Philadelphia has produced many famous recording artists over the years and while The Orlons might not be as famous as some of the others, the group certainly had its time in the spotlight. The quartet differed from the female groups of the time, in that one of its members was a male, baritone Steve Caldwell. Its other members were Marlena Davis, Rosetta Hightower and Shirley Brickley.
When The Orlons’ first two singles failed to chart, the group’s record label, Cameo, remained loyal. Finally, the label’s prolific songwriters, Kal Mann and Dave Appell, came to believe that they had written the song which would launch The Orlons’ career; the breezy “The Wah-Watusi”.
So correct were they, that the single rose to as high as No.2 on Billboard’s pop chart, in the middle of 1962. The Orlons was off and running, with Rosetta now installed as the principal vocalist.
“Don’t Hang Up”, the following release, soared into the Top Five. The duo of hits, coupled with constant touring and regular appearances on the nationally televised Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, meant that it was no surprise when “South Street” jumped up the chart, peaking at No.3, in the first half of 1963.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2MuhY3sBjo
Little did the group know that this was to be its last visit to the Top Ten, although there were two Top Twenty entrants to come, namely “Not Me”, which had been originally recorded by Gary “U.S.” Bonds, and “Crossfire”.