Active until 1962 Genres Jazz, Rock | Active from 1958 | |
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Members Carl Bonura, Ray Ceroni, Peter Kane, John Casey, Lenny Giambalvo Albums Sad Guitar, I've Had It, I've Made It Similar Skip & Flip, The Impalas, Carl Dobkins - Jr, Bill Parsons, Sammy Turner | ||
The Bell Notes were an early American rock and roll group from the East Meadow area of Long Island, New York.
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The Bell Notes were regular performers in The Bronx in the 1950s, and performed at a bar owned by the father of Ray Tabano; he and Steven Tyler (of Aerosmith) occasionally played between Bell Notes sets and covered their song "I've Had It". New York DJ (WADO) Alan Fredericks saw the group play at a record hop on Long Island and saw the group's potential. In 1958 he recorded "I've Had It" at a recording studio in Times Square, NY. The session cost a total of $50. He peddled the song around town and the group was eventually signed by Bob Shad. He was starting up a new label and thought the band would be ideal because of the raw sound of the recording and the catchy tune. "I've Had It", released on Time Records, was a nationwide hit in the U.S. in March of 1959, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. They released four further singles in 1959 – "Old Spanish Town", "That's Right", "You're a Big Girl Now", and "White Buckskin Sneakers & Checkerboard Socks" – but only "Old Spanish Town" charted, peaking at #76.
The band was managed by Natalie Fredericks.
In 1960, they signed with Madison Records and released two singles,"Shortnin' Bread" and "Friendly Star" followed. "Shortnin' Bread" hit #96 in the U.S. and was their last hit; they broke up by 1962.
In 1964, the group appeared in the series of Nu-Trading Rock 'n Roll Trading Cards.
Members
Songs
I've Had ItI've Had It · 1959
Old Spanish Town2009
Buckskin Sneakers2009