Denise

Randy And The Rainbows - Denise / The Four Pennies - My Block
LAURIE DOUBLE GOLD - LDG 110
Both originally released on RUST records 1963

Randy and the Rainbows may have been one hit wonders, but what a hit. This Italian-American vocal group from Queens, New York got to number 10 on the Billboard charts in 1963 with 'Denise'. Alas they never repeated the success and only recorded a couple more singles. The song is an all time classic though and has provided the group (in one form or another) with a career on the oldies circuit. They were still performing as of last year! The song went on to be a European smash hit in 1978 when Blondie covered it as 'Denis'.

'My Block' by the Four Pennies is a classic girl group ballad. The Four Pennies were in fact the Chiffons. In 1963 the girls were recording as both the Four Pennies and the Chiffons but when 'He's So Fine' became a smash hit and 'My Block', both released about the same time, went nowhere they abandoned the name the Four Pennies and the rest is history.