Joey Mancuso / Sammy Berk

Cleveland, mid-late 1950s

From April 16, 1955

Joey Mancuso was a teenage singer around Cleveland in the 1950s. Sammy Berk was a Cleveland pianist who wrote songs and played live extensively in greater Cleveland. In 1958 Sammy and Joey added to the collection of Cleveland 'almost rock-n-roll' records with the song "Cool Cat Crawl". The story from March 8, 1958 provides the only info we're ever going to find about the song and the dance that inspired the record. Of course there is the obligitory swipe at how teens will get bored with rock-n-roll and return to finer dances.....nice try, square! The record was released on Triple A, and seems to be the last record on the label after the diskery had been dormant for a few years.

Great cat graphics!

The only other mention of Joey is a marriage announcement from March 1971, as a 'former boy singer'. He was a hair stylist for many years.

The other side of the 45 is a piano instro typical of Sammy Berk's sound. He passed away in 1991 at the age of 85, his obit mentions that he was active in clubs until he was about 80 and that he had played with many legends of his generation.

Discography:
Cool Cat Crawl /Big Beat Boogie - Triple A 98/9, c. March 1958