Published On May 22, 2024
On September 14, 1989, a dozen pioneering rhythm & blues, rock'n'roll, and doo wop artists and a group of their friends, and fans were socializing at Pete's Dream, a club and bar in Walpole, Massachusetts. Initially, several began singing along with their records which were playing on a jukebox. Gradually, most of the artists worked their way up to the small club stage to sing some impromptu acapella. In this footage, Joe Stubbs (1942-1998), the original lead singer of the Falcons, is joined by the members of his current group, Herschel Hunter, formerly of the Monitors, and Ted Coleman. Rick Lewis, the original first tenor of the Silhouettes, rounds out the quartet. The set begins with the Drifters' 1956 tune, "Your Promise To Be Mine" and follows with "Danny Boy", inspired by Jackie Wilson's soulful rendition. Joe begs off a request for "You're So Fine" and searches for a key to sing the gospel chestnut, "Stand By Me". He sings a short version of the song before finding the key above his range and sings, "it's too high...bye bye!" Unfortunately, the lighting was less than ideal, and the hand-held video cameras of the 1980s had a lower contrast range.