In the Spring of 1958, an awesome ballad called "You" was blasting out on radios all   throughout the US. and abroad. The Aquatones,from Long Island New York, had a smash hit on their first try. The original  line up included  Dave Goddard, Larry Vannata,  and Gene McCarthy.  Lynne Nixon  was added originally to just sing the   background vocals. Bob Boden played the drums, but was not with the group when  they recorded for Fargo. And,they only recorded on Fargo records, owned by Lou Fargo, with one exception.They backed up Bob E. Lee on the first Wells record issue, #1, "Anna Mae".Wells was a Fargo subsidiary. Here is an interview I did with Dave Goddard in 2002.

 
 

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This is the first release on the promo Fargo label, #1000. "I wrote A  Poem" has the   Aquatones singing backup for Vinnie Monte, in 1958. The flip side of the first Fargo label  release, "Naught Naughty Baby", did not include backing by the Aquatones.
 
 
 
A stock copy was also issued, and is a bit tougher to find. One thing Lou Fargo seemed to  be consistent about, was issuing distinct promos and stock copies.
 
 
 
This is the Aquatones very first recording on Fargo, "You". It was intended as the "B"   side,  but became the hit side.This is the promo version from 1958. The flip side   of "You" called  "She's The One For Me,was to be the hit. It had very good airplay in many markets before "You" was picked to be the hit.
 
 
 
This is the  original stock  first pressing  of  "You".  Notice  that  the Fargo logo is clean   with no  distribution listed. The flip side  of the first pressing is  also shown. All original  presses had Thick, thin, thin, thick  as  the line  pattern in the record center.
 
 
 
Here is the second pressing of  "You". Notice the  "Distributed By  Am-Par Record Corp" shown  underneath  the Fargo Logo.The flip side of "You" has the same characteristics mentioned to the left. Fargo didn't have the  ability to  distribute the  record so he called in the big  boys.
 
 
 
Of all the Aquatones records, I believe the 78's are the scarcest. The LP may show a  book value that is high, but try finding the Fargo or London 78's! I don't believe Lou Fargo had any intention of releasing 78's. He didn't with Fargo 1000 and Vinnie Monte.  And since the record label shows "Distributed by AM-Par Record Company", it must have been decided after the distribution deal was struck, to issue a small quantity of 78's. In  1958, the production of 78's was on the extreme downhill run. Certainly some were currently pressed. Groups like the Crescendos, Coasters, Everly Brothers, etc were still  releasing 78RPM's of their current hits. In fact 78's in the USA actually continued to be   manufactured into 1960. The demand from the public was minimal, but I believe there were still a bunch of jukeboxes, especially in the south, that still required them. With all that, this is the only Fargo 78 to be released. It has it's similarities to the previously pictured 45's, but does not list 78RPM anywhere on the label! And, there are no black lines.
 
 
 
This is a legitimate dark blue pressing.It is at least a second press,but I'm not sure of the complete story behind it.  Could it be they ran out of the aqua blue paper? The flip side of the dark  blue press, which of  course, is actually the "A" side, is similar. The paper used on this press did not hold up too well, as most copies end up looking like this,  or worse.
 
 
 
The Canadian release on Sparton. Sparton was  a "Shadow" label that released most of ABC's records in Canada. They only released  vinyl records, they had no bands or artists. All the information is much the same. Notice the   reference to Fargo records in the mid left of the label. The record sold fairly well in   Canada.
 
 
 
The Canadian Sparton release on  "78". As with the 45, the date of 4-58 is shown on the   label. "She's The One For Me", the usual flip side remains the same.  78's were issued on Fargo, Sparton and London, but only for this first recording.
 
 
 
This is the UK London label issue of the Aquatones big hit. Overseas, It did not actually  chart, but it did sell enough records to make an impact. And, It was also pressed on 78.
 
 
 
Here is a slightly different pressing with small  label variances. The info on both sides of the center hole are more offset than the previous photos, and some other lettering placements are different.
   
This is the UK 78 for "You" and "She's The One For Me". Issued on the London American series, it uses the same record number as the UK 45. Fargo is given credit just like the  45  does. Since the record was not a bonified hit in the UK, there were a small amount of  45's issued and a very limited quantity of 78's that saw the light of day.
   
 
 
 
This is  the black and gold  Australian pressing of "You".  The issue number is 1360, and  includes much of the same  info that the UK London  issue has, but different placements.   Notice that the center is intact and as many Australian pressings, it used the small hole if it didn't get punched out.
 
   
This is an interesting press. It is not the same as the boot pictured below. It appears to be a legitimate release, probably from the early 60's. Some of the later Fargo issues had the squiggly lines like the Chord R Notes, also shown below on this page. The dead wax numbers are good, and the type print on the label is consistent with what it should be. Maybe Fargo pressed up a bunch of these to coincide with the LP release? Maybe it is one of several late pressing runs that were ordered while Fargo was still in business. Either way, this is from store stock of an old record store that went out of business and came with the original Fargo sleeve.
   
 
 
A  1970's issue of  "You". Note the  squiggly lines  instead of the four line pattern of the   original Fargo pressings. The flip side again is the same. The printing is a different style than the originals. It might be a boot, but I'm not positive on this.
 
 
 
The Aquatones second release,"Say You'll be mine". A great follow up recording for the group.The distribution deal with ABC-Paramount continued on this 1958 recording. "So   Fine" is the flip side of Fargo 1002.As you will notice,the Aquatones were heard on the first four out of the first five Fargo releases.
 
 
 
Here is the stock copy of "Say You'll Be Mine".  Notice the  lines pattern stays the same with this release. The song writing team of Goddard,McCarthy, and Vannata writes again! The flip of this two sider is called "So Fine". In spite of the quality and heavy distribution, it didn't sell like their previous hit "You".Too bad, because it's a great song.
 
 
 
Here is  the Canadian Sparton release of "Say You'll Be Mine".Notice the  silver half moon   at  the  bottom of the  label with ABC-Paramount listed. "So Fine" was on the flip of the Sparton release. I don't believe the silver moon at the bottom was ever on the Sparton   "You" release.
 
 
 
This is the  promo version of "The  Drive  In". Notice the High Fidelity notation on the middle left. Only two of their releases included it. The flip side  is  "Our First   Kiss". The line  pattern  thick, thin,  thin,  thick continues on 1005, skips 1015 and 1016. It returns on 1022.
 
 
 
"The Drive-in" was an up tempo recording, and the Aquatones next release. Notice the addition of "High fidelity" to to the label design.  This was release number three, from 1958." Our   First Kiss" was the flip side, it is another fine ballad by the group.
 
 
 
This is the promo copy of the Aquatones next release, "My Treasure". Original lead Lynne   Nixon, now gets label credit. The flip,  "My One Desire", was  another fine showing from  the group in 1959. The High Fidelity remains along  with the label credit to Nixon.
 
 
 
Here is  the regular stock copy of "My Treasure".As pictured, there are absolutely no   changes from the promo, except for no "sample copy" letters, and it's aqua blue,not  white.  "My One Desire" is also the same as noted to the left.This one was formerly  owned  by Joe, and he liked the flip side Last release with "The" before Aquatones   printed on label.
 
 
 
Record  number five  had a  very odd release  number of 1111.  The  promo version is  shown and was released in about April of 1960. "My Darling" was another nice Ballad.The flip side is a male vocal with  Lynne Nixon prominent in the background. "For You,For You".
 
 
 
True to form, the record was issued as a stock copy to compliment the promo. When Lou  Fargo "Learned the record business", he definitely followed the rules with promos and  stock copies. The Light blue label is used for the next to the last time for Aquatones   releases.
 
 
 
"There's  A Long  Long Trail" was release number six on Fargo by the Aquatones, from   1961.The "B" side "Every Time" rounded out a nice effort for the group. No mention of Lynne Nixon on the  label. This is the first black Fargo label for the Aquatones.
 
   
Here's release number seven,the Heartbeats standard "Crazy For You". One of the best records issued by the Aquatones."Wanted A Solid Gold Cadillac"was the flip. Despite the  misspelling  of the car name, it's a fine up tempo song. Oddly, the promo version was issued on an orange label. This may have been to be more visible to the stations it was sent to. Often, the boring black and white promo records could get lost in the shuffle.
   
 
 
Here is the black stock copy, just like the previous 1015 issue. Both sides on this record and 1015 were arranged by Larry Vannata in 1960.
 
 
 
The last release was done after the fact in 1962. "Say You'll Be Mine" was originally released in 1958 on Fargo 1002.  The flip of their last  release  "My Treasure", was originally released on Fargo 1005, in 1959.
 
 
 
Here is a  release by  Bob E Lee (no relation),  that features the Aquatones in the background. This is the "B" side, "Anna Mae". The"A" side,"Darling I Love You" is another good effort by  Bob E Lee, and features a  group in the background. The group, however,   is not the Aquatones. Released in 1958.
 
 
 
Shown are both sides of the stock Wells label release. Chris Towns is back with his name on   the label for conducting the session. Both sides are written by non-Aquatone members.
 
 
 
The Chord'R Notes include Dave Goddard on  vocals  and  organ. The group was  formed while Dave was attending college in Albany-Troy New York. Dave called on his old friend Lou Fargo, and in 1964, he agreed to release this lone single  by the group.   "How Still The Night" was the "A" side flipped  with the car song "Livin The Life".
 
 
This is the only Aquatones sleeve I have  seen. It appears to have been issued with  the  1970's  pressing  of "You" that  is   pictured  earlier, that is the label  with  the  squiggly lines. The question for me remains,  "were these issued as a boot in the early  70's, or were  they issued by Lou Fargo to  try and cash in on the oldies revival of the  time?" Most boots that were issued  at  that  time, were of fairly rare  and hard to  get  group and rockabilly records. It  seems  odd that a huge seller like "You"  would need to be booted. But, that did happen on some major hit records.
 
 
 
Here is a release from Dick Plotkin's Debra Records Label. The label has issued CD's and   vinyl, to a degree.The label is based in Scranton, PA, and this is release 1009. The   recordings are newly released, featuring Colette Delaney.  Colette does an  awesome  job   with  lead vocals on  "You"  and "Crazy For You".  Click to view  a bigger  image of "You"   and  "Crazy For You ". This was released in 2002.
 
 
This release is on Sweet Beat records  from  Spain. Tracks include "She's The  One  For Me"  (An Unreleased  1957  acetate),  "For You,  For You"  (An  Unreleased 1958 rehearsal tape), "Crazy Eyes" (1991) and "A Dreamer" (1991).  Sweet Beat records is a label based in  Spain,and has released several EP's and  45's of vocal group harmony.This EP by the   Aquatones  was  issued  with black or blue  vinyl.The cover pictures the Aquatones   singing  at a  wedding in 1958.
 
   
Label shots of both sides of the Sweet beat Record release. Click here for a full view of   the colored blue vinyl.
   
This is the only original Aquatones LP released, and at that, was issued in 1964, somewhat   after all the music had been made. A fine selection of 12 songs culled  from their singles.   Also shown is a picture of the LP label.The first thing you notice, is the label re-design with the  lettering and the addition of the "Wells Fargo" like carriages. Click on the album cover   for  an image of the back of the album.
   
This LP was released in the 1980's by the Hackensack NJ. based Relic records. Relic   was known for their great quality and comprehensive and accurate liner notes. The LP   includes both sides of the early demo by the Teen  Kings,  and several alternate takes.   Extensive liner notes are on the back side of the LP.
   
This is the second pressing for the LP. The   cover is a mild greenish color, but most   everything else appears to be the same. The  red lettering is really the only difference   as shown in the picture to the left.
   
Relic Records also issued the LP on red   vinyl   as a limited edition collectors piece.   They actually pressed many of their LP's   using colored vinyl, as it is a popular way to   sell records! Click picture for a label close- up.
   
Relic got into the CD business in the 90's. The CD on the left was issued in  1993. All the released   records, alternate takes  including  a  version  of  "You"  and  another record the  Aquatones sang  back-up on by Bob E Lee,  are all included. On the right is the Aquatones next    CD released  by Debra  records out  of Scranton, PA. This features original member   Dave   Goddard. Colette Delaney sings many of the lead parts, replacing the late   Aquatone lead vocalist, Lynne Nixon. For more information visit the Aquatones web site.
   
Here are the next two CD releases from the Aquatones. The first is an amazing concept album, and has the vintage material to back it up. Basically, Dave Goddard saved many of his wonderful moments with the Aquatones on a reel to reel tape. It actually starts with material that is pre-Aquatones from their High School play in 1957. He has home recordings, demos, vintage radio interviews and more. I don't know of another group from the later 50's that has this much documentation on audio tape then do the Aquatones. The CD on the right is the official new Christmas CD. They have had a couple of earlier attempts at releasing it, but this is the final mix and has the colorful booklet. They sing traditional songs as well as originals written by Dave. Many of the songs would fit in well on your local Christmas radio station playlist.
   
Gone Missing: All the Aquatones 45 rpm's are shown. However,I'm attempting to collect all of the promotional and stock copies.   Promos needed include 1015, 1022.   1002 also came out on a dark blue Fargo   label. The London Australian 78 of "you" is   needed, as well as a 78 of the Sparton   release "Say You'll Be Mine". Email me if   you have any of these for sale.
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