The Five Jets

The Detroit-based Five Jets cut five singles for Deluxe Records between 1953 and 1954, then issued one more on Fortune Records in 1957 under the name the Five Dollars. Joe Murphy, also known as Joe Charles, and Joseph Von Battle stood among the members alongside several unidentified musicians; Walter Gaines and Roquel “Billy” Davis, later credited as Tyran Carlo, may have contributed vocals or guitar. Davis served as the group’s principal songwriter and occasionally collaborated with Berry Gordy Jr. Despite steady local bookings, none of the releases achieved meaningful sales or sustained radio exposure.

The absence of commercial traction did not stem from lack of preparation; the ensemble performed with precision. Yet producer Henry Glover at Deluxe never located the right combination of elements. Consequently, scant documentation exists about the Five Jets, and few listeners have encountered their recordings. Syd Nathan operated King/Federal/Deluxe as a fully integrated facility that handled recording, mastering, pressing, artwork, warehousing, and distribution in a single location. For each new act, Nathan typically manufactured only fifty copies of the initial single and pitched them to disc jockeys; without immediate response, further pressings were withheld. This limited distribution explains the group’s present obscurity.

Their debut coupling, “Not a Hand to Shake” backed with “I’m in Love,” appeared in 1953. Four additional Deluxe singles followed in 1954, none of which connected with audiences: “I’m Stuck” backed with “I Want a Woman,” “Tell Me You’re Mine” backed with “Give In,” “Crazy Chicken” backed with “Do the Crazy Chicken,” and “Please Love Me Baby” backed with “Down Slow.” The Five Dollars’ final release, “I’m Wondering” backed with “You Fool,” written by Berry Gordy and Tyran Carlo, likewise failed to register. Shortly afterward the lineup resurfaced as the Five Stars.