This post presents the original versions of those songs, as well as - in the case of "Gloria" - a slightly later reinterpretation.
Gloria
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| Bob Hayward |
"Gloria" was the handiwork of songwriter-producer Leon René, who released it twice on his Exclusive label. First was in 1946 by the talented crooner Bob Hayward, backed by a Buddy Baker ensemble. When that disc didn't take off, René turned to one of his most popular acts, Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, here with a mannered vocal by pianist Charles Brown.
The Mills Brothers (not in this set) actually did well with the song, at about the same time that Deauville recorded it with Ray Anthony.
But the classic version of "Gloria" was not issued until 1954, and then in a somewhat altered form. This record was by the Cadillacs, a doo-wop vocal group. Lead singer Earl Carroll kept the earnest sincerity of the original tune, while using his expressive falsetto to emphasize the plaintive lyrics, "It's not Marie" and "It's not Cherie." The group also added a new B-section to the song, of uncertain origin. Because the record was a hit, this altered composition became the standard version, imitated for years by other doo-wop groups.
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| The Cadillacs (clockwise from top left): Earl Carroll, James "Papa" Clark, Johnny "Gus" Willingham, Bobby Phillips, and (in the center) Laverne Drake |
It's Too Soon to Know
"It's Too Soon to Know" was written by Deborah Chessler for a group she managed, the Orioles, who, like the Cadillacs, were gifted with a charismatic lead singer, Sonny Til. The song was first issued on the Natural label in 1948. But then the National label complained about both this new entity's name and its blue label, which matched National's own. So the Orioles' song was switched over to the Jubilee label.
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| The Orioles: (top row) Alexander Sharp, George Nelson, Sonny Til; (bottom row) Tommy Gaither, Johnny Reed |
"It's Too Soon to Know" has much in common with "Gloria" - the inner monologue ("Does she love me? / It's too soon to know"), and its vulnerability and sincerity. It's sometimes called an early doo-wop song, and it does have some aspects of that style, although it also was influenced by the already-established Ink Spots and Mills Brothers.
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| The Ravens: (from left) Jimmy Ricks, Maithe Marshall, Leonard Puzey, Warren Suttles |
The set has one additional version of "It's Too Soon to Know," by a popular quartet with another avian name, the Ravens. The group was unusual in that it featured a bass singer, the hugely talented Jimmy Ricks. He does have a chorus here, but tenor Maithe Marshall is otherwise the lead.
This version is from the original National 78, which was not well recorded. The reissues I have heard are either an alternate take or a remake.
