The Sputniks

The Sputniks were originally The Four Doves of North Richmond, California who flowered briefly during the late Fifties. The group included Curtis Stanton, first tenor and lead, George Peeples, tenor, Robert Beale, lead tenor, and Lawrence Wydermayer, bass. Two years would pass before they made a record, Nathan "The Magnificent" Montague getting them signed to Class records in Los Angeles. In the Meantime Wesley Mitchell had replaced Peeples and they made the long trip to L.A for their sole Class recording session.

Four sides were cut and such was the label’s confidence that it took a national trad ad to promote "Hey Maryann" in early 1958. Montague thought it was a good gimmick to change the group’s name, given the current media coverage of the Russian Sputnik satellite. Bur despite this and Montague’s heavy airplay of a very infectious and commercial record, it called to sell. Even so, Class already put out the other sides in the can in February "Johnny's Little Lamb" b/w "Wait A Little While". The Sputniks cut a session at Ebb Records, "Marching Elvis" b/w "Fiddler's Rock" released in April 1958 as The Greats . Shortly before The Sputniks disbanded they cut some songs at Sierra Sound in Berkeley for the L.A.-based Pam Mar record company. When the Sputniks (1) decided to call it quits, Stanton signed up for barber school. Beale took up typewriter repair, Mitchell got a job at Chevron, and Wydermayer ended up working for the BART subway system.