Thursday, September 12, 2013

Looking For Yul

The Companions
Joe Mendoni (left), Mike McLaughlin (center), Richie Green (right)
and my uncle Gilbert Cruz (crouching down with the bongo)

Many years ago my Uncle Gil had a Doo Wop group and they called themselves The Companions. Just the other day I decided to look for them on the internet - hoping to find some digitized versions of the two songs I remember he played for my family and I off a 45rpm record in his living room. I remember hearing that they may have enjoyed some modest airplay with their two novelty songs "Dorothy My Monster" and "I Want A Yul Brynner Haircut". They might have even recorded other songs, I'm not sure - but these two seemed to stick out in my head - and so I set upon trying to find them.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find the Yul Brynner song (which is what I was really looking for - I recall being quite amused by that one!) but I did end up locating and purchasing a Doo Wop Halloween novelty-song compilation on CD called Halloween Is A Scream, which features "Dorothy, My Monster"! Someone had even uploaded the "Dorothy" song to YouTube - which my cousin Lisa pointed out to me - but oddly enough, no "Yul Brynner" - go figure!


Super rare... "Dorothy My Monster" b/w
"I Want A Yul Brynner Haircut" by The Companions
Dee Dee Records #1047.
I just noticed the record credits The "Campanions",
not The "Companions" with an "o"....
yet ANOTHER mystery...

UPDATE!! UPDATE!! UPDATE!!
 
Posted by Out Of Bodies at 9:54 PM

9 comments:

  1. DonaldSeptember 24, 2013 at 11:40 AM

    Click on my name for some Monster Spookshow Radio, which includes "Dorothy My Monster" coming in, appropriately, at song #13! Still looking for Yul...

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousSeptember 27, 2013 at 12:16 PM

    Hey, I'm Joe Mendoni's (the guy on the left) great niece. He just passed away this Monday. Today is his funeral, and a few of the cousins (my dad and his siblings) have been looking for his Companions' albums. If you have any information on how I could obtain one for Joe's wife, Mary, let me know. Email me at relentlesslyawesomera@gmail.com or call me at 843 757 8068. Thanks a million.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Out Of BodiesSeptember 27, 2013 at 9:24 PM

    So sorry to hear about your great Uncle! The furthest I've been able to get (so far) is I found "Dorothy My Monster" on a DooWop compilation CD titled "Halloween Is A Scream". I've included links you can follow in my post. That one song I found turns out to be the flip-side of another song that I'm still looking for "I Want A Yul Brynner Haircut". What makes the search more difficult is the fact that there are more than one group out there that went by the name The Companions. A further complication is the fact that the 45 says "The Campanions" with an "a" instead of The Companions, with an "o" - so this was either a misspelling or the record company gave the fellas a last minute name change! I thought I was close to finding the Yul Brynner song when I saw a listing of songs credited to a collection titled (oddly enough) "White Time - DooWop Vol 4" in a discussion group which appears to be a very old (possibly defunct) thread. As of this writing no one has yet answered my inquiry - the trail, I'm afraid, has gone cold. Still, if I find anything I will be posting it here in this blog, so stay in touch! Again, sorry for your loss - I will be adding Joe's name to the photograph - and if you should happen to know the name of the other guy on the right, please let me know! Thanks...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousSeptember 29, 2013 at 10:50 PM

      Thanks so much for replying! I'll find out the names of the other guys from my aunt. She'll know for sure. I'll keep up the search for the song. I vaguely remember my uncle singing the haircut song to me when I was little to cheer me up. He was in another group called the Dell Satins, and I found their song called "I'll Pray For You". I appreciate you putting his name on that picture. I know my family will be psyched to see that. Keep in touch.

      Delete
    2. AnonymousSeptember 30, 2013 at 9:21 AM

      Hey, I found out the names actually from your uncle. My dad called him. How ironic is that? The guy in the top middle is Mike McLaughlin, and the guy on the right is Richie Green.

      Delete
  4. Out Of BodiesSeptember 30, 2013 at 10:19 AM

    Hey, thanks for that! - - I've updated the picture caption!

    ReplyDelete
  5. ApesvilleSeptember 14, 2014 at 5:24 AM

    to hear the flip go
    http://whitedoowopcollector.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/the-campanions-dee-dee-records.html

    ReplyDelete
  6. Out Of BodiesSeptember 14, 2014 at 11:15 AM

    Oh what great news!! FINALLY!! I knew someone out there would answer my prayers, and it turned out to be a DrunkenHobo!! hah hah hah!! This is great - thanks!! My quest for Yul has come to a happy end...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Son of Green SlimeJanuary 4, 2023 at 8:14 AM

    God bless Uncle Gilbert & Joe.

    ReplyDelete

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