The Five Keys
Introduction
The Five Keys were an American rhythm and blues vocal group who were instrumental in shaping this genre in the 1950s.
They were formed with the original name of Sentimental Four in Newport News, Virginia, US, in the late 1940s, and initially consisted of two sets of brothers - Rudy West and Bernie West, and Ripley Ingram and Raphael Ingram. Raphael Ingram left in 1949 and Maryland Pierce (March 25, 1932 – July 22, 2021) and Thomas 'Dickie' Threatt became members in his place. At this juncture the name of the group was changed to The Five Keys.
They were signed to Aladdin Records in 1951, and in 1952 Rudy West left to join the United States Army, and he was replaced by Ulysses K. Hicks. When Hicks died of a heart attack in Boston in 1955, Rudy West returned to the group. In 1954 Dickie Smith left and was replaced with Ramon Loper. At this point the Five Keys were signed to Capitol Records, and their popularity increased, although more instrumentation was used.
The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002. Rudy West died of a heart attack on May 14, 1998, at age 65. Ramon Loper died on October 16, 2002, after a short illness.
Dickie Threatt, lead tenor from 1958 to 1961, died on October 9, 2007, in Newport News, Virginia.
Discography
Albums
- The Best of the Five Keys (Aladdin 1956)
- The Five Keys on the Town (Score 1957)
- The Five Keys on Stage (Capitol 1957)
- The Five Keys (King 1960)
- Rhythm and Blues Hits Past and Present (King 1960)
- The Fantastic Five Keys (Capitol 1962)
Singles
| Year | Titles (A-side, B-side) | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | "The Glory of Love" | 1 | Best of The Five Keys | |
| "It's Christmas Time" | ||||
| 1952 | "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" | Non-album tracks | ||
| "Darling" | ||||
| "Be Anything But Be Mine" | ||||
| "Mistakes" | ||||
| "I Hadn't Anyone Till You" | ||||
| "I Cried for You" | ||||
| 1953 | "Can't Keep From Crying" | |||
| "Mama (Your Daughter Told a Lie on Me)" | ||||
| "These Foolish Things" | Best of The Five Keys | |||
| "Teardrops in Your Eyes" | ||||
| "Oh Babe!" | ||||
| 1954 | "Love My Loving" | |||
| "Deep in My Heart" | Non-album tracks | |||
| "Ling, Ting, Tong" | 28 | 5 | The Fantastic Five Keys | |
| 1955 | "Close Your Eyes" | 5 | ||
| "My Love" | Non-album tracks | |||
| "The Verdict" | 13 | The Fantastic Five Keys | ||
| "Don't You Know I Love You" | Non-album tracks | |||
| "'Cause You're My Lover" / | 12 | |||
| "Gee Whittakers!" | 14 | |||
| 1956 | "Story of Love" | |||
| "What Goes On" | ||||
| "I Dreamt I Dwelt in Heaven" | ||||
| "Peace and Love" | ||||
| "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" | 23 | 12 | ||
| "Wisdom of a Fool" | 35 | The Fantastic Five Keys | ||
| 1957 | "Let There Be You" | 83 | On Stage! | |
| "It's a Groove" | Non-album tracks | |||
| "The Blues Don't Care" | The Fantastic Five Keys | |||
| "The Face of an Angel" | Non-album tracks | |||
| "Do Anything" | ||||
| "From Me to You" | ||||
| 1958 | "With All My Love" | |||
| "Handy Andy" | ||||
| "One Great Love" | ||||
| 1959 | "I Took Your Love for a Toy" | The Five Keys | ||
| "Dream On" | ||||
| 1960 | "How Can I Forget You" | |||
| "Gonna Be Too Late" | ||||
| "I Didn't Know" | Non-album track | |||
| "Valley of Love" | Rhythm and Blues Hits - Past and Present | |||
| 1961 | "Stop Your Crying" | |||
| 1962 | "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" | Non-album tracks | ||
| "From the Bottom of My Heart" | ||||
| 1964 | "I'll Never Stop Loving You" | Rhythm and Blues Hits - Past and Present | ||
| 1967 | "Hey Girl" | Non-album tracks | ||
| 1973 | "Goddess of Love" | |||