The Playmates -- best known for "Beep Beep," one of several Top 40 hits -- were one of the first rock & roll groups signed to the New York-based Roulette Records, formed and co-owned by music industry leaders Morris Levy, Joe Kolsky, and George Goldner. Originally known as the Nitwits (probably a better name for them in the long run), the Playmates had been performing in the area around Waterbury, CT, for five years before signing to Roulette in 1958. The label had already scored a few rock & roll hits by the time they signed the group; unfortunately, the Playmates' specialty was not rock & roll, but novelty music. Despite the oft-corny lyrical content of their upbeat pop fare, they earned two hits right away with "Jo Ann" and "Beep Beep," the latter with a chorus that featured the group repeating a phrase of car beeps ("beep beep, beep beep, this car goes beep, beep beep"). Despite its silliness, "Beep Beep" -- written by group members Carl Cicchetti and Donald Claps -- climbed to number four in the nation in December 1958 and earned the Playmates the right to record an album, At Play With the Playmates, which followed soon after. In 1959, they scored again with "What Is Love?" (number 15) and followed suit the next year with "Wait for Me" (number 37). The group subsequently recorded three additional albums for the label: Cuttin' Capers, Wait for Me, and Broadway Showstoppers. Another album, The Playmates Visit West of the Indies, was issued on an early- to mid-'60s budget reissue label called Forum Records, which was a division of Roulette Records. The group disbanded in 1964. ~ Bryan Thomas, All Music Guide The Playmates were a late 1950s vocal group, led by the pianist Chic Hetti (born Carl Cicchetti, 26 February 1930), drummer; Donny Conn (born Donald Claps, 29 March 1930); and Morey Carr (born 31 July 1932), all from Waterbury, Connecticut. The members of The Playmates were students in the early-1950s at the University of Connecticut, and began touring Canada in 1952 with their comedy as the "Nitwits". They transformed themselves into a musical group over the next four years, and took a new name "The Playmates". Signed to Morris Levy's Roulette Records in 1958 as the label's first vocal group[1], they released two notable singles — "Jo-Ann" and "Don't Go Home" — before having a surprise #4 hit (July 9, 1958) with the tempo-changing novelty record "Beep, Beep" - that became a regular spin for Dr. Demento. The "Beep, Beep" song was on the Billboard Top 40 chart for twelve weeks. Concurrently with this song, American Motors (AMC) was setting production and sales records for the Rambler models. Because of a directive by the BBC that songs do not include brand names in its lyrics, a version of "Beep Beep" was recorded for the European market replacing the Cadillac and Nash Rambler with the generic terms limousine and bubble car. They followed up with a chart listing single in 1959 with "What Is Love" and then again in 1960 with "Wait For Me". After four albums for Roulette, the novelty group — which was known for its between-song comedy and banter as much for its repertoire — broke up in 1964. SOURCE: Wikipedia PLEASE NOTE: I divided my uploads among multiple channels, Bookmark this link in your browser for instant access to an index with links to all of John1948's oldies classics. LINK: john1948.wikifoundry.com/page/John1948%27s+Youtube+Index

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