Day, Dawn and Dusk

I enjoy doing research into the histories of more obscure artists, with the thought that the ordinary is more illuminating of its time that the extraordinary. I hope you won't think I am damning the singing group Day, Dawn and Dusk by calling them ordinary - they were talented people who seem to have had a good career, as careers go in the high-risk musical field. But they never had a real breakthrough and I think you will agree after experiencing their work that they were enjoyable without being (as they say on American television) "amazing!!"

Day, Dawn and Dusk were (as you have surmised) a trio. The two constants in the group were arranger and tenor Eddie Coleman and pianist and bass Bob Carver. The baritone (and chief comic) of the group was at first Gus Simmons (or Simons), succeeded by Mack Smith. The first evidence of the group's existence is a 1942 mention in Billboard. The trio began making records in 1944, and appeared on a succession of small labels periodically until 1956, the last mention I can find of them.

Coleman, Carver and Simmons in 1944

Smith, Coleman and Carver in the 50s

The record under examination today was made in 1954 for Herald, an R&B and gospel label. Nonetheless, on the basis of these sides, Day, Dawn and Dusk (called the Day, Dawn, Dusk Trio by Herald) was decidedly a pop ensemble, sounding more like the Ames Brothers than an R&B group. "All Through the Years," is typical pop of the time. The other side, "The Kiss (That Broke My Heart)", sounds like it could be accompanied by slap-dancing fellows in lederhosen.

The early ad at left above describes the group as "comedy singing stars" - and a few videos survive from the 1940s showing them doing their specialties. I have included these (I think they were Soundies) in the download. Even though the video quality is execrable, you can see the talent they possessed, but you can also see they were not inspired performers.

The group that appears on the Herald record is likely the unit at right. The sound is very good.