Biography
The Dovells earned their primary renown through a cluster of early-1960s dance successes, foremost among them “The Bristol Stomp,” which topped the Cash Box pop survey and reached number two on Billboard while also climbing to number seven on the R&B charts in 1961. Four further dance-oriented singles followed, three of them landing inside the Top 40 and thereby producing five distinct chart entries linked to five separate dances inside a span of just over twelve months during 1962: “Do the New Continental” at number 37, “Bristol Twistin’ Annie” at number 27, “Hully Gully Baby” at number 25, and the Hot 100 entry “The Jitterbug” at number 82.
The ensemble first assembled in 1957 under the name Brooktones, drawn from Overbrook High School in Philadelphia, where the original members—Jerry Gross (performing as Jerry Summers) on lead and first tenor, Len Borisoff (performing as Len Barry) on lead and tenor, Mike Freda (performing as Mike Dennis) on second tenor, Arnie Silver (performing as Arnie Satin) on baritone, Jim Mealey on bass, and occasional member Mark Gordesky (performing as Mark Stevens) on tenor—had been classmates. They sang at school gatherings and occasionally at John Madara’s record shop at 60th and Market Streets in Philadelphia, the same Madara who had co-written “At the Hop” for Danny & the Juniors and other enduring tracks.
Drawing inspiration from Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, whose songs “Why Do Fools Fall in Love” and “I Want You to Be My Girl” they later recorded, the Brooktones performed steadily for several years. Although “No, No, No” attracted some local notice in Philadelphia, wider success remained elusive and the group ultimately disbanded. Summers and Dennis departed to launch the Gems with Mark Stevens and Alan Horowitz in the summer of 1960. Meanwhile Barry and the remaining Brooktones negotiated with Bob Marcucci’s Chancellor Records, home to teen idols Fabian and Frankie Avalon, and added William Shunkwiler and Jerry Sirlin.
After a live audition arranged in December 1960 for Cameo/Parkway, the quintet secured a contract with the label. Barry soon invited Summers to assist with harmonies, and at Summers’ urging Mike Dennis rejoined, restoring the original core lineup. Cameo executive Bernie Lowe proposed renaming the Brooktones the Deauvilles after the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, yet the members found the spelling cumbersome and chose the Dovells instead.
Their first single, a re-recorded “No, No, No,” appeared in March 1961 and fared little better than its predecessor. In May the group cut “Out in the Cold Again,” a remake of the Teenagers’ ballad, together with a new number based on a dance observed by Parkway promotion man Billy Harper among teenagers at Goodwin Fire Hall in Bristol, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia. Originally called simply “The Stomp,” the track received the more formal title “The Bristol Stomp” on release. It remained off the charts through the summer of 1961, yet gained Midwest traction once school resumed in September, achieving national airplay by September 11 and ascending to number one by mid-October.
Parkway quickly followed with additional dance-themed Top 40 releases. Throughout 1962 the Dovells documented nearly every dance that songwriters Dave Appell and Kal Mann could devise, yet another substantial hit arrived only with their reading of Phil Upchurch’s instrumental “You Can’t Sit Down.” In 1964 they produced one of the earliest covers of “She Loves You” by the newly emergent British group the Beatles, but Parkway held the recording; once the original reached number one, issuing the Dovells’ version seemed inadvisable and it remains unreleased in the label’s vault.
The Dovells supplied backup vocals for Fabian, Chubby Checker, and Jackie Wilson at the Brooklyn Fox and frequently sang uncredited behind Checker, most notably on the hit “Let’s Twist Again.” Constant touring continued until internal strains erupted during a Christmas show in Miami Beach in December 1963, at which point Len Barry exited. He later signed with Decca as a solo artist and is chiefly remembered for “One, Two, Three,” which reached number two on the pop charts in November 1965. Now a trio, the remaining Dovells issued three Parkway singles in 1964 and appeared in the film Don’t Knock the Twist alongside Dion, Chubby Checker, and the Marcels late in 1965.
In the spring of 1968 Summers conceived a song drawn from a recurring sketch on the television program “Laugh-In.” Titled “Here Come the Judge” after the sketch’s catchphrase, the track featured female lead Jean Hillery and was issued on MGM Records under the name the Magistrates. The other Dovells learned of the release and registered clear displeasure. That summer “Judge” became an East Coast hit, reaching number 54 on Billboard’s pop charts, prompting the Dovells to tour with Hillery while adopting the Magistrates name on stage, although they never recorded again under that billing. Dennis was later replaced by part-time member Mark Stevens.
A 1974 cover of “Dancin’ in the Street,” originally a major success for Martha and the Vandellas in 1964, appeared on the Event label yet peaked only at number 105. The group kept performing until Satin announced his departure. Stevens and Summers elected to continue, recruiting additional vocalists and developing a Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis-styled comedic stage routine to complement their million-selling hits. The new approach supported an extra sixteen weeks of annual work in Las Vegas. Len Barry rejoined for two reunion performances in 1991. Summers and Stevens continue to tour nationally and internationally and have performed twice for former president Bill Clinton at inaugural balls. Summers also produces corporate events and operates an advertising agency when not appearing with the Dovells.
The ensemble first assembled in 1957 under the name Brooktones, drawn from Overbrook High School in Philadelphia, where the original members—Jerry Gross (performing as Jerry Summers) on lead and first tenor, Len Borisoff (performing as Len Barry) on lead and tenor, Mike Freda (performing as Mike Dennis) on second tenor, Arnie Silver (performing as Arnie Satin) on baritone, Jim Mealey on bass, and occasional member Mark Gordesky (performing as Mark Stevens) on tenor—had been classmates. They sang at school gatherings and occasionally at John Madara’s record shop at 60th and Market Streets in Philadelphia, the same Madara who had co-written “At the Hop” for Danny & the Juniors and other enduring tracks.
Drawing inspiration from Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, whose songs “Why Do Fools Fall in Love” and “I Want You to Be My Girl” they later recorded, the Brooktones performed steadily for several years. Although “No, No, No” attracted some local notice in Philadelphia, wider success remained elusive and the group ultimately disbanded. Summers and Dennis departed to launch the Gems with Mark Stevens and Alan Horowitz in the summer of 1960. Meanwhile Barry and the remaining Brooktones negotiated with Bob Marcucci’s Chancellor Records, home to teen idols Fabian and Frankie Avalon, and added William Shunkwiler and Jerry Sirlin.
After a live audition arranged in December 1960 for Cameo/Parkway, the quintet secured a contract with the label. Barry soon invited Summers to assist with harmonies, and at Summers’ urging Mike Dennis rejoined, restoring the original core lineup. Cameo executive Bernie Lowe proposed renaming the Brooktones the Deauvilles after the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, yet the members found the spelling cumbersome and chose the Dovells instead.
Their first single, a re-recorded “No, No, No,” appeared in March 1961 and fared little better than its predecessor. In May the group cut “Out in the Cold Again,” a remake of the Teenagers’ ballad, together with a new number based on a dance observed by Parkway promotion man Billy Harper among teenagers at Goodwin Fire Hall in Bristol, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia. Originally called simply “The Stomp,” the track received the more formal title “The Bristol Stomp” on release. It remained off the charts through the summer of 1961, yet gained Midwest traction once school resumed in September, achieving national airplay by September 11 and ascending to number one by mid-October.
Parkway quickly followed with additional dance-themed Top 40 releases. Throughout 1962 the Dovells documented nearly every dance that songwriters Dave Appell and Kal Mann could devise, yet another substantial hit arrived only with their reading of Phil Upchurch’s instrumental “You Can’t Sit Down.” In 1964 they produced one of the earliest covers of “She Loves You” by the newly emergent British group the Beatles, but Parkway held the recording; once the original reached number one, issuing the Dovells’ version seemed inadvisable and it remains unreleased in the label’s vault.
The Dovells supplied backup vocals for Fabian, Chubby Checker, and Jackie Wilson at the Brooklyn Fox and frequently sang uncredited behind Checker, most notably on the hit “Let’s Twist Again.” Constant touring continued until internal strains erupted during a Christmas show in Miami Beach in December 1963, at which point Len Barry exited. He later signed with Decca as a solo artist and is chiefly remembered for “One, Two, Three,” which reached number two on the pop charts in November 1965. Now a trio, the remaining Dovells issued three Parkway singles in 1964 and appeared in the film Don’t Knock the Twist alongside Dion, Chubby Checker, and the Marcels late in 1965.
In the spring of 1968 Summers conceived a song drawn from a recurring sketch on the television program “Laugh-In.” Titled “Here Come the Judge” after the sketch’s catchphrase, the track featured female lead Jean Hillery and was issued on MGM Records under the name the Magistrates. The other Dovells learned of the release and registered clear displeasure. That summer “Judge” became an East Coast hit, reaching number 54 on Billboard’s pop charts, prompting the Dovells to tour with Hillery while adopting the Magistrates name on stage, although they never recorded again under that billing. Dennis was later replaced by part-time member Mark Stevens.
A 1974 cover of “Dancin’ in the Street,” originally a major success for Martha and the Vandellas in 1964, appeared on the Event label yet peaked only at number 105. The group kept performing until Satin announced his departure. Stevens and Summers elected to continue, recruiting additional vocalists and developing a Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis-styled comedic stage routine to complement their million-selling hits. The new approach supported an extra sixteen weeks of annual work in Las Vegas. Len Barry rejoined for two reunion performances in 1991. Summers and Stevens continue to tour nationally and internationally and have performed twice for former president Bill Clinton at inaugural balls. Summers also produces corporate events and operates an advertising agency when not appearing with the Dovells.
Albums
For Your Hully Gully Party/You Can't Sit Down
2010
The Best Of The Dovells 1961-1965
2005
Hits Of '64
1964
For Your Hully Gully Party
1963
Singles
Live
