Clefs

In 1951, five students at an Arlington, Virginia high school formed an R&B vocal group featuring lead singer Scotty Mansfield, baritone Fred Council, bass singer Gerald Bullock, tenor Pavel Bess and second tenor Frank Newman. Their earliest appearances took place only at fraternity parties and school hops. When the quintet cut its first demo the next year, Leroy Flack—Roberta Flack’s brother—had already taken Bullock’s place on bass, while James Sheppard supplied extra tenor support. Manager Lillian Claiborne brought the group to Chess Records, which issued their version of the Ink Spots’ “We Three.” The act then resumed work on the local club circuit, losing Flack in 1955; Bess moved to bass at that point. One additional single appeared before Peacock Records in Houston, Texas, offered a contract, yet the Clefs turned it down in favor of Vee Jay Records, which they felt offered greater musical sympathy. Vee Jay’s 1955 release “I’ll Be Waiting” brought no commercial response. After the name was altered to Scotty Mann And The Masters, the follow-up “Just A Little Bit Of Loving” likewise failed, prompting a return to live work and eventually to steady day jobs. Vee Jay refused to terminate the contract even though the label had no intention of issuing further recordings by the group under either name.