The Belmonts
The original group consisted of Angelo D'Aleo (born February 3, 1940), Carlo Mastrangelo (October 5, 1937 – April 4, 2016), and Fred Milano (August 26, 1939 – January 1, 2012).
Mastrangelo was replaced in 1962 by Frank Lyndon and Warren Gradus, but the original group reunited in 1966, and thereafter performed together in numerous reunions over the years.
DiMucci added the lead vocal to existing pre-recorded tracks, and the final composition was released as "The Chosen Few"/"Out In Colorado", by "Dion and the Timberlanes" (Mohawk 105).
After receiving some airplay on the East Coast, the single was later leased to the larger Jubilee Records label for better distribution, although it failed to chart nationally.
In 1959 Dion and the Belmonts were part of the historic and tragic Winter Dance Party tour that lost three performers in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa--Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson.
While not charting nationally, other singles receiving airplay included, "Such A Long Way" (4 surveys), "I Confess" (4), "More Important Things To Do" (3), "Hombre" (2), "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive" (2), "Walk On Boy" (1), "Let's Call It A Day" (1), "I Don't Know Why, I Just Do" (1), and the medley: "Have You Heard/The Worst That Could Happen" (1).
[9] The song "C'mon Everybody (Do You Wanna Dance)" received enough airplay on NYC radio station WINS that it was re-recorded and used as the sound-bite introduction for deejay Murray the K's "Triple Play" segments.
[9] The group's rare and highly collectible album from this period, The Belmonts: Carnival of Hits, was released on October 1, 1962, and consisted solely of their Sabina recordings.
After the hit "Come On Little Angel", a split developed within the group concerning the finances of their privately owned label, Sabina Records.
"[10] He was replaced by Frank Lyndon on lead and Warren Gradus doing Carlo's vocal parts and playing guitar.
His first single, "Baby Doll", received considerable airplay in Florida, Pennsylvania and Connecticut,[11] but didn't make the national charts.
His final Laurie recording, "Stranger in My Arms", was written especially for him by hit maker Ernie Maresca ("The Wanderer", "Runaround Sue").
After leaving Laurie Records Mastrangelo became DiMucci's occasional songwriting partner, backup vocalist and drummer in the group "Dion and the Wanderers", which also featured John Falbo on guitar and Pete Baron on bass.
Between 1964 and 1966 they released three uncharted singles for Columbia Records, making national appearances on Dick Clark's Where The Action Is and The Lloyd Thaxton Show.
Produced by "DiMont Music", Mastrangelo played drums and DiMucci contributed guitar to reduce the need for additional session musicians.
"My Girl The Month Of May" broke the "Radio London Fab 40" top ten at number 9 the week of December 25, 1966.
"My Girl The Month Of May", was later covered by English artists Alan Bown in 1967 and The Bunch (featuring Sandy Denny of Fairport Convention) in April 1972.
When Frank Lyndon left they became a quartet with Milano, D'Aleo, Gradus and Dan Elliott (née Rubado, ex-The Monterays, Glenn Miller Orchestra) who joined in 1974.
Mastrangelo, D'Aleo, Milano, Gradus and DiMucci reunited on June 2, 1972, at the Felt Forum in New York, for a Richard Nader "Rock and Roll Revival" concert.
The following year all four original members reunited once again, doing a sold-out concert at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, New York.
Gradus and Elliott also moonlighted on Laurie Records in the late 1970s under the alias Foreign Intrigue, releasing three singles.
With their newly charted record, The Belmonts and Cannon appeared on Solid Gold and The Mike Douglas Show to promote the single.
Together they recorded the track "Shake It Sally", released in 1982 on the Rock 'n Roll Traveling Show album (Downtown D-20001).
Loria was later active in The Del-Satins, The Jive Five, Larry Chance and the Earls and The Doo Wop All Stars; he died on October 23, 2010.
[17] In 1994, a lawsuit was filed by Fred Milano and Warren Gradus claiming trademark infringement against DiMucci, Mastrangelo, and D'Aleo.
Milano, who had participated in every one of the Belmonts' recording sessions dating back 54 years, died on January 1, 2012, at the age of 72.
We knew each other from our teenage boyhoods; even though we weren’t close and didn’t talk in later years, what we went through together made us like family.
"[19] In October 2012, the Belmonts (D'Aleo and Gradus) joined former New York City disc jockey Don K. Reed as featured guests on Vito Picone's (The Elegants) long-running, Staten Island-based cable TV show Let The Good Times Roll.
A more recent example of using a song to set the time frame of for a movie is using "I Wonder Why" for the opening in the major motion picture A Bronx Tale.
In 2016, the Belmonts released a recording entitled "Welcome Me Back Home" that has become a standard among the 1950s and 1960s crowd garnering hundreds of thousands streams.
