The Channels
The Channels were an American doo wop group from New York City.
History[]
An R&B/soul group of the 1950s, The Channels formed in 1955 around the singers Larry Hampden, Billy Morris, and Edward Dolphin; they started as a quintet with two additional part-time members, but soon after they permanently added Earl Michael Lewis and Clifton Wright, formerly of . Lewis was the group's main songwriter, writing (among others) their regional hit "The Closer You Are" (1956).
The Channels recorded for record labels Gone, Fury, , Hit, Enjoy, and Groove. The lineup changed several times over the course of the group's lifetime. They enjoyed significant regional success on the East Coast but never charted a major nationwide hit.[1]
Other notable (though not nationally charted) singles include "Bye Bye Baby" b/w "My Love Will Never Die," "That's My Desire," "The Gleam in Your Eye," "Anything You Do," and "You Can Count On Me."
Legacy[]
"The Closer You Are" was included in Robert Christgau's "Basic Record Library" of 1950s and 1960s recordings, published in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981).[2]
Frank Zappa recorded "The Closer You Are" on his album Them or Us (1984).
References[]
- ^ The Channels at Allmusic.com
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "A Basic Record Library: The Fifties and Sixties". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 0899190251. Retrieved March 16, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
External links[]
- Doo-wop groups
- Musical groups from New York (state)
- Fire Records artists