The group formed in 1959 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and signed to Colpix Records with lead Cornelius Harp, bass Fred Johnson, Gene Bricker, Ron Mundy, and Richard Knauss.

The group was named after a popular hair style of the day, the marcel wave,[1][2] by Fred Johnson's younger sister Priscilla.

In 1961, the Marcels released a doo-wop cover of the ballad "Blue Moon" that began with the bass singer singing, "bomp-baba-bomp-ba-bomp-ba-bomp-bomp... vedanga-dang-dang-vadinga-dong-ding...".

In August 1961, due to racial problems encountered while touring in the Deep South because of the group being multi-racial, Knauss and Bricker and Daniel Mercado left and were replaced by Allen Johnson (brother of Fred) and Walt Maddox and Mundy.

[11] "Blue Moon" "Summertime" "Heartaches" "My Melancholy Baby" "Flowerpot" "Friendly Loans" "Teeter-Totter Love" (1963 version) The Marcels' popularity in 1961 was so great that they were included in the Oscar Rudolph film Twist Around the Clock.

the film also showcased fellow artists Chubby Checker, Dion DiMucci, Vicki Spencer and singer-songwriter and TV show host turned actor Clay Cole.

This Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon movie, about a millionaire who sets out to prove his theory that his pet chimpanzee is as intelligent as the teenagers who hang out on the local beach where he is intending to build a retirement home but ends in hilarious results, also included two of The Marcels, Gene Bricker and Cornelius Harp.