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The Royal Teens was a New Jersey rock and roll band that formed in 1956, which was composed of Bob Gaudio on piano, Tom Austin on drums, Billy Dalton on guitar, and Billy Crandall on saxophone.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=The Royal Teens )〕 The group is best known for its single "Short Shorts," which was a #3 hit in the United States in 1958.〔(Billboard Singles ), Allmusic.com〕 The follow-up single, 1959's "Believe Me," hit #26.〔 The group recorded two albums and broke up in 1972. ==History== The term "Short Shorts" was a description Bob Gaudio and Tom Austin had given to the cutoff jeans teenage girls were wearing during the summer of 1957.〔 On that musically fateful afternoon, Gaudio and Austin were driving up Washington Avenue in Bergenfield, New Jersey in Tom Austin's red and white 1957 Ford Fairlane 500, trying to figure out what to call the latest song they had written for their rock and roll band then known as the Royals, later renamed the Royal Teens by record producer and owner Leo Rodgers. Just then, two girls came strutting out of Luhmann's (the local teenage sweet shop) wearing cutoff jeans that were cut so short they were almost illegal. At that point, the song "Short Shorts" was born.〔 On the original recording, Tom Austin did the whistle, Billy Dalton mimicked the whistle on guitar, and Billy Crandall said “Man, dig those crazy chicks.”〔 With Tommy on drums, Bobby on piano, Billy Dalton on guitar, and Crandall on sax, along with the female vocal provided by Diana Lee, a girl from Leo's stable of talented youngsters, the Royal Teens became a success. Leo Rogers owned a label named Power Records with Lee Silvers. Before the record was released on Power, Leo made the Royals changed its name to Royal Teens because there was another group called The Royals.〔 The Royals reluctantly added Teens to its name. Before the first rock and roll tour was launched, which included the Royal Teens, Billy Crandall had to leave the group because his parents would not allow him to leave Dumont High School because hel was only 14 years old at the time.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=The Royal Teens » The Royal Teens History )〕 Tommy had just graduated from Fort Lee High School, Bob Gaudio's parents decided to allow their son to temporarily drop out of school to pursue his dream, and Billy Dalton took a leave of absence from All Hallows High in Manhattan.〔 Larry Qualiano, a 17-year-old sax player from North Bergen, New Jersey, took Billy Crandall's place and the Royal Teens became complete again, touring with greats such as Buddy Holly, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, and Frankie Avalon.〔 Over the years there were a number of members of the Royal Teens. One long-lasting combination played extensively throughout the New York metropolitan area and was co-managed by band members Bob Baran and James "Dino" Cusumano. The group traveled the U.S. with the early pioneers of rock and roll including those mentioned above and many more. It was put together by Leo Rodgers in 1961 after the original group disbanded. It consisted of Bob Baran on guitar, James "Dino" Cusumano on piano, lead vocalist Tony Federico on bass, Jack Kopchinski on sax, and Art Perlman on drums. In 1962, the group recorded “Short Shorts Twist,” for Jubilee Records as a play on "Short Shorts" and “The Twist” by Chubby Checker. It was voted hit of the week on Alan Freed's evening show on WINS (AM) radio in New York City, but it lost momentum after Freed was forced by WINS management to change from rock and roll to Sinatra vocal-type music and a similar genre. The group worked major nightclubs in Manhattan, especially the famous Wagon Wheel〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Friends of Ours )〕 and rock mogul Morris Levy's Camelot Lounge, often fronted by Alan Freed before he was deposed to California for his alleged involvement in the payola scandal. The group made a comeback in 1969 after changing some members—Sonny Bongiorno to sax, Gene Wasylick to guitar, Bob Baran moved to bass, and Joe Loria to drums. Dino remained as lead vocalist. Executives at Musicor Records impressed with the musical and vocal drive of “Short Shorts Twist,”〔 offered the group a contract to record an album called “Newies But Oldies.’〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Newies But Oldies by The Royal Teens (Album): Reviews, Ratings, Credits, Song list - Rate Your Music )〕 It was produced by Les Paul Jr., son of Les Paul, the famous jazz guitarist and inventor of the solid-body electric guitar. The album concept was created by co-producers Bill and Steve Jerome.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Jerome Promotions—History )〕 It was a compilation of sensational hits of the 1960s sung to melodies of songs that were big hits in the 1950s. The concept had never been done before so the producers were intensely concerned about the group discussing the album with anyone until its release. In early 1970, “Newies But Oldies” was released with a single from the album as well. The A-side was “Hey Jude” by the Beatles sung to the melody of "In the Still of the Night" by the Five Satins. The B-Side was “Smile A Little Smile for Me, Rosemarie,” done like Little Darlin by the Diamonds. In many ways, like "Short Shorts" and “Short Shorts Twist,” the album concept was a novelty and was played heavily by DJs in the New York metropolitan area. In 1972, members of the group having long since left their teen years, changed the group's name to Dino—Take Five, and in 1973 to Take Five, when Dino left the group and moved to California. Subsequently, Bob Baran left the group to practice law as a corporate patent attorney, and the group continued to play for some years as Take Five. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Royal Teens」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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