The Sensations

There were two groups known as The Sensations. The first was a vocal R&B group from Philadelphia who began recording in the 50s. The second was vocal harmony quartet from Jamaica who recorded in the 60s. 1) The Sensations, a quartet from Philadelphia, PA, were one of the first groups of the rock and roll era with an all male background and a female lead. The group formed in Philadelphia in 1954, with Yvonne Mills lead, Tommy Wicks tenor, Alphonso Howell bass, and one other forgotten member, and appeared in amateur shows as the Cavaliers. In 1955, the unique makeup of the group caught the attention of Atlantic Records and the Sensations began a three year association with Atlantic’s Atco subsidiary. The first two singles by the Sensations were old standards that were given major musical overhaul. In November, 1955 the Sensations first single “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby” was released and by February 18, 1956 it had reached #15 on the R&B charts. On November 17, 1955 they appeared at Philadelphia Town Hall with Ray Charles. The follow up to “Ain’t She Sweet” was released on April 14, 1956 reaching #13 R&B in May. These were followed by “My Heart Cries For You,” “Little Wallflower,” “Kiddy Car Love,”and “My Debut To Love.” When the Atco contract expired Yvonne retired to marry (Yvonne Baker) and raise a family. In 1961, Howell feeling that vocal groups were once again in demand convinced Baker to re-form the Sensations. Tenor Richard Curtain and baritone Sam Armstrong were added, and the group convinced local Philadelphia disc jockey Kae Williams to manage them. William’s arranged a record deal with Chess Record’s Argo subsidiary. The Sensations recorded “Music, Music, Music” which reached #54 Pop and #12 R&B in the summer of 1961. It was their first R&B hit in five years and first Pop hit ever. In the winter of 1961, the Sensations came out with the Baker written “Let Me In.” “Let Me In” became their biggest hit reaching #2 Pop and #2 R&B in early 1962. As so often happens after a major hit, the Sensations couldn’t record any follow up hits to sustain their momentum. “That’s My Desire” made it to #69 in 1962 and there were two more Argo releases along with several on William’s own Junior label. But nothing could bring the group back. Yvonne Baker latter attempted a solo career. 2) The Sensations were a Jamaican vocal harmony quartet closely tied to similar groups the Techniques and the Uniques. The nascent version of the Sensations included singers Cornel Campbell, Jimmy Riley, Buster Riley, and Bobby (Aaron) Davis, although the makeup of the group was fairly fluid. They scored early hits in the 1960s for Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label, including the classic "Every Day Is a Holiday" and a cover of the Supremes' "Baby Love." By the time of one of their later hits, "Warrior," the lineup consisted of Johnny Osbourne, Jackie Parris, Buster Riley, and Bobby Davis. Essentially a rotating group of interlinked Jamaican session singers, the Sensations were solidly professional, and on the strength of "Every Day Is a Holiday" alone, deserve to be better known. 3) A punk rock band from Japan. Contains members from United Skates. They play a mix of Ska, Hardcore, Funk, Thrashcore, and Pop Punk. MEMBERS Vo: OSAWA17 Gt/Cho: RED Ba/Cho: BALL SAX/Cho: MASAX Dr: ICHIKAWA Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.