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Although its follow-ups were less successful, the group remained a popular live attraction in
Britain for several years, though with several personnel changes. In 1972, they recorded "(Love Me) Love the Life I Lead", written by Macaulay and Greenaway and produced by Greenaway, which reached number
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entitled 'Something Old
Something New', named after the group's hit record. Both Ramos and Cheatdom also left in the mid-1970s, leaving Donald Haywoode as the only original member. By 1986, the Fantastics were still performing in Britain, on the nightclub and
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group performed locally, but with little success until in 1956 they added a fifth singer, tenor Donald
Haywoode (August 24, 1936 – August 9, 2015), and changed their name to The Velours. They made their first recordings for the
415:. The lead singer was Eulis Mason, who continued the group name after Moffitt was shot dead in an argument in 1986. Charles Moffitt's Velours, featuring Eulis Mason, continued to perform and occasionally record into the 1990s.
330:, but with little success, and the original group disbanded in 1961. In 1966, Ramos, Cheatdom and Haywoode decided to reform the Velours, adding tenor Richard Pitts. In 1967, they released the single "I'm Gonna Change" on
394:, as well as working with another vocal group, The Invitations. Pitts' role in The Fantastics was part of a BBC Radio Four documentary by his son, the journalist and photographer
282:
label, before
Holland and Walker left and were replaced by John Pearson and Charles Moffitt (September 6, 1929 – December 1986). They also added a pianist, Calvin McClean.
285:
Over the next two years they made some of their best-remembered records for Onyx, including "Can I Come Over
Tonight", written by Haywoode, which reached number 83 on the
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in 2012, aged 75. Donald
Haywoode died in England after a long illness in 2015, aged 78. John Pearson also died in 2016. After appearing in the BBC Radio 4 documentary
273:(tenor; born 1938), Marvin Holland (bass) and Sammy Gardner (lead). In 1955, Gardner left to join the army and was replaced by Cheatdom's cousin, Kenneth Walker. The
241:. who had two minor pop hits in the US in the late 1950s, "Can I Come Over Tonight" and "Remember". They relocated to England in the late 1960s, changed their name to
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in 1957. They had further chart success the following year with "Remember", with Ramos as lead vocalist, which again reached number 83. The group also recorded an
354:, this time under another new name, The Fantastics. They decided to remain in Britain, and recorded several singles released on MGM and then on the
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322:. After adding a sixth singer, Troy Keyes, they recorded for several small New York labels through the late 1950s and early 1960s, including
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hit in the UK in 1971 with "Something Old, Something New", followed by a minor US hit with "(Love Me) Love the Life I Lead".
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in 1953. The original members were Jerome "Romeo" Ramos (tenor; May 15, 1937 – October 21, 2012),
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songs. However, they toured successfully and were invited to return, in 1968, by
Sheffield club owner
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362:, and released "Something Old, Something New", a song written and produced by top British songwriters
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pop chart, but did not chart in
Britain. Pitts left in 1972, later becoming a lecturer at the
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in 1976. The group broke up in 1983, and
Cheatdom then joined various unofficial line-ups of
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655:(illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 108.
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When they arrived in
Britain, they discovered that they were to be billed as
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circuit, as a trio comprising Haywoode, Elvin Hayes, and Emma St. John.
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in 1971, and reached number 102 in the US. and number 41 in Australia.
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published his autobiography in 2018, entitled 'Keeping Doo Wop Alive'
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810:- radio documentary presented by Johnny Pitts, son of Richard Pitts
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on BBC Radio 4 Extra 3 July 2022, re: Richie Pitts' death.
719:"R.I.P. Donald Haywoode of The Velours and The Fantastics"
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In the late 1970s, Charles Moffitt formed a new group,
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750:"BBC Radio 4 Extra - Something Old, Something New"
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709:publisher Falsetto Press, ISBN 978-1-937269-82-1
253:The Velours - origins and early career in the US
598:(1st ed.). London: Collins. p. 273.
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627:. The History Press. 2011. pp. 72–73.
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358:label in England. They then signed to
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839:1953 establishments in New York City
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578:"Back in the Day with John Cheatdom"
378:. The song rose to number 9 on the
302:. They regularly performed at the
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338:The Fantastics - career in Britain
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596:Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2004
511:Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks
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584:, 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2015
824:African-American musical groups
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736:"BBC Radio 4 Extra - Schedules"
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686:"Richie Pitts, The Invitations"
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653:Australian Chart Book 1970–1992
413:Charles Moffitt and His Velours
346:, and were expected to perform
257:The group originally formed as
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1:
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454:, Richie Pitts died in 2019.
834:Musical groups from Brooklyn
764:Something Old, Something New
448:Something Old, Something New
27:American R&B vocal group
7:
474:Bryan Thomas, "The Velours"
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725:. Retrieved 8 October 2015
532:. Retrieved 8 October 2015
513:. Retrieved 8 October 2015
482:. Retrieved 8 October 2015
392:University of Huddersfield
546:Top Pop Singles 1955-2002
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300:Remember with the Velours
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344:The Fabulous Temptations
148:The Fabulous Temptations
542:Whitburn, Joel (2003).
442:Jerome Ramos died from
690:Dac-bagproductions.com
594:Betts, Graham (2004).
418:Remaining in England,
18:The Fantastics (group)
450:in 2015 with his son
376:a traditional rhyme
675:Betts, 2004, p.237
352:Peter Stringfellow
263:Bedford-Stuyvesant
157:Brooklyn, New York
54:Brooklyn, New York
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234:were an American
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259:The Troubadours
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360:Bell Records
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245:, and had a
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215:Jerome Ramos
211:Past members
179:Years active
119:John Pearson
107:Jerome Ramos
103:Past members
72:Years active
785:The Velours
780:Discography
649:Kent, David
452:Johny Pitts
396:Johny Pitts
374:, based on
332:MGM Records
312:Fats Domino
239:vocal group
232:The Velours
223:Elvin Hayes
86:Onyx, Cub,
34:The Velours
818:Categories
458:References
372:Roger Cook
320:Bo Diddley
125:Troy Keyes
695:15 August
388:Billboard
308:Roy Brown
292:pop chart
288:Billboard
78:1966–1967
76:1953–1961
651:(1993).
479:Allmusic
267:Brooklyn
265:area of
803:Discogs
789:Discogs
422:formed
401:cabaret
275:doo-wop
261:in the
247:top ten
236:R&B
168:Doo-wop
90:, End,
65:Doo-wop
659:
631:
602:
558:
438:Deaths
370:, and
348:Motown
188:Labels
164:Genres
159:, U.S.
153:Origin
83:Labels
61:Genres
56:, U.S.
50:Origin
356:Deram
196:Deram
697:2019
657:ISBN
629:ISBN
600:ISBN
556:ISBN
328:Gone
318:and
280:Onyx
200:Bell
88:Gone
552:742
326:'s
192:MGM
172:pop
92:MGM
820::
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