The Cardinals
The Cardinals, early balladeers that few remember, recorded 12 singles for Atlantic Records (their only label) between 1951 and 1957. They debuted with "Shouldn't I Know," a willowy ballad featuring a prominent lead guitar, tight harmonies, and a deep bass; lead Ernie Warren impressed listeners at the fade by holding a long note in breathtaking fashion. One of the bird groups, the Cardinals formed in their hometown, Baltimore, MD, in 1946, a year before a more famous bird group from Baltimore, the Orioles. Originally they were the Mellotones. The lineup was Warren, Donald Johnson, Meredith Brothers, Leon Hardy, and guitarist Sam Aydelotte, who also sang. They did the Baltimore bar scene for years, imitating all the ballad and modern harmony groups including the Ink Spots. A recording opportunity came in 1951 when a representative from Atlantic Records inked them after a talent search audition.
Atlantic renamed them the Cardinals to avoid confusion with another Mellotones group that recorded for Columbia Records. The first single "Shouldn't I Know" (1951) mimicked the Orioles' sound; it rode into the R&B Top Ten and took the fellows on tours at big-city venues with other star R&B artists. A second single "I'll Always Love You," a 1951 release, didn't do as well but wasn't a total flop either. They followed with "Wheel of Fortune," a song from their first recording session. It wasn't a scheduled release; Atlantic took advantage of four pop releases of "Wheel..." at the same time by Sunny Gale, Bobby Wayne, Kay Starr, and the Bell Sisters; all cracked the pop Top Ten except Gale's which nailed down the number 13 spot. The Cardinals competed with Dinah Washington for R&B honors and managed a number six R&B showing. Uncle Sam drafted Warren who was replaced by Leander Tarver for the fourth single "The Bump" b/w "She Rocks." James Brown (not "Mr. Please, Please") replaced Tarver who left for unknown reasons; Warren, on a leave, participated in the next session which included six Cardinals. The septet recorded "You Are My Only Love" (1953) and "Under a Blanket of Blue" (1954); both flopped, Atlantic lost interest in recording and promoting the group; that interest didn't return until Warren's service duty ended and he rejoined full-time early in 1954. A new recording session resulted in the Chuck Willis-penned "The Door Is Still Open to My Heart" (1955); the slow ballad with the grumbling bass and smooth harmonies, punctuated by a sax break, became their biggest record. The lineup was now Warren, Johnny Douglas, Brothers, Hardy, and Johnson.
The gigs picked up and the Cardinals toured extensively on shows sponsored by Alan Freed, Buddy Johnson, and others. They appeared with the Ravens, the Moonglows, the Nutmegs, Chuck Berry, Dinah Washington and other stars. They hit the Midwest many times. In Cleveland, OH, they played the Circle Theater two or three times, and once did a show at the Uptown in bright orange suits, sharing the bill with Luther Bond & the Emeralds, Arthur Prysock, Tiny Grimes, and others. Atlantic issued six more singles that didn't do well, though a couple are considered classics. The interest in the Cardinals' singing style was waning. About the time Atlantic dropped the final Cardinals single "One Love" (1957), the group had splintered. Warren formed another group before reuniting the originals with different members. The new guys hung in until the early '60s before breaking up for good. Atlantic thought a lot of the group -- they recorded 36 sides, though only 24 were released via 12 singles. The 36 singles have not been released as an album.
© Andrew Hamilton /TiVo
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Diskografie
19 Album, -en • Geordnet nach Bestseller
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Wheel Of Fortune - 4 Track EP
Pop - Erschienen bei Play Digital am 10.02.2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Doo Wop Classics of the 50's
R&B - Erschienen bei Master Classics Records am 15.01.2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Classics From The Cardinals
Rock - Erschienen bei Excess Music am 09.10.2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Pretty Baby Blues
Verschiedenes - Erschienen bei AMB am 01.11.2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Under A Blanket Of Blue - The Singles As & Bs, 1951 - 1957
Vokalmusik (weltlich und geistlich) - Erschienen bei Jasmine Records am 10.12.2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Golden Selection (Remastered)
R&B - Erschienen bei Master Tape Records am 18.09.2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best of The Cardinals (Vintage Charm)
R&B - Erschienen bei Don't stop the music am 07.03.2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Atlantic Years
Blues - Erschienen bei FM Records am 21.02.1954
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Cardinals' Lovie Darling
R&B - Erschienen bei Charly Records am 24.06.2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kiss Me Baby
Jazz - Erschienen bei Editione Jazz IT am 27.01.2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Cardinals - Vintage Sounds
Pop - Erschienen bei Retro Music Box am 01.12.2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wheel of Fortune
Pop - Erschienen bei All Time Records am 03.03.2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Near You - The Cardinals
Soul - Erschienen bei ISIS am 01.11.2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Les idoles du Rock 'n' Roll : The Cardinals, Vol. 1
Pop - Erschienen bei Mpm am 31.03.2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Shouldn't I Know
Pop - Erschienen bei Black Sheep Music am 16.08.2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Soul Collection (Original Recordings), Vol. 10
Pop - Erschienen bei Nova 017 Ltd am 04.01.2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Cardinals - The Complete Singles
Soul - Erschienen bei Leverage am 01.09.2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
White Cross Collection
Pop - Erschienen bei White Cross Records am 17.03.2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -