're wonderful
I think you're grand but I may be wrong

You said that Edison would never make that light
You laughed at Mr. Franklin with his key and kite

The point of the song is I'm always wrong
But with you baby I'm oh so right.

Overall Meaning

The Orioles's song "I May Be Wrong" is an upbeat and jazzy tune about falling head over heels for someone. The lyrics are sung from the perspective of a person who professes their admiration for their love interest while admitting that they are often wrong. The opening lines "I may be wrong but I think you're wonderful" sets the tone for the song and establishes the singer's uncertainty about their own judgement. Despite this, they express their affection for their love interest with lines like "I like your style say, I think it's marvelous."

The song also features several references to popular figures of the time with lines like "You might be John Barrymore." These references serve as a way to convey the singer's lover as someone who is celebrated and admired. The chorus repeats several times with the singer reiterating that they may not always know what they're talking about, but with their love interest, they feel confident that they are right. The song ends with a playful nod to historical figures and their inventions, stating that the singer may have been wrong about things in the past but not about their love for their significant other.

Overall, "I May Be Wrong" perfectly captures the feeling of being smitten with someone and the excitement and uncertainty that comes with it.

Line by Line Meaning

I may be wrong but I think you're wonderful
Although I could be incorrect, I genuinely believe that you are amazing

I may be wrong but I think you're swell
I might be mistaken, but I think that you're fantastic

I like your style say, I think it's marvelous
I appreciate your manner and find it to be impressive

I'm always wrong so how can I tell
Since I'm frequently incorrect, I may not be the best judge

Deuces to me are all aces
A situation that looks bad to me is actually advantageous for others

Life is to me just a bore
I find my existence to be dull and unexciting

Faces are all open spaces
I am not skilled at reading people's expressions and emotions

You might be John Barrymore
You could have the captivating charisma and poise of a famous actor

You came along say I think you're wonderful
Since I met you, I believe that you are amazing

I think you're grand but I may be wrong
While I am convinced that you are excellent, I could still be mistaken