The Turbans

In 1955 The Turbans became one of the earliest Philadelphia R&B ensembles to reach a national audience. They surfaced from a city scene that had until then been led by tenor-driven acts such as the Castelles, the Capris, and the Dreams. Their most striking feature, aside from their turbans, was the high, piercing falsetto of 17-year-old Al Banks (born July 26, 1937), backed by Matthew Platt, baritone Charlie Williams, and bass Andrew Jones—four schoolmates who found themselves on the threshold of fame.

The quartet traveled to New York and signed with Al Silver’s Herald Records, recording their debut single late in 1955. Airplay gravitated to the brisk B-side “When You Dance,” which reached the national charts and launched an East Coast tour. Their next release followed the same pattern: the B-side “Sister Sookie” overtook the softer A-side “I’ll Always Watch Over You” on local stations and playlists, turning into a regional hit.

That success proved to be their peak. The four subsequent Herald singles failed to match the earlier impact, and the contract concluded with the 1957 release of “Congratulations.” The group then moved to Imperial and later Roulette, experiencing repeated personnel shifts while Banks remained lead singer throughout. Before his death in the late ’70s, he performed with one of the touring lineups of the Drifters on the oldies and club circuit, keeping “When You Dance” in his set.