The Turbans
| The Turbans | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Genres | Doo-wop, R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Vocal group |
| Years active | 1955-1962 |
| Labels | Herald, Red Top, Roulette, Parkway |
| Past members |
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The Turbans were an African American doo-wop vocal group that formed in Philadelphia in 1953. The original members were: Al Banks (lead tenor), Matthew Platt (second tenor), Charlie Williams (baritone), and Andrew "Chet" Jones (bass). They came from Downtown Philadelphia (around Bainbridge and South Street).
Around Christmas of 1954, they won first prize in a talent contest singing their rendition of "White Christmas". This created interest among the local record companies, and in the late spring of 1955, they cut a demo record. Herman Gillespie, the group's first manager, took the demo record to Al Silver at Herald Records in New York City. They signed a contract in July 1955, and gained a new manager, Allen Best. Best worked for Shaw Artists Corporation.
During July 1955, the Turbans had their first Herald recording session, and later that month their first record, pairing "Let Me Show You (Around My Heart)" as the “A” side with “When You Dance" as the flip side, was released. Although "Let Me Show You" became a regional hit in Atlanta, Cleveland Pittsburgh, Detroit, Boston, and New Orleans, interest began to grow in "When You Dance". At first it started to break in New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Baltimore, until finally, in November, it hit the national R&B and Pop charts. "When You Dance" reached #3 on the R&B chart, and remained there for about two months. It only rose to #33 on the pop chart, but stayed there for about five months, so it was counted as a significant hit.
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