The Hurricanes

Named after a mighty force of nature, the Hurricanes never achieved the notoriety of some of their contemporaries, such as the Drifters or the Dominoes. Nevertheless, they were still a vocal-group powerhouse. Packing strong lead vocals and solid harmonies, the Hurricanes were a dynamic musical force to be reckoned with in 1950s R&B circles. Tracing the group's origins takes listeners to the streets of Brooklyn in the early '50s. It was there that four young teens formed a vocal group. The founding group members were Jerry Halfhide (lead), Sam Fickling (tenor), Fred Williams (baritone), and Vernon Britton (bass). The group, originally calling themselves the Tune Toppers, were serious in their musical pursuits and before long had a manager, Mack Jones, uncle of Fred Williams. Mack Jones probably had a good ear for talent, being a seasoned performer himself. He was better known in showbiz circles as Jelly Roll, part of the comedy duo Jelly Roll & ZuZu. His showbiz connections no doubt unlocked some doors for the fellows that might have otherwise remained unopened. They added lead tenor Henry Austin (aka Alston) to the group, and with Jerry Halfhide shifting to background, they were now a quintet and ready to move forward in their musical career. They did not have to wait long. The group landed a deal with Jubilee Records and in early 1954, now calling themselves the Toppers, released a single, "You're Laughing 'Cause I'm Crying" backed with "Baby, Let Me Bang Your Box." The record doesn't appear to have been reviewed by Billboard. "You're Laughing 'Cause I'm Crying" is a solid blues ballad. "Baby, Let Me Bang Your Box," with its double-entendre title, is a rollicking, up-tempo outing which is really about playing a piano at a party. By 1955 there were several major changes. Halfhide and Fickling left the group and were replaced by James Brown (tenor) and pianist Gabriel Gill. More importantly, the group scored a new recording deal with King, which would produce seven King singles under their new name, the Hurricanes. In July 1955, King released the first Hurricanes single, "Pistol Packin' Mama," a novelty rocker, paired with the ballad "Poor Little Dancing Girl." Although both sides were nice efforts by the group, they failed to hit the charts. This, unfortunately, would be the fate of their subsequent King singles as well. Although the R&B charts eluded the Hurricanes, the silver screen did not. The mid-'50s saw a number of rock & roll films produced that were virtually without plots and mainly served as a vehicle for showcasing current performing artists. Rockin' the Blues, filmed in Harlem in 1955 and released in mid-1956, was one of these flicks. The comedy team of Mantan Moreland and Flournoy Miller supplied what little story line there is in their attempts to get into the theater. DJ Hal Jackson delivered jive-styled rhyming intros to the performing artists. In addition to the Hurricanes, the picture included musical performances by the Harptones, the Wanderers, the Miller Sisters, Linda Hopkins, Connie Carroll, the Afro-Cuban Dancers, and the Teacho Wilshire Band. The Hurricanes did two songs for the film: "You May Not Know," which was later issued by King in 1956, and "I'll Be Glad." The latter tune is notable for two reasons. First, it featured baritone Fred Williams on lead, and secondly it was never issued by King and was only heard in the movie. Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters no doubt strongly influenced the group, which is evidenced in the Hurricanes' 1956 releases. "Yours" and "Tell Me Baby" are up-tempo Drifters sound-alikes, with Henry Alston doing very respectable "Clyde"-styled leads. "You May Not Know" is a thinly veiled cover of the Drifters' 1955 release of "Whatcha Gonna Do" and "Your Promise to Me" is a mistitled cover of the Drifters' "Your Promise to Be Mine." The other side of this last effort, "Little Girl of Mine," was also a cover, this time of the Cleftones. Those 1956 discs also had some more excellent ballad sides, including "Dear Mother," "Raining in My Heart," and "Maybe It's All for the Best." In 1957, King released two more singles by the Hurricanes, containing some of their most exquisite ballad work. "Fallen Angel" opens with an evocative, descending harmony pattern and progresses smoothly into a moving lead vocal. The flip side, "I'll Always Be in Love With You," is another Drifters-influenced up-tempo. "Priceless," the group's last King disc, is considered to be just that among vocal-group harmony connoisseurs. It is probably the most polished effort by the group. The backside of this one, "Now That I Need You," is a retitled cover of the Mello-Moods' "Where Are You." While at King, the Hurricanes also provided uncredited background vocals to other King artists, including Jerry Dorn and Bubber Johnson. By 1958, the Hurricanes were no more, at least under that name. They recorded for Skyline, but the record was released as by Henry Alston. "Once in a Beautiful Lifetime" was issued with two different flip sides, "I Dare You Baby" and later "What Is There Left for Me." The group recorded two more records as the Memos for Memo Records in 1959. For these sessions, Fred Williams, on loan to Uncle Sam, was replaced by his brother, Eugene Williams. Most notable of the Memos' recordings is "My Most Precious Possession," a competent ballad effort by the group. As the 1960s dawned, the group went their separate ways. Vernon Britton remained involved with the music business and produced the soul group Crown Heights Affair, among others. In 2001, after being inducted into the United in Group Harmony Association's Hall of Fame, the Hurricanes re-formed and started performing in a number of East Coast venues. The lineup includes originals Vernon Britton and Fred Williams. Handling lead vocals is George Green, whose voice is ideal for accurately re-creating the Hurricanes' sound. Hearing this version of the group is like being transported back to the '50s and should not be missed by any 1950s R&B group harmony fan. An import CD devoted to the material of the Hurricanes is available. ~ Jim Dunn