the Spaniels

…such as the Dominoes and the Spaniels began combining gospel-style harmonies and call-and-response singing with earthy subject matter and more aggressive rhythm-and-blues rhythms. Heralding this new sound were disc jockeys such as Alan Freed of Cleveland, Ohio, Dewey Phillips of Memphis, Tennessee, and William (“Hoss”) Allen of WLAC in Nashville,…

…with “Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite” by the Spaniels, continuing with “For Your Precious Love” by Jerry Butler and the Impressions in 1958, and reaching a pinnacle with a string of hits by the Four Seasons in the early 1960s. When Capitol refused its option to release several Beatles singles—as well as…