The Brooks 4 - Bound Brook, NJ

October 19, 2017

The Teamates

Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s a small world?” I have definitely been able to connect myself with that saying recently! Recently, I had picked up the above record pictured; “Calendar of Love” by The Teamates. I am familiar with the “Le-Mans Records” record label, as one of my teachers & mentors to the music - Louis Longo recorded with his group on the label. I refer to Louis as uncle Louis, as we are close in that aspect; anyways - the label sparked interest! I got a hold of my uncle and I had asked him “Didn’t you record a single for Le-Mans with your group the Four Tiers?” He confirmed it, and mentioned that the Teamates are his close friends; “The Brooks Four!” The Brooks Four went by several names which included: The Four Winds, & The Teamates. Given that my uncle is close friends with The Brooks Four, they actually recorded a record together. In 1965, Robert “Bobby” Paladino (lead singer of The Brooks Four) wrote out an original composition called: “Charlie I Gotta Go.” The song is about a girl secretly seeing a boy, unbeknownst to Charlie. They moved on to record this song, so my uncle Louis’s group along with the Brooks Four became the Brooks 8 with Bernice Pitoscia singing lead. (They didn't really call themselves "The Brooks 8," but that’s a joke my friend PJ made up about the group name.) Given that this was a song produced to be a hit, only ONE pre-production acetate of it was ever made. This ultimately led to the song staying unreleased and basically unknown for 52 years! So, just how did this acetate become rediscovered over half a century later? PJ Noce, my mentor, friend and a big brother figure to me (also a harcore Doo Wop collector with one of the greatest collections ever) is friends with Paladino. Through Facebook, PJ told Paladino that my uncle Louis recalled singing background with Paladino for “Charlie, I Gotta Go.” Paladino said that Longo and his vocal group, the Four Tiers, joined in on the background. This ultimately led to transferring the acetate demo record to MP3, which had never been released, to a CD. According to Paladino, the recording session was done at the Venture Sound Studio in Bound Brook, NJ. In July of 2017, for the first time ever, "Charlie I Gotta Go" was aired on radio by means of PJ's own show: "Story Untold" which airs on 107.9 WOLD in Woodbridge, NJ. (The show is nationally syndicated, meaning it airs throughout the States - but it originates in Woodbridge.)

“Calendar of Love,” was written by Bobby’s brother, Mike Paladino; and recorded on the new “Le-Mans” Record Label. “Le-Mans” records was a label owned by a young teen who’s father owned a Pontiac and Cadillac dealership (hence the car on the logo.) This recording took place at the Stea Phillips NYC Studio in 1964.