Long before the concept album, doo-wop gave us the concept single

It’s an accepted fact that the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper” and the Moody Blues’ “Days of Future Passed,” both from 1967, were rock’s first concept albums. But 12 years before that, doo-wop singer James “Shep” Sheppard invented the concept single.

So what the hell am I talking about? Well, virtually every single that Sheppard wrote for, and recorded with, his two vocal groups chronicled the saga of a young man, a young woman, and the physical and emotional distance between them. Their decade-long story began in September 1955, with the Heartbeats’ first release for Bea Casalin’s Hull/Rama labels, “Crazy For You,” in which lead voice Sheppard solemnly intoned:

You’re driving me crazy.
Oh my darling, where’ve you been?
It seems oh so childish,
But I always count to ten.
You don’t seem to understand that I’m crazy just for you.

With the Heartbeats’ next single, “Darling, How Long,” the young couple’s story was in full swing:

How long, how long must I wait?
How long, how long will it take?
All I need is your love, I want your love.
How long, darling, how long?

By the group’s third Hull/Rama release, Sheppard had won the girl’s heart. Or had he?

People are talking,
Saying that you
And I are through.
Say it isn’t true.

However, it appeared that he had won her heart, but that made for anything but a happy ending! On the Heartbeats’ next record (which became a major hit on the East Coast and even reached #53 on the national charts), it seems our boy has been called away for a bit:

You’re a thousand miles away,
But I still have your love to remember you by.
Oh my darling, dry your eyes.
Daddy’s coming home soon.

Now we’re into 1957, by which time the narrator of “A Thousand Miles Away” has come home long enough to wed his beloved. Hence the Heartbeats’ fifth single, “Wedding Bells.” But still the saga continued. Two singles later, on “500 Miles To Go,” Sheppard is again away from home, but flip the record over and the young husband and wife are making plans to reunite “After New Year’s Eve.”

The first part of the couple’s story drew to a close with the final Heartbeats single, 1959’s “A Million Years,” in which they’ve separated again. And this time, she won’t even return his phone calls.

As the ‘50s gave way to the ‘60s, the “classic” doo-wop era was over and the Heartbeats had broken up. By 1961, however, vocal group harmony was staging a major (if short-lived) comeback, which prompted Sheppard to form a new group, Shep and the Limelites, with Clarence Bassett and Charles Baskerville. They were an unusual group in that they were a trio, as opposed to a quartet or quintet, and they had no bass voice, which was all but unheard of in doo-wop.

The group’s first release, “I’m So Lonely,” on the Apt label, picked up the saga that Sheppard had left behind almost two years before. But when the single did nothing, the Limelites returned to their old label, Hull, for which they debuted in early 1961 with “Daddy’s Home.” A sequel to the Heartbeats’ biggest hit, “A Thousand Miles Away,” the record begins with mournful-sounding chimes, followed by Sheppard’s plaintive tenor intoning:

You’re my love, you’re my angel,
You’re the girl of my dreams.
I’d like to thank you for waiting patiently.
Daddy’s home, daddy’s home to stay.

The single debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on March 27, 1961, and eventually climbed all the way to #2. For good measure, “Daddy’s Home” also reached #4 on the R&B chart.

With such phenomenal success, Sheppard continued to write songs that chronicled the relationship between his young couple. With daddy home, Sheppard made sure his lady knew that he was “Ready For Your Love.” She must have bought it, too, because next they stood “Three Steps From The Altar.” By 1962, the young newlyweds were celebrating “Our Anniversary.” Then trouble reared its ugly head again, prompting Sheppard to ask, “What Did Daddy Do?” But fear not, because “Everything Is Going To Be Alright.” And so it went.

By 1964, the doo-wop revival was over, which may account for the bitterness that laced Sheppard's lead in Shep and the Limelites’ “I’m All Alone,” in which the relationship seems to have finally ended once and for all. Against an almost country guitar, Sheppard sings:

But I’ll keep on searching
Until I can find
A love so true, to me not to you
Then I won’t be alone.

Two singles later, in 1965, Shep and the Limelites put out their last single, “I’m A-Hurting Inside,” after which the couple’s story had finally ended. The group broke up shortly thereafter.

On January 24, 1970, James Sheppard was found in a car parked on the shoulder of the Long Island Expressway, bludgeoned to death. The crime was never solved.

Very, very interesting. Keep 'em coming. Got any Arthur Limon stories?
Or, here's one I can never keep track of: Who is Ronnie Spector? Is she the lead on "He's A Rebel" ... which is a superior tune, in my opinion.

...was the lead voice of the Ronettes ("Be My Baby," "Baby, I Love You," "Walking in the Rain").

The lead voice on "He's A Rebel" was Darlene Love.

I was heavy into the DOO WOP revival of the 70's and recall when he died.

Ronny Hawkins kind of did a similar ting in rockabilly with the 40 days and a few other sngles routine...great post NT! Thanks.

I love good doowop. Did this Sheppard have anything to do with the Chicago group, The Sheppards? (Island of Love, etc.)
Also, I recently came across Helene by The Excellents. I know nothing about them - got any tidbits?

...James Sheppard was not involved with the Sheppards vocal group. They were from Chicago, while James Sheppard was from Queens, NY.

The Sheppards were named after their producer, Bunky Sheppard, who later worked with the Esquires of "Get On Up" fame.

My mind bulges with useless information, y'all! :)

"My mind bulges with useless information, y'all!"

NightTrain...or someone - hep me, hep me. Who is the lead singer on "He's A Rebel"? If not Ronnie Spector, then who? And, who is Ronnie?

Take a look through the thread and you'll see my reply to you.

n/t