The Sensations

For other uses, see Sensation.
For the Jamaican vocal group of the 1960s, see The Sensations (Jamaica).

The Sensations were an American doo-wop group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1]

The group formed in 1954 under the name the Cavaliers, soon after changing to the Sensations. The group scored two hits on the US R&B chart in 1956 with the Atco Records singles "Yes Sir That's My Baby" (#15) and "Please Mr. Disc Jockey" (#13).[2][3] By 1957 they were managed by Kae Williams.[4] The group disbanded soon afterwards, and lead singer Yvonne Mills married and started a family.[5]

In 1961, bass singer Alphonso Howell persuaded Yvonne Mills Baker that the group should re-form, and they won a contract with Chess Records subsidiary label Argo. They soon had a hit with a version of "Music, Music, Music", which reached #12 on the R&B chart and #54 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2] A few months later, they released the tune "Let Me In".[4] It was their biggest success, peaking at #2 R&B and #4 on the Hot 100.[6] However, later releases were less successful and the group broke up.[5]

Yvonne Baker later started a solo career, recording a number of tracks that achieved cult status among Northern soul fans, most notably "You Didn’t Say a Word" on Parkway Records in 1966.[5]

Alphonso Howell died on May 7, 1998, at the age of 61.[7] Sam Armstrong died on July 11, 2017. Yvonne Mills Baker died on May 3, 2020.[8][9]

  1. ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (2002). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. p. 385/6. ISBN 1-85227-937-0.
  2. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995. Record Research. p. 393.
  3. ^ Biography, Allmusic.com
  4. ^ a b Jay Warner, American Singing Groups: A History from 1940 to Today (Hal Leonard Corporation, 2006):287.
  5. ^ a b c Almenara, Noelia (March 28, 2009). "Classic and Rare Soul Sisters 50s - 70s: Yvonne Baker and The Sensations: Let Me In - The Complete Collection (1955-1968)". Supersoulsisters.blogspot.com. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  6. ^ Billboard Singles, Allmusic.com
  7. ^ "Alphonso Howell Jr". Philadelphia Daily News. 15 May 1998. p. 34. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Ils nous quittent : Yvonne Baker, Arthur Freeman, Earl Green, Sibel Thrasher, Andre Harrell…". Soulbag. 17 May 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  9. ^ "So sad to hear of the passing of Yvonne Baker, lead of the Sensations. Yvonne died May 3". Classic Urban Harmony LLC on Facebook. 9 May 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2024.