the Jades / the Bluetone Orchestra

Charleston, WV, 1959-1960

August 24, 1959 article

The Jades were a vocal group that co-existed with a band, the Bluetone Orchestra. According to the article below, they started in the spring of 1959. The members then were Don Hill, George Hill, Tommy Hill, Bob WIlburn, Denzil Shamblin, Sonny Cousins, and Karen Perry.

By August of 1959 the Jades members were Ron Brooks, Gene Moffat, Denzil Shamblin, and Dave Ellison. The Bluetone 'orchestra' was Jim Williams, Larry Cody, Jim Jenkins, Larry Alderson, and Ceeb (C. B.) Greathouse. Only Shamblin and Greathouse were holdovers from the first listing.

The August 1959 lineup recorded one 45 for Nau-Voo in Portsmouth. The record has a prominent vocal group sound. different from the other rockabilly styled records on the label.

Ron Brooks posted on the 45cat website that the group(s) started in 1957, in his words "the record was briefly successful in Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Shortly thereafter, Dee Clark came out on Vee-Jay records with a different 'Hey Little Girl' which became very popular at the time...Nau-Voo records could not compete and ceased to distributre the Jades record. Our group then disbanded". 

Brooks, Shamblin, Jim Williams, and Tommy Hill were back together in 1963 recording as the Montereys, who released a 45 on Dominion. 

July 1963 article

Discography:
Walking All Alone / Hey, Little Girl - Nau-Voo 807, July 1959