The Skyliners were best known for their 1959 hit "Since I Don't Have You". Covers by the Four Seasons, Trini Lopez, Chuck Jackson, Don McLean, Guns N' Roses, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Ronnie Milsap, Art Garfunkel and Buckaroo Banzai kept the song in the public consciousness.
They also hit the Top 40 with "This I Swear" and "Pennies from Heaven". Other classics include "It Happened Today" (1959), "Close Your Eyes" (1961) and "Comes Love" (1962). The original group dissolved in 1963, but re-united eleven years later (without Jack Taylor), for what would become their last charted record, "Where Have They Gone?"
In 1965, Jimmy Beaumont recorded two notable singles for the Bang label: the first, "Tell Me"/"I Feel Like I'm Falling in Love", were medium-tempo soul-styled tracks. For his second Bang 45, "I Never Loved Her Anyway"/"You Got Too Much Going for You", Jimmy transformed into an impressive soul singer, sounding nothing like his previous more pop-styled efforts, leading some to question in later years, if it actually was his singing. These two tracks are now considered Northern Soul collectibles. The second 45 was also issued on UK London HLZ 10059 in 1966.
Jack Taylor was drafted in 1965. In 1975 Wally Lester and Joe Versharen left the group; they were replaced by new members, Jimmie Ross and Bob Sholes.
In 1978, the Detroit based record producer Don Davis — who produced Marilynn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., Johnny Taylor, the Dramatics, and the Dells — picked up one of his favorite groups (the Skyliners) to record in his United Sound Studios. They recorded the group's "comeback" album for the RCA subsidiary, Tortoise International Records.[6] The songs "Oh, How Happy" and "The Love Bug" were included, as was a hefty re-make of Dan Schafer's original RCA Victor single, "A Day Without You, Dear".
Janet Vogel committed suicide in 1980, Cathy Cooper joined the group as a replacement. She and Ross left two years later to form a duo, they were replaced by Rick Morris and Donna Groom.
Morris retired in 1993. Also in 1993, David Proch was singing with another group. At first listen the Skyliners' original lead singer, Jimmy Beaumont, invited Proch to join the group; Proch joined as a replacement. Also performing with the group at this time was Tom Sholes, brother of Bob Sholes. The two were local to the group, they attended St George High School in the Allentown neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The group became Beaumont, Groom, Proch, and Nick Pociask.
David Proch (at age 44) the third person to sing first tenor for the Skyliners, died on October 19, 1998, in a car accident. His car collided with a truck hauling asphalt on U.S. Route 30 near Ligonier, PA, about 45 miles east of Pittsburgh. Proch's place was taken by Dick Muse, a former member of The Laurels. Rick Morris replaced Muse in 2011. Frank Czuri replaced Morris in 2013.
Their longtime manager and producer Joe Rock, who also co-wrote "Since I Don't Have You", died on April 4, 2000, at age 63, after complications from quadruple bypass heart surgery.
Four of the original members have died:
Janet Vogel committed suicide on February 21, 1980, she was 37,
Joe Verscharen died of cancer on November 2, 2007, he was 67,
Wally Lester (b. Walter Paul Lester, Jr. on October 5, 1941 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) died of pancreatic cancer in Southport, North Carolina on April 21, 2015, he was 73,
Jimmy Beaumont died on October 7, 2017 age 76.
Until his death on October 7, 2017, Jimmy Beaumont performed with the Skyliners in their current line-up of Nick Pociask, Frank Czuri, and Donna Groom (whose husband, Mark Groom, has been the group's drummer/conductor for more than 25 years).
Chart hits
"Since I Don't Have You" (1959), U.S. No. 12, Cashbox No. 7
"It Happened Today" (1959), U.S. No. 59
"This I Swear" (1960), U.S. No. 26
"Pennies from Heaven" (1960), U.S. No. 24
"The Loser" (1965), U.S. No. 72
"Where Have They Gone" (1975), U.S. #100
Discography
The Skyliners (1959)
Close Your Eyes (1961)
Since I Don't Have You (1963)
Once Upon a Time (1971)
The Skyliners (1978)
Pennies from Heaven (1960)
The Skyliners were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002.
You're My Christmas Present
The Skyliners Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The tree is all trimmed now,
The fireplace is aglow,
And outside quiet streets,
Are all covered with snow,
So darling let me tell you,
On this day of days,
Baby, you're my Christmas present,
In the night, church bells ring,
Their message, a cheer,
And somewhere carolers sing,
Soon Santa will be here,
And this I swear as into,
Your warm eyes I gaze,
Baby you're my Christmas present,
My Christmas past, my Christmas always.
So on this silent night,
Let me hold you tight,
And make you know just how good love can be,
There's no gift of hope,
And no treasure untold,
That's as precious as you are to me.
The stars twinkle on high,
Our world is so fine,
And I wish you Merry Christmas,
And as you pour the wine,
For you, this toast my darling,
As my glass I raise,
Baby you're my Christmas present,
My Christmas past, my Christmas always.
You're my Christmas always.
The Skyliners' song "You're My Christmas Present" narrates the joyous mood of the festive season. The chorus of the song reiterates the message of the song, describing the person as the ultimate gift that the singer could receive. The tree is decorated, the fireplace is roaring, and the streets are covered with snow, setting the perfect backdrop for the holiday season. The church bells ring, carolers are out on the streets, and Santa is on his way. However, despite the celebrations, the singer is focused on one thing only, which is their love interest.
The verses of "You're My Christmas Present" provide a vivid picture of the holiday season, emphasizing the joy that love can bring during this time. The song's lyrics also make it clear that the gift of love is as invaluable as any other gift during the festive season. The singer's joyful mood is further reinforced in the third verse when they express their desire to hold their love interest tightly to make them understand how good love can be. In closing, the singer raises a toast to their love interest for being the ultimate gift, not just during the holiday season but always.
Line by Line Meaning
The tree is all trimmed now,
The decorations are done and it's all so joyous now.
The fireplace is aglow,
The fireplace is giving off its cozy warmth.
And outside quiet streets,
The peaceful streets outside are covered in snow.
Are all covered with snow,
Everything's covered with snow and it's a winter wonderland.
So darling let me tell you,
My dear, I need to tell you something.
On this day of days,
On this special occasion of Christmas.
Baby, you're my Christmas present,
You're the best Christmas present ever, my love.
My Christmas past, my Christmas always.
You've always been a precious part of my life.
In the night, church bells ring,
The church bells are ringing in the night.
Their message, a cheer,
It's a message of happiness and joy.
And somewhere carolers sing,
The carolers are singing somewhere in the distance.
Soon Santa will be here,
Santa Claus will be arriving soon.
And this I swear as into,
I swear this to you as I gaze into your beautiful eyes.
Your warm eyes I gaze,
I'm lost in the warmth of your eyes.
Baby you're my Christmas present,
You're the most precious thing in my life, my love.
My Christmas past, my Christmas always.
You've always been my Christmas miracle, my love.
So on this silent night,
On this silent, peaceful night.
Let me hold you tight,
Let me hold you in my arms tightly.
And make you know just how good love can be,
I'll show you how beautiful love can be.
There's no gift of hope,
There's no other gift that can bring such hope.
And no treasure untold,
There's no treasure that can compare.
That's as precious as you are to me.
You're the most precious thing in the world to me.
The stars twinkle on high,
The stars are shining bright in the sky.
Our world is so fine,
Everything is perfect and fine in our world.
And I wish you Merry Christmas,
And I wish you a very Merry Christmas.
And as you pour the wine,
As you pour us some wine.
For you, this toast my darling,
This is a toast to you, my dear.
As my glass I raise,
I'm raising my glass to you.
Baby you're my Christmas present,
You're the most wonderful gift I've ever received.
My Christmas past, my Christmas always.
You've always been a part of every Christmas of my life.
You're my Christmas always.
You'll always be a part of every Christmas of my life.
Contributed by Gianna V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mike B
Born in '43, I was fortunate enough to grow up to the great Doo Wop love songs, soul and beach music of the fifties and the sixties. What awesome memories to have. I have followed The Skyliners for years, Janet Vogel Rapp, so talented. The female singer with them now, Donna Groom, is class, beauty, and talent in one package. I am now 67, play trumpet and sing with a beach, R&B Band. I know talent. Praise God for The Skyliners, one awesome group, keeping the music Alive!
fasx56
A Christmas Song with a respectful soft beat and a group of Quality singers rocking us into the Christmas Season.
New York Computer Repair Inc.
This is another beautiful Christmas song along with Christmas Serenade. We need more songs like this.
Dennis Mc laurin
AMEN.
Dan Riley
A perrenial favorite this time of year. Jimmy Beaumont will always be one of the greatest doo-wop singers of all time. I played "Since I Don't Have You" so many times til my father kicked me out of the house. "This I Swear" was equally as beautiful. Love you Jimmy and the Skyliners!!!
Bo Platt
It's not Christmas until Jimmy and the Skyliners are playing. My Christmas always. Epic voice.
Bo Platt
4 years later, still agree for the record.
Cynthia's Channel
What a Wonderful Song From The Skyliners.. I also grew up with this Fantastic Group.. Dancing to this Great music.. at all the teen clubs in the 60;s.. How Wonderful was that.. and How lucky was I.. to be a part of this..
Vonwitzy's Channel
Ha,Cynthia, let's do it some more.
russ pisano
Great Christmas song I never tire of listening to.