Biography
Philadelphia doo wop group the Del-Knights came together in early 1958. Marv Goldberg’s profile on his R&B Notebooks site notes that co-founders Eddie Edgehill, a former member of the Valentines who cut several singles for the Rama label, and tenor Arthur Harden had known each other since childhood in South Philadelphia. The original roster was rounded out by first tenor Warren Sherrill, baritone Frank Washington, and bass Jerry Abel under the name the Orientals. Edgehill later approached his old Valentines bandmate Richard Barrett, then working as a staff producer for End Records proprietor George Goldner; the group taped an acetate for the company in mid-1958, yet Goldner declined to issue it. The musicians accepted his rejection of their name as well and adopted the Del-Knights moniker before trying out for Casino Records co-owner Barry Golder, who signed them. Their first release, “Compensation,” surfaced on United Artists’ Unart subsidiary late in 1958. Although the quintet maintained a demanding itinerary that reached eastern Canada, the single failed to move and their momentum evaporated. Harden married and relocated in 1960, leading to the arrival of replacement first tenor Anthony McKinley; Washington and Abel departed soon afterward. Edgehill then overhauled the lineup by bringing in guitarist Tommy Langley, bassist Howard Churchill, saxophonist “Sax” White, and drummer Duke Johnson. Following the Sheryl label’s early 1961 single “I’m Comin’ Home,” Harden rejoined and McKinley stepped aside. The one-time Chancellor outing “Wherever You Are” appeared that spring, yet continued heavy touring produced no commercial breakthrough. A final Bronko single, “Everybody Popeye,” arrived in 1962, after which the Del-Knights ceased recording, though they kept performing live until 1966, when Edgehill, Sherrill, and Abel entered Terry Johnson’s later Flamingos configuration.