Rays

Formed in New York during 1955, the R&B quartet the Rays featured bass vocalist Harold Miller, born 17 January 1931, tenor Walter Ford, born 5 September 1931, second tenor Davey Jones, born in 1931, and baritone Harry James, born in 1932. Miller and Jones, both veterans of the Four Fellows—the outfit responsible for “Soldier Boy”—joined forces with Ford and James to complete the lineup. Early sessions for Chess yielded no commercial traction. A switch to Philadelphia’s Cameo label in 1957 produced their signature release, “Silhouettes,” which climbed to number 3 on both the R&B and pop charts late that year, marking the group as one-hit wonders. Its B-side, the energetic jump “Daddy Cool” driven by Ford’s lead, attracted steady airplay and registered a modest chart entry of its own. The two songs ultimately outlived the Rays’ own profile through repeated reinterpretations. Herman’s Hermits returned “Silhouettes” to the charts in 1965, while Cliff Richard scored a similar success in 1990. On the other side, Darts, the British revivalist band, and Boney M each propelled “Daddy Cool” into the UK Top 10, in 1977 and 1976 respectively.