Biography
Philadelphia R&B group the Equadors formed in 1955. Marv Goldberg's February 1999 Discoveries profile traces their origins to five North Philly high-school friends: lead Al Turner, first tenor Oscar Drummond, second tenor Rilly Foreman, baritone Lynn Thomas, and bass Reginald Grant. First known as the Chants, the quartet worked regularly with guitarist Mitchell Robinson and drummer Billy Davis, both of whom soon joined full-time. Local real-estate agent Larry Kerrin took over management and secured an opening slot on a New Jersey bill with Ray Charles and Pigmeat Markham, yet the exposure produced no further momentum. By mid-1956 the ensemble had adopted the name Equadors and replaced Kerrin with WHAT disc jockey Lloyd "Fatman" Smith.
Booking agency Jolly Joyce then placed the Equadors with RCA Victor, sending the group to New York City for a four-song session whose results appeared as an EP the following month. The EP format limited airplay in an era dominated by 45s, and even after "Sputnik Dance"—showcasing King Curtis on saxophone—was flipped with "A Vision" for a later single, momentum never materialized. Nevertheless the Equadors performed the track on American Bandstand and joined an East Coast package tour with Frankie Lymon and Paul Anka. In early 1960 Jolly Joyce executives rebranded the act the Modern Ink Spots to court the supper-club market; the strategy succeeded, yielding engagements at prestigious venues including the Peppermint Lounge. Although the group now favored ballads and standards, traces of their earlier R&B repertoire gradually reentered the sets.
Baritone/tenor Gary Evans entered the lineup in 1962, coinciding with the departure of drummer Davis. Claude Higgs took the drum chair in time to record the Modern Ink Spots' lone single, the Rust release "Spotlight Dance." Before a 1963 Quebec engagement, the group discovered that another ensemble already used the Modern Ink Spots name in Canada; to avoid conflict they performed north of the border as the Cardinals and cut "Why Don't You Write Me" for the Rose label. They reverted once more to the Modern Ink Spots name in their final months before disbanding in 1965, when Al Turner joined the Philadelphia Police Department.
Booking agency Jolly Joyce then placed the Equadors with RCA Victor, sending the group to New York City for a four-song session whose results appeared as an EP the following month. The EP format limited airplay in an era dominated by 45s, and even after "Sputnik Dance"—showcasing King Curtis on saxophone—was flipped with "A Vision" for a later single, momentum never materialized. Nevertheless the Equadors performed the track on American Bandstand and joined an East Coast package tour with Frankie Lymon and Paul Anka. In early 1960 Jolly Joyce executives rebranded the act the Modern Ink Spots to court the supper-club market; the strategy succeeded, yielding engagements at prestigious venues including the Peppermint Lounge. Although the group now favored ballads and standards, traces of their earlier R&B repertoire gradually reentered the sets.
Baritone/tenor Gary Evans entered the lineup in 1962, coinciding with the departure of drummer Davis. Claude Higgs took the drum chair in time to record the Modern Ink Spots' lone single, the Rust release "Spotlight Dance." Before a 1963 Quebec engagement, the group discovered that another ensemble already used the Modern Ink Spots name in Canada; to avoid conflict they performed north of the border as the Cardinals and cut "Why Don't You Write Me" for the Rose label. They reverted once more to the Modern Ink Spots name in their final months before disbanding in 1965, when Al Turner joined the Philadelphia Police Department.