The Marcels: Biography

• Overview
• Discography
• Biography
• Related Artists

• The Coasters
• The Cadillacs
• The Jarmels
• The Olympics
• The Treniers
• The Chips
• The Rivingtons

• The Shirelles

• Richard Rodgers
• Rodgers & Hart
• Hart Rodgers
• Lorenz Hart
• Harold Arlen

Genres:

R&B and Soul Music, Rock Music

Decades Active:

1960's

Artistic Quality

Medium

Cultural Impact

Medium

Popularity

Low

Ratings Guide

This Pittsburgh ensemble deserved a much better fate than being known primarily for a novelty-tinged cover of "Blue Moon." Baritone vocalist Richard F. Knauss teamed with Fred Johnson, Gene J. Bricker, Ron Mundy, and lead vocalist Cornelius Harp, an integrated ensemble. They named themselves after Harp's hairstyle, the marcel. The group did a string of covers as demo tapes that were sent to Colpix. The label's AR director had them cut several oldies at RCA's New York studios in 1961, one of them being "Blue Moon." They used the bass intro arrangement from the Cadillacs' "Zoom" and the results were a huge hit. It eventually topped both the pop and RB charts, and also was an international smash. The group eventually appeared in the film Twist Around the Clock with Dion and Chubby Checker. They eventually recorded an 18-cut LP for Colpix. Alan Johnson and Walt Maddox later replaced Knauss and Gene Bricker, making them an all-black unit. The group did score another Top Ten pop single with "Heartaches," another cover of a pre-rock single. This peaked at number seven pop and number 19 RB in 1961. They continued recording on Kyra, Queen Bee, St. Clair, Rocky, and Monogram with varying lineups, but never again equaled their past success.

- Ron Wynn, All Music Guide