Biography
The Charts' 1957 release "Deserie" has long stood as a doo wop classic even though it never reached the charts. The Harlem quintet came together in 1956 under the leadership of Joseph Grier, with Leroy Binns, Ross Buford, and Glenmore Jackson completing the lineup. Their manager was Norfolk, VA-born musician Les Cooper, who had earlier sung with the Empires and the Whirlers and by the middle of the decade had established himself as a veteran figure in New York's doo wop community. Cooper secured the group a deal with Danny Robinson's Everlast label, where they cut their sole hit, "Deserie," in 1957. On the West Coast, the Blue Angels later recorded the song for Del-Fi's Selma imprint. After issuing several additional singles on Everlast, the Charts dissolved in 1958. Cooper went on to score a hit of his own in 1962 with the Soul Rockers; while the A-side "Dig Yourself" featured vocals, the instrumental B-side "Wiggle Wobble" became the bigger success, highlighted by a King Curtis-styled tenor saxophone performance from former Charts frontman Grier.
Albums
