The Five Discs - Live at The Pier, Boston, MA - 7/23/81

Originally formed in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York in 1954, the Five Discs were among the earliest interracial vocal groups when they first recorded for Emge Records in 1958. Their initial recording lineup consisted of Mario deAndrade (lead), Paul Albano (first tenor), Tony Basile (second tenor), Joe Barsalona (baritone), and Andrew Jackson (bass). Their debut release, “I Remember”, was an East Coast hit, earning plenty of airplay and sales in New York and Boston, but Emge, owned by Laurie Records' Gene and Bob Schwartz who were heavily promoting Dion and the Belmonts at the time, couldn’t afford to promote “I Remember” appropriately. It was subsequently issued on both Vik and Dwain Records. Various personnel changes took place in the early 1960s, with John Carbone singing lead on “Adios” and “My Baby Loves Me”. Singles were issued on Dwain, Rust, Yale, Calo, and Cheer between 1959 and 1962, the latter company issuing the rocking Carbone-led “Never Let You Go”, a best seller in New York. Soon after, Eddie Pardocchi joined as lead singer. Later in the 1960s, the Five Discs recorded as the Boyfriends and as Dawn. A 1972 Laurie single, “Rock & Roll Revival”, was voiced by Pardocchi, Barsalona, Donnie LaRuffa, Frank Arnone, and Mike Strippoli.
Beginning in the early 1970s, Boston-area disc jockey, concert host and producer, historian and enthusiast, Little Walter DeVenne began documenting the pioneers of vocal group harmony, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll using Super 8 movie film, reel to reel tape recorders, and whatever means were available to him. Concerts in New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and other locations were preserved. Sadly, Walter died in 2021, and the films were feared lost or destroyed. Through the efforts of Walter’s friend and longtime disc jockey, Mike Bollea, many of these recordings have been preserved. Through Mike’s generosity and a desire to see Walter’s historic films shared with fans and devotees of this music, we present the Little Walter’s Time Machine Official Archives series, remixed and synched by Todd Baptista, from the original source material. This performance was recorded at the Topside nightclub at The Pier on Northern Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts on July 23, 1981.
The recently reorganized group was making their first Boston appearance at this event, a three-day stand hosted and produced by Little Walter, which also included the Teenagers featuring Pearl McKinnon, the Impalas and Cadillacs. This 23-minute color film from Walter’s personal archives, is the group’s complete first set on the first of the three nights and has not previously been shown in any form. The group consists of veteran lead singer Eddie Pardocchi, first tenor Randy Silverman and second tenor Shelly Buchansky, both formerly of Vito and the Salutations, founding baritone Joe Barsalona, and bass Mike Strippoli, who had joined in 1972. The set opens with their 1961 Yale release, “Come On Baby”, and is followed by "My Baby Loves Me”, the original flip side of “Adios”. The Five Discs’ debut, “I Remember”, “That Was The Time”, the B-side of “Never Let You Go”, an acapella rendition of the Channels “My Love Will Never Die”, “Adios” and “Never Let You Go” complete the seven-song performance, the first of their two sets this evening. Copying, reuploading, distributing, selling, or any unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
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