The Jordan Brothers were a musical group active for thirty years beginning in the mid-1950s. They originated in Frackville, Pennsylvania and achieved regional popularity in Schuylkill and surrounding counties and Philadelphia. They released 24 singles on 15 different labels, including several that were self-produced from 1957 until 1984. The brothers were: Joseph "Joe" Jordan (1941–January 20, 2021), keyboards and vocals, composing, arranging Frank Jordan (ca. 1942), saxophone and bass, vocals, composing, arranging Robert "Bob" Jordan (1943–October 9, 1993) drums and percussion Lewis "Lew" Jordan (ca. 1947–January 3, 2022) lead guitar, vocals, composing
Origin The 30-year career of the Jordan Brothers began on Halloween Eve in 1954 when instead of the usual trick-or-treating, three (Joe, Frank, and Bobby) of the eventual four brothers took to the streets with accordion, clarinet, and drum.
The group's first national appearance was on Ted Mack's The Original Amateur Hour on January 22, 1956, on ABC. The group then settled into playing local venues and dances in the middle and southern Coal Region area, with their father Angelo sitting in on bass and managing the group. In 1957, the Jordan Brothers began a five-year gig at Renninger's Market between Orwigsburg and Schuylkill Haven. This was the first in a series of long-term relationships with several venues in the Schuylkill and Berks County areas. They also recorded their first record, self-produced on the Jordan label, at Philadelphia's Reco-Art Studio: "Send Me Your Picture"/"Oh Lolly". This led to a two-year recording contract in 1958 with Jamie Records.
Growth Jamie Record Years The arrangement with Jamie Records, introduced the Jordan Brothers into the teen publicity machine of the late fifties. One of Jamie's stockholders had been Dick Clark who had also become American Bandstand’s host in 1956. The show went national on ABC in 1957. Clark often featured Jamie artists on his show such as Duane Eddy, the Dovells and others. Appearing on American Bandstand three times, the Jordan Brothers also were part of Clark's 49-day "Caravan of Stars" that toured the United States and Canada in 1959. Traveling in one of two 40-seat buses, Frank and Joe Jordan were accompanied by the likes of the Coasters, the Drifters, the Skyliners, Bobby Rydell, LaVerne Baker, Paul Anka, Jimmy Clanton, and Duane Eddy. Frank and Joe Jordan (without Bob, not yet out of high school) were the Jordan Brothers during this tour.
The band also spent time recording in Arizona in 1959 with Donnie Owens (a fellow Pennsylvanian and a guitarist for Duane Eddy) and performing in Los Angeles in 1961 with Alan Freed’s Rock Show alongside Jimmy Clanton, Al Kooper, the Safaris, and Jackie Wilson among others.
Other than these national shows and tours, the Jordan Brothers were highly popular with Philadelphia radio disc jockeys in this period. These DJs were a key element of any record’s success and the Jordan Brothers were often featured in tours or shows with WIBG’s Good Guys, such as Joe Niagara and Hy Lit. Lit organized one of the first tours in which the Jordan Brothers participated with Dion and the Belmonts and the Coasters.
The Jordan Brothers were also featured on Jerry Blavat's WFIL Discophonic TV Scene and appeared on East Coast TV programs, especially in the tri-state area, such as Summertime on the Pier in Atlantic City with Ed Hurst.
The Jordan Brothers were with Jamie until 1961, but they never broke into the national music charts and as a result the contract with Jamie lapsed.
Jamie discography
Title Serial # Composer Year released Send Me Your Picture x 1112 J-100 Jordan Brothers 1958 Oh Lolly x 1112 J-101 Jordan Brothers 1958 Never Never 1125 Don Rollins 1959 Please Tell Me Now 1125 Jordan Brothers 1959 Be Mine 1133 Menkas-Panas-Luth 1959 Dream Romance 1133 Taylor-Cole 1959 Things I Didn't Say 1169 J-JB-7 Garson-Shuman 1960 Polly Plays Her Kettle Drum 1169 J-JB-8 Garson-Shuman 1960 No Wings on My Angel 1176 J-JB-9 David-Pockriss 1960 Living for the Day 1176 J-JB-10 Garson-Shuman 1960 Whispering Wind 1205 J-JB-11 Frank & Joe Jordan 1961 Love's Made a Fool of You 1205 J-JB-12 Buddy Holly 1961 It's You Girl+ 1390 J-TJO-70-1 Lew Jordan 1970 Dream Romance+ 1390 J-TJO-70-2 Taylor-Cole 1970
x Re-release of their self-produced record on the Jordan label. + Re-release by Jaime Records.
"The Lake" The group now included brothers Bobby and Lew to round out the band. The band started building up their following in the home base of Schuylkill county and environs. After a fall-out with Renninger's, the group began a sixteen-year gig at Willow Lake in Schuylkill Haven in 1962. Willow Lake was an amusement park that housed a roller skating rink and pool. The Jordan Brothers ran dances every Friday and Saturday nights and in the summers also on Wednesday night. During the years at Renninger's the group had developed its signature theme, a song that opened and closed each dance. The composition began as the intro from "Hard Times", a Duane Eddy rocker (written and originally performed by Noble "Thin Man" Watts) from the late 1950s. Even long-time fans call this song “Hard Times”, when it is in reality the "Jordan Theme" with composer credits to the Jordan Brothers.
In 1964, the group began to conduct dances in Barnesville, Pennsylvania initially at the Lakewood Ballroom (1964) and then from 1964 to 1970 for seven years at the adjacent Lakeside Ballroom. These dances were held on Sunday nights and in the summer also on Thursdays. Since all three venues were “Lakes”, the dances were known by the same nickname and going to “The Lake” became the thing to do in the 1960s and early 1970s. These dances drew, in the aggregate, over a thousand each week in the summer at their height. The band would offer a mix of their self-composed music with cover versions of then current (including more progressive music and British Invasion sounds as the decade progressed) and “Oldies” rock and roll.
It was during this period in 1963 that the Jordan Brothers began to perform a version of “Heart” written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil at the “Lake”. The song was popular at these dances but was never released as a single. Because “Heart” never broke the Top 40 when it was released by Kenny Chandler of Harrisburg, PA, most people believed that the song was a Jordan Brothers original composition. Eventually, a recording was released in 1980 on the Jordan Brothers o compilation album, "Yesterday’s Todays, Volume 1".
The band was unable to find a national record label interested until 1964. However, they did release 3 singles, one under the self-produced Jordan label again, two instrumentals – "Sloe Gin" and "Basin Street Rumble" (1963) - and then two other singles with Ruby Records, an independent studio in Reading, Pennsylvania – "Revenge"/"Lover's Never Say Goodbye" (1964) and "Ya Ya"/"Gee Whiz" (1964).
In 1964, the band auditioned for V-I-M (Variety In Music) Records in New York and this label produced one single for them, "It's a Shame"/"Here I Go Again". After the British invasion, the group adjusted. The Jordan Brothers began a relationship with Cameo-Parkway Records in 1965, releasing three more singles – "What's Wrong With You Baby?"/"Jordan Theme", a re-release of this on its Cheltenham subsidiary, and "Good Love Goes Bad"/"Break Down and Cry". The Cameo relationship ended that same year.
The group self-produced another single on the Jor-Dan label in 1966, "The One That Got Away"/"Slow Thing", when they got a call from Phillips Records. Their recording of "Gimme Some Lovin'" in 1966 was their biggest hit, and charted in Boston, Baltimore and other R&B citadels. This was a song written primarily by Steve Winwood. Phillips got a copy of Winwood's demonstration copy and actually released the song in the U.S. about a month before Winwood and the Spencer Davis Group recorded it for United Artists.Frank Jordan later explained:Forgotten Hits; Email from Frank Jordan Forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com The people at our company played a "demo" or demonstration of the song Gimme Some Lovin' for us to hear and approve. We all agreed that we liked the song and agreed to record it. Little did we know that it was the actual 8 track tape we listened to containing Steve Winwood's vocal, organ, a lead guitar, bass guitar and drums. … We did not know this at the time or how our record company got hold of the original recording. We may never know. … We … recorded it on that same trip and it was released in three major cities in the U.S. So, we did have the first release in the U.S. and the record took off immediately. It boasted huge sales in three major cities which would make the Spencer Davis version seem like it was a cover. ...
The band nearly had a major hit, but it was not to be. The Jordan Brothers who were making a good living at the Lakes could not afford to tour (according to the financial arrangement offered by Phillips) and Phillips did little to promote them.
The Lakeside gig ended in 1970 and the Willow Lake performances began to wane until the end of "The Lake" came finally in 1977. "The Lake" years discography: Title Serial # Composer Year released Label Sloe Gin J-102 Jordan Brothers 1963 Jordan Basin Street Rumble J-103 Jordan Brothers 1963 Jordan Revenge 474 RB 307 Frank & Lew Jordan 1964 Ruby Lovers Never Say Goodbye 474 RB 308 Wilson - Johnson 1964 Ruby Ya Ya 474 RB 406 Dorsey-Robinson 1964 Ruby Gee Whiz 474 RB 407 Jimmie Thomas - Jeanne Vikki 1964 Ruby It's A Shame 523 V 74 Frank Jordan 1964 V-I-M Here I Go Again 523 V 75 Frank Jordan 1964 V-I-M What's Wrong With You Baby+ CH 1006-A Daryll - Kornfeld 1965 Cheltenham Jordan Theme+ CH 1006-B Frank & Joe Jordan 1965 Cheltenham Beach Party 1219-45-JB 1 Bowie 1964 Mer-Bri Havin’ A Party 1219-45-JB 2 Frank Jordan 1964 Mer-Bri Good Love Goes Bad 370 A Frank Jordan 1965 Cameo Break Down and Cry 370 B Frank Jordan 1965 Cameo The One That Got Away 7 JB - 1 Brian - Renzetti 1965 Jor-Dan Slow Thing 7 JB - 2 Jordan Brothers 1965 Jor-Dan Gimme Some Lovin’ 40415 PHW1-39149 Winwood-Davis-Winwood 1966 Phillips When I'm With Her 40415 PHW1-39150 Carl-Torres-Venneri 1966 Phillips + Also released on Parkway Records in 1965 (Serial #: 945)
Calling It A Career The Jordan Brothers were not ready to call it quits quite yet; however, during this time, the group again changed. First, it began to play Pennsylvania's southern tier – Lower Berks and Lancaster County. The Jordan Brothers were in smaller, more intimate venues in Lititz, Bernville, Ephrata and New Holland. The group still played in Schuylkill County and Reading (Berks) but again in smaller venues – “the Alley” in Pottsville for eight years (1974-1982) and “Hugos” in Reading for nine years (1976-1984), continuing the tradition of long-term local gigs that paid the bills. Second, the sound of the group became sleek and hip in keeping with the 1970s. The performances also began to include what is now referred to as classic rock. This included versions of "Smoke on the Water" and "Cold Turkey", among others.
They released six more singles (until 1984) after Gimme Some Lovin’ on small independent labels, including some re-releases of earlier work. These other recordings included "Good Time", "It’s You Girl", "Sugar Lady", a re-recording of "Gimme Some Lovin" and "We'll Make It". One of their last recordings was called prophetically, "Let’s Call It a Day".
The group broke up in 1984, but on September 17, 1986, at the Art and Ethnic Center in Pottsville at the Schuylkill County Council for the Arts, the Jordan Brothers regrouped as the Jordan Brothers Plus One Band to perform live at this one-time event. In October 1986, the Schuylkill County Commissioners proclaimed "Jordan Brothers Month".
The brothers later regrouped, recruiting 21-year-old Johnny Jordan, son of drummer Bob, as the new bass player.