In 1958  the sounds  of a sweet ballad chanting  "Oh Julie"  pierced the airwaves of   all top 40 radio stations across the country.The second vocal group release for the new Excello subsidiary Nasco, based in Nashville Tennessee, the Crescendos had the biggest Nasco label hit by far, selling about a million copies. It was also a popular song to record. Otis   Williams and the Charms sold 300,000 on King, and Sammy Salvo sold 250,000 copies   with   RCA. The female voice  that really added a hook to the record was Janice   Green. The  group was originally called the Spades, but wisely changed their name. They   attended Cumberland  High school in Nashville Tennessee,  and the group was discovered at a talent show. There were three releases on Nasco,  two on Scarlet, an album released after the fact on   Guest Star, and a release on the Tap label. The vocal groups on Dootone and Atlantic are a   different aggregation. Pictured above in the very top photo from left to right are George Lanius, Kenneth Brigham, Jim Lanius, Jimmy Hall and Tommy Fortner. DJ Noel Ball is seated. The Cumberland Talent Entry picture was from 1957 and is the lineup as the Spades, before they changed their name and had a hit record. Pictured from left to right   are Farell Somerville, Jimmy Hall, George Lanius, seated at the key board is Jo Ann McElhiney, then, Tommy Fortner and Kenneth Brigham. The 3rd picture is from a live   performance as the Crescendos. To listen to an interview with Jimmy Hall, click HERE.   Interview was recorded in early 2004.
 

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Although not an original photograph, this seems to be a publicity shot of the group, and was likely made available at shows and events. These could then be hung on a wall, put in a file folder or secured in a three ring binder and collected with other pictures. Notice that the person collecting autographs was able to locate both Jim and George Lanius and had them sign it. It looks like Jim also signed the word "Crescendos". For additional clarity, Kenneth Brigham is far left, Tommy Fortner is to the right of George, and Jimmy Hall is far right.
 
 
Groups could have a big selling record. They could be headliners on a big show traveling throughout the country to huge audiences everywhere. Their record could be played on hitbound radio stations in all the major markets. But man, when you get sheet music produced for your monster hit record, you know you have made it as an entertainer. The song title is prominent at the top, along with the song writing credits. The picture is the same one used on the program and trading card, shown near the bottom of this web page. On the bottom right side of this picture, the Nasco 45 RPM record is referenced. Inside is the music for Oh Julie, and it encompasses a total of three pages including the back. Normally, sheet music for popular records would sell well, but nothing in comparison to the units the 45 moved. Excellorec Music Co. is shown near the bottom of the sheet music and was part of the Nashboro mother ship, which included the Excello and Nasco labels.
 
 
 
 
#5 on the  Billboard charts, here is the 78 RPM that was issued of "Oh Julie" by the   Crescendos. The  Ken Moffitt/Noel Ball  penned smash was aided by Janice  Green's high   flying vocals in the background. The flip side "My Little Girl", is an up tempo  rocker that   is  just OK. Written by lead singer George Lanius,it was a good pairing to focus on the hit side. This is most likely the only Crescendos record issued as a 78 in the USA.
 
 
 
This is the white label promo of "Oh Julie". The promos were sent to radio stations to   entice airplay, and were often marked similarly to this one with the "x" on the label. This   would signal the DJ which side to plug on-air. Both sides have an "X" so it is a bit confusing.   They may have started on one side and jumped to the other. Promotional records were limited in release, and pale in quantity comparison to the stock version, on this huge hit.
 
 
 
The original stock issue on 45 RPM. Looks exactly like the 78 issue.  According to Ken Moffitt, there was no real "Julie" that they sing about, just a title of a song. The flip side looks  the same  as  the 78.   After the Crescendos appeared  on Dick Clark's American Bandstand  in Philadelphia, the record  broke wide open, and eventually sold   nearly 1 million copies, in it's original "run".
 
 
 
A bit different style 45 to be sure,  but you can see the  larger lettering that is on the   song title.  This indicates a later pressing of  the record. Again, same thing on the flip. The large lettering is  very obvious in the title. It's just a subtle difference, only the hard  core collector could possibly care about!
 
   
Here is a later pressing of Oh Julie. This is the mostly black Nasco issue, and it was used   on much later releases including some fine soul records in the mid 60's. Demand for Oh Julie remained many years after it's initial 1957 run to the top of the charts, as these black label releases affirm.
 
   
The U.K. usually released  most songs that  had substantial airplay and sales in the USA, and  "Oh Julie" was no  exception to  the rule.  The flip side stayed the same on this 78 RPM issue.
   
Here is the 45 RPM version. Notice the label  credit to Nasco, just like the 78, and the original center piece of the record is in tact. Often, they were removed completely in order to accommodate a 45 spindle.
 
 
   
The official 78 RPM Australian release of "Oh Julie". London issued different numbers for the various countries releases. The Australia releases normally were black with gold lettering.
   
The 45 is pretty much like the 78. This issue also exclaimed the record is flexible. The record number of the Australia releases for London, is a different series than the UK issues.
   
Here is an original press from New Zealand. It is on the London label with a different issue number than the UK, and the New Zealand issue 4 tab center intact. Nasco is given label credit. this was supposedly released on 78 as well.
   
Here is the 78 RPM that was issued of " Oh Julie " by the  Crescendos in Canada. Sparton was a shadow label that just issued records, but had no artists of their own. The flip side " My Little Girl ", is an up tempo rocker that  is  just OK. Written by lead singer George Lanius,it was a good pairing to focus on the hit side.
   
The Sparton 45 is shown above. Most markings are identical to the 78. Sparton certainly   pressed a bunch of these for Canadian music lovers.
   
Two releases after the Crescendos "Oh Julie" was issued, nasco waxed Lowell McGuire singing two rockin sides. "Spellbound" backed with "Leave My Girlie Alone" were nice sides, put scored only 69 and 67 respectively when they were reviewed by the trades. The Crescendos did the back-up vocals for Lowell McGuire, thus the inclusion on this page. They were not credited on the label because Ernie Young did not want them to interfere with the monster hit they had in the making with, "Oh Julie".
   
Just recently discovered, this was not known to be on 78...at least officially. Nasco seemed to have produced a number of 78's for their artists, and I found this in North Carolina. The Crescendos follow-up,"School Girl", took the same ballad approach, the same general type of sound, and the same female background voice that was so popular with their first record.  About 87,000 copies were pressed including this promo issue,  but it did not chart at a national level.
   
 
 
 
 
 
A 45 RPM promo is shown for School girl. This time the crescendos had a great rock and roll "B" side called "Crazy Hop". The song writing team of Moffitt and Ball put  together a very respectable  rocker that could have earned some fine airplay in it's own right. Released in 1958
 
 
 
Same record as a stock copy. Most of the 87,000 copies referred to above were stock   issues. Excellorec continues to be the publishing vehicle used for the Crescendos releases. That is partly a reference to Excello Records which was the main label that Nasco was a subsidiary of.
   
The final release on  the promotional issue of Nasco for  the Crescendos, from 1958.  Another  really   good ballad. The female voice is in there on  "Young And In Love",  but used differently then  the previous  two  recordings. This  could have done much  better than it  did.   "Rainy  Sunday"  broke their mold  by using a ballad on the  flip side  Rainy Sunday was   pulled from the shelves when it was likened to the song "Ramona", and royalties were being  asked for by the writers and publisher. Again, the female voice is used a bit differently.
   
 
 
 
Here is the stock copy, on the now familiar pink Nasco label. A great two sider that under different circumstances, might have done well for the Crescendos. Is this available on 78? The Monorays record "It's Love Baby" on Nasco 602o was pressed as a 78, so that makes me think this one may also be on 78.
 
 
 
The Canadian release is shown, but this time on Reo. Reo was another shadow label that  distributed product in Canada.  No reference  to the original  Nasco label  is mentioned.   Reo was a division of Quality records.
 
   
The next release for the Crescendos was on the Scarlet label in late 1960. This group did not include Jimmy Hall. It was the first of two records the Crescendos recorded for Scarlet, and did receive airplay from stations all over the country. It did not get enough to ever enter the national charts, however. "Let's Take A Walk" showed up on many Playlist's, though it does not seem to be the "A" side based on the matrix numbers. "Strange Love" is an updated version of the native Boys classic Los Angeles record. Above is the red and white label, that is machine stamped at Bell Sound and has a a delta date code in the dead wax of 37328. Is is likely the first issue.
   
This is the more common red and black label release. WABC had it as one of "THE SOARIN' SEVEN SINGLES" for the December 12, 1960 radio station sound survey. The label was distributed by London Records.
   
This is the last release by the Crescendos for Scarlet and as a group. "Angel Face" is not the same as the Neon's song, and is quite possibly the best recording the group made. The up tempo"I'm So Ashamed" is the flip side, and the disc was issued in 1961. The Scarlet label was distributed by London, as was one of two group records for the label. The other was a group called the escorts.
   
 
 
In 1962, this odd Tap records 45 was issued. It combined the Crescendos biggest hit "Oh   Julie",  backed with  the Crescendos  song called  "Angel Face". The best   thing about this package is that a  picture sleeve was included as a selling feature. This particular Tap records label was associated with several reissues.
 
   
Janice Green was dubbed "The Oh Julie Girl", because of her distinctive treatment of the soaring female voice in "Oh Julie". Because of her unique sound,Nasco issued this single    "Jackie"  and  "With All My Heart". It was released in-between the 2nd and  3rd   Crescendos records. Shown above is a somewhat uncommon 78 RPM version of Janice Green's recording.
   
 
 
Here is the more common 45 RPM version. It did not  sell as much as Nasco  would have liked and I don't show listings for any other Janice Green records. Jackie was not a part of the Crescendos group, she was just used by Nasco/Nashboro to sing on their records.
 
   
Here is a promotional picture from a trade magazine that shows a few of the Nasco related artists. Most notably is a picture of Janice Green at the very top. Warren Smith is shown on the upper left, Cliff Butler on the upper right, Label operations manager Ernie Young in the middle, and the vocal group the Tabs on the bottom. This is the only picture I have of Janice Green, and do get asked quite often what became of Janice Green? If anyone knows, email me and I can update the page for all to see.
   
 
 
Released after the fact by Guest Star records in 1962. Included in the track listings are  mostly songs by another Crescendos group. In fact, "Oh Julie", Angel Face, and I'm So Ashamed are the only one from the Nasco  label Crescendos!
 
 
 
The stereo issue of Guest Star 1453, also released in 1962. Guest Star specialized in reissue or compilation LP's, similar to the Famous,Crown and Pickwick labels. Nice picture of the group and 8 tracks.
 
 
 
Two different  sleeves from the  fine folks at Nasco records.  On the right, is a stock   company sleeve. On the left is  a picture  sleeve that  was issued with some of the   Crescendos 45's. Click on the Picture Sleeve for an enlarged photo.
 
   
 
The Fleer corporation (Frank Fleer) issued a set of 80 trading cards in 1960. These were under the name "Spins And Needles", referring to records and record players. They all had a color picture of the group or artist on the front, and a brief description of the artist on the back. Interesting to note that the card predicted that the group had a hit record around the corner. The Crescendos were about to record on the Scarlet label, but the 2 releases did not become huge sellers. The complete set of "Spins And Needles" cards totaled 80. There were many artists that did not appear on other similar card sets.
   
The Crescendos were part of the national tour called "The Biggest Show Of Stars". Oh Julie was riding high late 1957, and carried well into 1958. Shown above on the left is the cover of the program for the tour. This was the Spring edition. There might have been a winter edition before this one, that would have included the Crescendos. Take a look at the names of the recording stars listed on the cover!  On the right side is the nearly full page picture of the crescendos, which looks like the same one used on the trading card above. There is also a brief write-up of the group. Harold Cromer was the MC for this incredible show. For an enlarged view of the cover and inside page, click on the pictures above.
   
 

The Crescendos recorded 3 records for Nasco under  their  name. They also backed   Janice Green(The Oh Julie Girl)on her Nasco record "Jackie". Groups on the Dootone and Atlantic label ,  are  not  these "Crescendos". Their recording output was small, but the quality was high. A one hit wonder for sure, but forever in time "Oh Julie" will be considered a classic!

Where are they now? The short answer is mostly Tennessee. George Lanius as passed on; Ken Brigham is a physician, Professor of Medicine and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Medicine at Emory University in Atlanta. He has been out of the music business since the Crescendos broke up. The other members still live in the state of Tennessee. I had the privilege of interviewing Jimmy Hall; and you can listen to the 22 minute clip right HERE. Jimmy is a real nice; relaxed; and humble person that is very grateful for the success he and the group had.
 
 
 
Gone Missing:Several interesting items are on the list.  A 45 of "School Girl" on either Sparton or Reo. A 78 of the last Crescendos Nasco release is possible! Email me if you have any of these for sale.
 

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