Joe Bennett & The Sparkletones - What The Heck! / Complete Joe Bennett...... (2022) @ 320

The Sparkletones (sometimes credited as Joe Bennett & the Sparkletones) were an American rock and roll group from Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States.[1]

The Sparkletones formed in 1956 at Cowpens High School in Spartanburg when the group's members were between the ages of 13 and 16. In January 1957, Bob Cox, a talent scout for CBS, held auditions at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium; The Sparkletones took first prize at the event. Convinced they would be a success, Cox quit CBS to manage the group and flew them out to New York City to sign with ABC-Paramount.

At their first recording session they recorded the 12-bar blues "Black Slacks".Paul Anka, who had been recording in the studio earlier that day, added falsetto background on a different song that the group recorded that day, "Boppin' Rock Boogie". Band members Joe Bennett (born Joseph H. Bennett and Jimmy Denton co-wrote "Black Slacks". Released as a single soon after, "Black Slacks" became a local hit and slowly built up national recognition as the group set out on a tour that crisscrossed the U.S. several times over, also performing on The Nat King Cole Show, American Bandstand, and The Ed Sullivan Show. "Black Slacks" remained on the U.S. charts for over four months, peaking at No. 17 on the Billboard Top 100 in late 1957.

The Sparkletones' next single, "Penny Loafers and Bobby Socks", reached No. 42 on the Billboard pop chart early in 1958, staying on the charts for eight weeks, while "Cotton Pickin' Rocker", "We've Had It", "Late Again", "Run Rabbit Run", all failed to chart over the course of the next three years. In 1959, the group's contract with ABC-Paramount expired, and they released three singles on Paris Records, and only the single "Boys Do Cry" had any semblance of success, peaking at No. 105 in 1959. Around this time original guitarist Sparky Childress and drummer Jimmy Denton left and were replaced by Gene Brown and Donnie Seay, respectively. The group broke up in 1960.

Childress played country in the 1960s. A compilation LP was released by MCA Records in 1980, and European bootleg CD reissues were put out in the 1990s. The band members did occasional reunions in South Carolina into the 2000s.

Joe Bennett served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War. During that time he was exposed to Agent Orange. In his later years he suffered from complications related to Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia. Bennett continued in music as a publisher and teacher. 

 01. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - Black Slacks  (2:07)

 02. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - Boppin' Rock Boogie  (2:03)

 03. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - Penny Loafers And Bobby Sox  (1:52)

 04. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - Rocket  (2:05)

 05. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - Let's Go Rock & Roll  (2:05)

 06. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - Number One On My Love List  (1:58)

 07. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - Cotton Pickin' Rocker  (1:53)

 08. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - I Dig You Baby  (2:01)

 09. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - Maybe Baby  (2:08)

 10. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - Little Turtle  (2:00)

 11. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - We've Had It  (1:49)

 12. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - Do The Stop  (2:31)

 13. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - Late Again  (2:03)

 14. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - Late Again [alternate version]  (2:17)

 15. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - Bayou Rock  (1:46)

 16. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - Beautiful One  (1:56)

 17. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - Boys Do Cry  (1:46)

 18. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - Boys Do Cry [alternate version]  (2:04)

 19. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - What The Heck  (1:57)

 20. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - Are You From Dixie  (2:21)

 21. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - Softly  (2:12)

 22. Karina (4) - No Esta Bien (She's A Fool)  (2:20)

 23. Karina (4) - La Misma Playa  (2:06)

 24. Karina (4) - Hully Gully Boy  (1:59)

 25. Karina (4) - Vaya Vaya (Lawdy, Lawdy)  (2:10)

 26. Joe And The Jaguars - Si Tuviera Un Martillo  (1:59)

 27. Joe And The Jaguars - La Hora  (2:03)

 28. Joe And The Jaguars - Kansas City  (2:17)

 29. Joe And The Jaguars - Memphis  (2:00)

 30. Joe Bennett (3) - De Nada  (2:32)

 31. Joe Bennett (3) - La Cancion Del Gato Tom (The Tom Cat Song)  (2:06)

 32. Joe Bennett (3) - Toodle Ooo  (1:54)

 33. Joe Bennett (3) - Osito De Trapo (The Teddy Bear Song)  (1:59)

 34. Joe Bennett (3) - Run Rabbit Run  (2:35)

 35. Joe Bennett (3) - Well Dressed Man  (2:29)

 36. Billy And Eddie - The King Is Coming Back  (2:11)

 37. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - Rocket [Nat King Cole Show]  (2:02)

 38. Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones - Black Slacks [Nat King Cole Show]  (1:44)

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