Musicians, and the music they create, can inspire emotional debates among listeners and fans over which type of sound is best, who is the superior artist, etc. Now and then, however, a single artist or group projects a sound which is popular with an impressive cross-section of audiophiles. During the 1960s, for instance, Simon and Garfunkel had a sound which was generally liked and respected by virtually everyone. Extending this analogy to the realm of vocal group harmony, it is safe to say that there are a few scattered groups which are able to cross all the boundaries and receive a positive nod of the head from most collectors. One group which seems to fit into this category is the 4 Vagabonds.

      BEGINNINGS OF A CAREER

The story of the 4 Vagabonds goes back to 1933 when lead tenor John Jordan and baritone Norval Taborn were singing with a forgotten bass and tenor in Vashon High in St. Louis. Soon after this first taste of group harmony, Taborn located first tenor Robert O'Neal and Jordan recruited bass and guitarist Ray Grant, Jr. Following their first rehearsal session, Jordan recalled that the foursome knew they had a good thing going (even though they were only singing glee club songs at the time). After only three weeks of singing together, the 4 Vagabonds were broadcasting their own show over WEW, the University of St. Louis radio station. It was during this four-month stint that the Vashon High glee club was broken down into quartets for a school contest. Although the 4 Vagabonds were by far the most popular entry, the judges awarded first place to another group, pointing out that the quartet's following and radio gig indicated that they were likely to stick together anyway. The judges were certainly correct on that score.

"We learned how to think alike and act alike in building harmony and in doing shows," remembered John. "It is nice to think now that we specialized in harmony and not a lot of clowning around. If you move around too much, you'll lose the blend."

An audition for WIL (St. Louis) netted the group a Sunday show from 5:30 - 6 P.M., sponsored by the Missouri Insurance Co. Besides the weekly pay of $25.00, the quartet gained invaluable experience and developed their harmony patterns, usually engineered by Norval Taborn who had a flair for blending voices ("Norval was a genius with harmony," said John Jordan). During this 2½ year period, the 4 Vagabonds also did a network show on KSD (St. Louis), when they were called on to replace the Mills Brothers. This major break for the Vagabonds may very well have been due to the illness which ultimately took the life of John Mills, Jr. in January 1936, and nearly terminated The Mills Brothers' career for good. This would be ironic, since the 4 Vagabonds were so heavily influenced by the sound of The Mills Brothers.

      IMPORTANCE OF RADIO

During the early 1930s, The Mills Brothers were propelled to immediate stardom by the new medium of radio. The Piqua, Ohio quartet was the first black vocal group to achieve nationwide fame, mainly as a result of their ability to imitate the sound of musical instruments with their voices and cupped hands. The 4 Vagabonds were heavily influenced by them (they also did the pseudo-instrumental effects), as well as by the wave of other groups which followed during the 30s: the 3 Keys, the Charioteers, the 3 Sharps and A Flat, the Ink Spots, and the Deep River Boys. More noticeably, the 4 Vagabonds developed their own unique brand of harmony from singing together constantly.

Popularity did not come for the quartet because of records—they did not have a session until several years later—but through radio. In February 1936, a black radio personality named Joseph Richardson Jones brought the 4 Vagabonds to Chicago after he'd heard them on St. Louis stations. They filled the void created by the departure of the 3 Sharps and A Flat when that group joined Duke Ellington's tour. Since none of the quartet could read music at this point, the 4 Vagabonds employed the services of arranger Spencer Odom, who would play arrangements on the piano until the group memorized them. Odom never appeared on any of the 4 Vagabonds' recordings, but did stay on until 1943, when he left to join the spiritual-singing Southernaires. At that time, he was replaced by Bill Sanford.

Once in Chicago, the 4 Vagabonds landed a berth on Don McNeill's Breakfast Club, heard daily on the Blue Network. [NBC owned both the Red and Blue Networks until 1941, when an anti-trust court decision required them to dispose of one of them. The Red Network became known as NBC, while the Blue Net was sold and rechristened ABC.] From 1936 to 1946, the group appeared three times a week on the Breakfast Club to sing two pop tunes and one spiritual on each show.

Around 1938, they began appearing daily on the Club Matinee at 4 P.M. Hosted by Durwood Kirby, Garry Moore, and Ransom Sherman, this program was also heard over the Blue Network. Until 1945, the 4 Vagabonds not only sang but had their own comedy lines written into the script. Each member had a nickname on the program: Ray was "Cyclone," Norval was "Contagious," Bob was "Security," and John was "Aloysius."

The two Blue Network shows provided a source of regular exposure, which was augmented by appearances elsewhere. In 1938, they did a 13-week "minstrel show" with Amos 'n Andy. They later appeared on ABC's Tin Pan Alley Of The Air and on the Curt Massey Show. They also had a 13-week gig on the airwaves with Danny Thomas, in 1943, from the Great Lakes Naval Training Station. During the 1945-46 season, they did the Chesterfield Supper Club show with Perry Como, based in New York; and they frequently guessed on the 15-minute Nat "King" Cole program. The 4 Vagabonds repeatedly made their way into millions of American homes through the medium of radio, and even sang commercial messages. Examples include an Atlas Prager beer spot which was recorded in 1939 and used until 1950, and promotional messages for Uncle Ben's Rice during the 1940s.

Some events in the music industry, which read like alphabet soup, affected the 4 Vagabond's radio work. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed BMI to combat the high rates being charged by ASCAP for the right to play ASCAP-published tunes on the airwaves. As a reaction to the new competition from BMI, ASCAP announced that it would double its royalty rates in 1940. NAB, representing the nation's radio stations, struck back by boycotting all ASCAP tunes until ASCAP ultimately surrendered in 1941. During the BMI-ASCAP war, the 4 Vagabonds had to abandon their theme song, the ASCAP-published "St. Louis Blues." Fortunately, they were able to substitute an original composition entitled "The Vagabond Drag," which was registered with BMI and, therefore, acceptable for broadcast.

      OFF-THE-AIR FANFARE AND VINTAGE TELEVISION

The 4 Vagabonds' had built up a real following. They had fan clubs in Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Detroit, Baltimore. and Atlantic City. Clubs they appeared in during their career include McBan's in Buffalo, Detroit's Circle Club, Club Niagara in Denver, Billy Berg's in Los Angeles, Nick's Show Club in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and both the Plantation Club and Club Riviera in St. Louis. Among the theaters where the well-traveled foursome appeared are the Fox in St. Louis, the Paradise in Atlantic City, and the Regal, Oriental, and Southtown - all located in the Windy City of Chicago.

The 4 Vagabonds did 90% of their own musical arrangements, and, by 1942, they had a staggering repertoire of 1500 tunes to which all new hits were added as a matter of course. Songs premiered by the 4 Vagabonds on the airwaves included "This Can't Be Love," "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," "Don't Take Your Love From Me," "When The Lights Go On Again All Over The World," "Serenade Of The Bells," "Easy Street," "My Heart Tells Me" And "It All Comes Back To Me Now." Their photos also appear on sheet music for "This Can't Be Love" and "Gold Mine In The Sky." In the late 30's, the group also did some experimental television shows free of charge for a Zenith-built station with a range of approximately fifty miles. Billboard had a review of an April 18, 1944 Zenith show (over experimental station W9XZV). The reviewer didn't like any of the acts, except for the 4 Vagabonds.

In considering their career, it should be remembered that, unlike the Ink Spots and Mills Brothers, who made their income primarily through record sales and live appearances, the 4 Vagabonds were radio personalities above all else. In January 1945, they were on a new program called Tin Pan Alley Of The Air, which was broadcast in WMAQ in Chicago. Each week the show honored an American composer. In July 1947 they had a Saturday afternoon show on NBC.

      RECORDING CAREER

In 1941, RCA Victor's Bluebird subsidiary approached the quartet after having heard them on a radio show. Never under contract, the 4 Vagabonds were paid a flat rate of $3000 for each of their four sessions for Victor, and they also relinquished all royalties. NBC was in charge of managing the group.

All sessions took place in Chicago. The first of these was held on December 17, 1941, when they recorded "Slow And Easy," "The Duke Of Dubuque," "My Heart Ran Away With My Head," And "One Broken Heart For Sale." "Slow And Easy"/"The Duke Of Dubuque" was their first Bluebird release (in April 1942) and it featured the simulated instrumental effects á la Mills Brothers. Norval Taborn was the "trumpet," Jordan and O'Neal made convincing "trombones" and Ray Grant was, of course, the "bass fiddle."

John Jordan recalled that the most popular discs cut by the group were their patriotic war tunes, and the first of these were cut at their second session, held on January 15, 1943. The quartet went to the studio with two other songs rehearsed, but at the last moment, the composer refused to sign a release. Bluebird officials gave then "Rosie The Riveter" and "Rose-Ann Of Charing Cross" and told the group that if they liked the tunes, a new session date would be arranged. The versatile group looked the songs over, fooled with them for a half hour, and then informed Bluebird that another hour of practice was all the time they needed. They went on to cut them both in only one take apiece! While they were geared up for action, they also waxed "I Had The Craziest Dream" and "Ten Little Soldiers (On A Ten Day Leave)."

"I Had The Craziest Dream" and "Rosie The Riveter" were released in February, 1943, followed the next month by "Rose Ann Of Charing Cross" and "Ten Little Soldiers (On A Ten Day Leave)."

      A DESIRABLE GROUP

A crisis in the recording industry made the talents of the 4 Vagabonds even more desirable to RCA. James C. Petrillo was the President of the American Federation of Musicians, and he called two strikes, concerning musicians' wages, which crippled the music industry. The first "Petrillo Ban," which prevented all union musicians from playing their instruments at recording sessions, lasted from August 1, 1942 to November 11, 1944. Record companies jammed their studios with artists in order to cut as many masters as possible before the ban took effect, and these were released during the ban. This explains, for instance, why the Mills Brothers cut no discs from 1942 until late 1944. The effect of the strike was minimal upon the 4 Vagabonds, who imitated the instruments they needed anyway. However, on discs such as "Ten Little Soldiers (On A Ten Day Leave)," the group had to substitute a ukulele, which the AFM didn't consider to be a serious instrument, for Ray Grant's usual guitar accompaniment.

      MORE RECORDINGS

In 1943, the 4 Vagabonds did over 50 known transcriptions for Standard Transcriptions. These recordings (see discography) were pressed up and used by radio stations to work the 4 Vagabonds into many different programs. That is, by playing these recordings, shows could pretend that the Vagabonds were actually in the studio.

                  

Nine of the transcription recordings found them as backup to Patti Clayton and a further ten were behind "Janette," who is almost certainly Janette Davis. Both of these singers would later be associated with Arthur Godfrey.

On May 26, 1943, the 4 Vagabonds held their third Victor session. The two songs recorded were "It Can't Be Wrong" and "Comin' In On A Wing And A Prayer," which were issued in June. ("Comin' In" was reviewed as "One of the finest all-vocal versions....") Their final Victor session was held two years later, on May 12, 1945, and at that time they did two more tunes: "A G.I. Wish" and "If I Were You." These were coupled for a June 1945 release, this time on the parent Victor label.

The Bluebird releases, and the single Victor disc, show the talent of the group not only at reading romantic ballads, but also the up-tempo tunes designed to inspire the sluggish workers on the war-oriented assembly lines. They also sang the quasi-spiritual, "Comin' In On A Wing And A Prayer." Despite the popularity of these recordings, however, a postwar slump in the recording industry caused the 4 Vagabonds to leave Victor to record for Robert Sherman's Atlas Records (which had recently been renamed from Premier Records). Jordan said that one regret at leaving Victor was that their discs were promoted far more efficiently there than at any of the subsequent labels.

There was actually a headline in the October 20, 1945 Billboard that trumpeted "4 Vagabonds Quit Bluebird To Star For Atlas, Indie" (an independent label). Their manager, Tim Morrow, said that their Bluebird contract had expired six months previously. Atlas guaranteed them that they'd record eight sides in the six months of their contract and that the group could select half of the tunes. However, it was not to be.

Their sole Atlas release ("I Can't Make Up My Mind"/"Oh What A Polka") was issued around October 1945. While probably all their voices were heard in their radio broadcasts, "Oh What A Polka" is the only one of their recordings on which John Jordan doesn't do lead. On this one, Norval Taborn was out in front.

Then it was off to Irving Green's fledgling Mercury label. (Note that his father, Albert Green, owned National Records.) Here, they recorded "Taking My Chance With You" and "When The Old Gang's Back On The Corner," which were released in February 1946. These Mercury sides got nowhere fast, and new manager Mort Davis got them a contract to record for Ike Berman's Apollo label in New York (another relatively new company).

Although they weren't having any hits, the results of a poll taken by the Chicago Defender (published on April 20, 1946) had the 4 Vagabonds as the fourth most popular "specialty artists" (behind the King Cole Trio, the Ink Spots, and the Mills Brothers). Over 100,000 readers had sent in ballots.

Their first Apollo session was held on November 13, 1946. The four songs recorded were: "Hoe Cake, Hominy And Sassafras Tea," "Kentucky Babe," "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans," and "The Pleasure's All Mine." On this session, John Jordan showed up hoarse. The producer procured a bottle of scotch, and while this succeeded in restoring Jordan's voice, he had no further recollection of the day! The first two songs from this session were issued in December 1946 and the second two were released in February 1947.

"Dreams Are A Dime A Dozen" and "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" were recorded on March 4, 1947 and released the next month. By that time, they'd already been back to the studio (on March 26), at which time they'd laid down four more tracks: "P.S. I Love You," "The Freckle Song," "Ask Anyone Who Knows," and "Oh My Achin' Heart." These were all issued in April also.

Their final four Apollo sides, "Choo-Choo," "Lazy Country Side," "The Gang That Sang Heart Of My Heart," and "That Old Gang Of Mine" were recorded around July, and released in August. Note that by this time they'd done three songs with 'Gang' in the title.

Apollo was dismal as far as promotion of the group's discs was concerned, as illustrated by the fact that the only time Jordan even heard his classic "P.S. I Love You" was on a jukebox.

Due to Ray Grant's troubles (see below), the 4 Vagabonds did no more recording for around two years. Then there was a single release on Lee Egalnik's Miracle label in September 1949: "Mighty Hard To Go Through Life Alone"/"My Heart Cries." This had probably been recorded several months earlier, because by the time the record came out, Bill Sanford, who's on it (see below), had already left the group to replace Howard Biggs as the arranger for the Ravens. (This makes sense, since Miracle had announced their signing in June.) The only thing Jordan recalled about Miracle was the dumpy Chicago studios they had. The disc achieved no commercial success.

The 4 Vagabonds' recording days were over. Ray Grant and a studio group backed up Memphis Slim on "I Guess I'm A Fool," released on Premium in June of 1950 (there's no group on the flip). It's unclear whose decision it was to call the group "The Vagabonds." There's also November 1951's "The Object Of My Affection," by the Ralph Marterie Orchestra, with vocal by the Vagabonds, a white vocal/comedy Pop group that appeared on the Arthur Godfrey show a lot (and who were, maddeningly, also referred to as the "4 Vagabonds" by Billboard throughout the 40s and 50s).

The last appearance of the 4 Vagabonds on record was in July 1953, when Apollo re-released "P.S. I Love You" (on their Lloyds subsidiary) to compete with the Hilltoppers' smash version.

      BREAKUP OF A GREAT GROUP

The 4 Vagabonds continued traveling, playing the "845" in Brooklyn, Atlantic City's Nomad Club, the Cove and Palumbo's in Philadelphia, and New York's Cafe Society and the Zanzibar Club.

In 1945, Ray Grant began to go blind and was totally so by the year's end. Undaunted, the quartet rehearsed their entrances and departures from the stages they played, so that the audiences never knew of the Ray's handicap. The 4 Vagabonds broke up in late 1947, but reformed in early 1949, when Grant's vision returned.

Chicago was always a musical hotbed, and on April 1, 1949, WENR-TV broadcast the first all-black television show. The program entitled Happy Pappy (after a character that Ray had created on Don McNeill's Breakfast Club), was emceed by Grant. The 4 Vagabonds sang and the Modern Modes provided instrumental backing for the show, which had an all-black cast and studio audience. Later in 1949, Ray Grant left to form a quintet called the Swanee Larks and was replaced, for a while, by arranger Bill Sanford, who took over at bass and guitar and is heard on their Miracle recording. Later that year, when Sanford left to go with the Ravens, they brought Frank Houston into the group to fill the bass spot.

After six months on the Johnny Desmond Show the group disbanded in 1952. Primarily radio entertainers, the 4 Vagabonds were among the many casualties of the onslaught of television's attack upon radio markets. Very few black vocal groups were able to achieve success on the small screen, the notable exception being The Billy Williams Quartet. We should note that the 4 Vagabonds' career started at the time black vocal groups began to achieve popularity in America, and ended just as the vocal group explosion of the Rock and Roll era was starting.

By July 1953, John Jordan was a Chicago cab driver. He had been the lead of one of the most respected Chicago vocal groups of all time (even though they were originally from St. Louis); one which could have blown the Flamingos off any stage. He eventually formed the Johnny Jordan Quartet, but they never recorded.

Even with their rather mild success or lack of it, on records it cannot be denied that the 4 Vagabonds were a key group in the long parade of recorded black harmony.



The main discography is, as usual, from Ferdie Gonzalez. Gino Alfano upbraided me for not having a listing of the 4 Vagabonds' transcription discs; fortunately he sent me the list. You'll find it at the end of the discography.

BLUEBIRD
11519 Slow And Easy/The Duke Of Dubuque - 4/42
30-0810 I Had The Craziest Dream/Rosie The Riveter - 2/43
30-0811 Rose Ann Of Charing Cross/Ten Little Soldiers (On A Ten Day Leave) - 3/43
30-0815 Comin' In On A Wing And A Prayer/It Can't Be Wrong - 6/43

   UNRELEASED BLUEBIRD:
      My Heart Ran Away With My Head
      One Broken Heart For Sale

VICTOR
20-1677 A G.I. Wish/If I Were You - 6/45

ATLAS
111 I Can't Make Up My Mind/Oh What A Polka - ca. 10/45

MERCURY
2050 Taking My Chance With You/When The Old Gang's Back On The Corner - 2/46

APOLLO
1030 Hoe Cake, Hominy And Sassafras Tea/Kentucky Babe - 12/46
1039 Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans/The Pleasure's All Mine - 2/47
1055 Dreams Are A Dime A Dozen/I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now - 4/47
1057 P.S. I Love You/The Freckle Song - 4/47
1060 Ask Anyone Who Knows/Oh My Achin' Heart - 4/47
1075 Choo-Choo/Lazy Country Side - 8/47
1076 The Gang That Sang Heart Of My Heart/That Old Gang Of Mine - 8/47

RCA VICTOR
20-1677 A G.I. Wish/If I Were You - 6/48

MIRACLE
141 Mighty Hard To Go Through Life Alone/My Heart Cries - 9/49

LLOYDS (Apollo Records subsidiary)
102 P.S. I Love You/ Lazy Country Side - 7/53

X-126 - 42
      Move It Over
      There Are Such Things
      Steam Is On The Beam
      Stop Telling Lies
      Rosie The Riveter
      Big Fat Mama
      Massachusetts
      I Had The Craziest Dream
      Yeah Man
      Juke Box Saturday Night

X-127 - 42
      Hip Hip Hooray
      Can't Get Out Of This Mood (Patti Clayton & 4 Vagabonds)
      Slender, Tender And Tall
      Three Dreams (Patti Clayton & 4 Vagabonds)
      Take It From There
      Hasta Luego
      You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To (Patti Clayton & 4 Vagabonds)
      Moonlight Mood
      Why Don't You Fall In Love With Me (Patti Clayton & 4 Vagabonds)
      I Lost My Sugar In Salt Lake City

X-128 - 43
      Saving Myself For Bill (Patti Clayton & 4 Vagabonds)
      Hit The Road To Dreamland (Patti Clayton & 4 Vagabonds)
      I've Heard That Song Before (Patti Clayton & 4 Vagabonds)
      Could It Be You (Patti Clayton & 4 Vagabonds)
      It Can't Be Wrong (Patti Clayton & 4 Vagabonds)
      Can't Get Stuff In Your Cuff
      Don't Get Around Much Anymore
      Sharp As A Tack
      Stick To Your Knittin' Kitten
      Hey, Good Lookin'

X-131 - 43
      I Don't Want Anybody
      Murder, He Says
      There's A Ray Of Sunshine
      Jumpin' With A G. I. Gal
      Four Buddies

X-132 - 43
[Note: all evidence points to "Janette" being Janette Davis]
      Old Man Romance
      On The Alamo
      Cabin In The Sky
      Hit That Jive, Jack
      Just A Dream Of You
      The Right Kind Of Love (Janette & 4 Vagabonds)
      You'll Never Know (Janette & 4 Vagabonds)
      On Time (Janette & 4 Vagabonds)
      I Never Mention Your Name (Janette & 4 Vagabonds)
      Lonesome Mama Blues (Janette & 4 Vagabonds)

X-133 - 43
[Note: all evidence points to "Janette" being Janette Davis]
      Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea (Janette & 4 Vagabonds)
      Lonesome (Janette & 4 Vagabonds)
      More Than Anything In The World (Janette & 4 Vagabonds)
      St. Louis Blues (Janette & 4 Vagabonds)
      In The Blue Of Evening (Janette & 4 Vagabonds)

X-134 - 43
      You Linger Near
      Sho Nuff
      Thru The Darkness
      I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes
      'Tain't A Fit Night Out

PREMIUM (Memphis Slim and the Vagabonds - Ray Grant and a studio group backing Slim)
850 I Guess I'm A Fool/[Flock Rocker - Rev. Bounce] - 6/50

MERCURY (Ralph Marterie Orchestra and the Vagabonds - a white Pop group)
5759 The Object Of My Affection/(Lulu - Ralph Marterie Orchestra) - 11/51