Danny & the Juniors

Danny & The Juniors were a doo-wop quartet from Philadelphia comprising Danny Rapp, Dave White, Frank Maffei and Joe Terranova. Formed in 1955, they are most widely recognized for their hit single "At the Hop", which was released in 1957. They are sometimes erroneously stated as being an Italian-American band (lead singer Danny Rapp was actually of Irish extraction).

The 1960s

Danny & the Juniors appeared early in their career on ABC's The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom.

In 1960, Danny & the Juniors were signed to Dick Clark's Swan Records label, and they released one more record, "Twistin' USA". It made it into the Top 40, and became their final hit single. They went on to release several more singles, but were not able to repeat their earlier successes.

Dave White left the group in the early 1960s to concentrate on writing and production. White was very successful in this venture, composing a number of hits, including "You Don't Own Me" for Leslie Gore, and "1-2-3" and "Like A Baby" for Len Barry.

In the late 1960s, the Juniors also appeared on Guyden Records, Mercury Records, and Capitol Records, where they re-recorded "Rock 'n' Roll Is Here To Stay" in 1968.

The 1970s and the end of the Juniors

In 1976, "At the Hop" was re-issued, and it made its way into the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. The single was commercially used for the Canadian National Exhibition, changing the words to "Let's go to the Ex" rather than "Let's go to the hop." It was parrodied by the band Dash Rip Rock with their single entitled “Let’s Go Smoke Some Pot”, and by NRBQ during the 1973 energy crisis under the title, "Get That Gasoline."

After a few quiet years, Danny Rapp was found dead in a hotel in Arizona on April 5, 1983, of an apparent suicide.

"Danny & The Juniors featuring Joe Terry" still tours, with Terranova, Maffei singing lead, and the latter's brother, Bobby Maffei.

Frank and Joe currently (from 1st September 2011) present an hour-long Rock'n'Roll radio special for London's Covent Garden Radio in the UK.

Band member details

• Danny Rapp (born Daniel Joseph Rapp, May 9, 1941, Philadelphia - died April 5, 1983) - Lead Tenor vocalist.
• Joe Terranova (born Joseph Terranova, January 30, 1941, Philadelphia) - Baritone / Bass vocalist
• Dave White (born Dave White Tricker, September 1, 1939, Philadelphia) - Tenor vocalist.
• Frank Maffei (born December 15, 1939 Philadelphia) - Second Tenor vocalist.

Awards and recognition

Danny & The Juniors were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.

Singles

Singular Records

• Do the Bop/? (just before release they were known as The Juvenaires) (1957)
• "At the Hop" / "Sometimes" (1957)

ABC-Paramount Records

• "At the Hop" / "Sometimes (When I'm All Alone)" (1957)
• "Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay" / "School Boy Romance" (1958)
• "Dottie" / "In The Meantime" (1958)
• "A Thief" / "Crazy Cave" (1958)
• "Sassy Fran" / "I Feel So Lonely" (1958)
• "Do You Love Me" / "Somehow I Can't Forget" (1959)
• "Playing Hard To Get" / "Of Love" (1959)

Swan Records

• "Twistin' U.S.A." / "A Thousand Miles Away" (1960)
• "Candy Cane, Sugary Plum" / "Oh Holy Night" (1960)
• "Daydreamer" / "Pony Express" (1961) [#60 U.S.]
• "Cha Cha Go Go (Chicago Cha-Cha)" / "Mister Whisper" (1961)
• "Back At The Hop" / "The Charleston Fish" (1961) [#80 U.S.]
• "Twistin' All Night Long" / "Some Kind Of Nut" (1962) [#68 U.S]
• "(Do The) Mashed Potatoes" / "Doin' The Continental Walk" (1962) [#93 U.S.]
• "We Got Soul" / "Funny" (1962)

Guyden Records

• "Oo-La-La-Limbo" / "Now And Then" (1962) [#99 U.S.]

Mercury Records

• "Sad Girl" / "Let's Go Ski-ing" (1964)

Luv Records

• "Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay" / "Sometimes (When I'm All Alone)" (1968)

Crunch Records

• "At The Hop" / "Let The Good Times Roll" (1973)

Roulette Records

• "At The Hop" / "Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay" (1973)

MCA Records

• "At The Hop" / "Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay" (1980)

External links

• Official Danny & The Juniors Site
• 'Danny and The Juniors' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
• Danny & The Juniors
• Covent Garden Radio London