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The NITECAPS broke up, he went to New York with his brother Ronnie to study
music. He returned to Detroit in 1961, and then started working for Golden World
Records. Later he dealt with a lot of artists on the Ric Tic and Westbound labels and
also wrote for Edwin Starr and Jackie Wilson. Ronnie, who sometimes appeared under
the pseudonym of Ronnie Savoy, had later success with MGM Records, before he
produced Ben E. King.
The FIVE KEYS’ session for RCA’s Groove subsidiary is quite a different story, but
as so much has been written about the group, we restrict ourselves to the main facts.
Originating in Virginia as early as 1946, the FIVE KEYS managed to secure their
popularity with hits for Capitol up until the late fifties. They recorded in New York, Los
Angeles and Cincinatti first for Aladdin, then for Capitol and King Records. Formed as
the Sentimental Four, they consisted of Rudy & Bernie West and Raphael & Ripley
Ingram. When Dickie Smith, a cousin of the Harptones’Willie Winfield, joined them, it
led to their new name. Before their first record in early 1951, Maryland Pierce (from
The Avalons) had replaced Raphael Ingram. Formed in the mould of the popular Orioles,
their ballad patterns were similar until the FIVE KEYS hit with
Glory Of Love
. This led
to more pop standards and a few uptempo tunes thrown in. Rudy West was drafted from
I952 until 1955, and was released by Ulysses S. Hicks until his death in late I954.
Ramon Loper stayed in for Dickie Smith from 1953 until early 1955, when Dickie returned
from the service.
Having recorded in RCA’s NewYork studios for years, they obtained a contract with
Groove Records through the efforts of their manager, Sol Richfield. One session in July
1954 resulted, with four songs being recorded. Meanwhile, it appears that their manager