The Diamonds

The Diamonds was one of the most successful vocal groups in the history of rock and roll. The Canadian quartet - formed in the early nineteen fifties in Toronto - scored seventeen chart hits (US Billboard and Canadian Top 40) between 1956 and 1961 - three of these being AARI certified gold records.

This site is dedicated to the eight vocalists who variously sang as The Diamonds through their hit making years with Coral and Mercury records 1955-1962.

The lead vocalists were; Dave Somerville ('54-'61), Jim Malone('61-'69)

The tenors were Tedd Kowalski('54-'58), Evan Fisher ('58-69)

The baritones were Phil Levitt('54-'57), Mike Douglas('57-'79)()

The basses were Bill Reed('54-'58) and John Felten('59-69)

The Diamonds first sang as a professional group in 1954 (Dave Somerville - lead, Tedd Kowalski - tenor, Phil Levitt - baritone, Bill Reed - bass) and signed with New York based Coral Records in 1955 where they cut four sides. The two singles from this session failed to chart.

The group switched to Mercury Records in January 1956 and scored their first hit with a cover version of The Teenagers' Why Do Fools Fall in Love? This was folllowed by The Church Bells May Ring, Love Love Love, Ka Ding Dong and Soft Summer Breeze. With six chart hits in their first full year as recording artists, The Diamonds had arrived and Mercury records knew it was onto a good thing.

The best was yet to come, when in 1957 The Diamonds notched up three million sellers - Little Darlin', Silhouettes and The Stroll - as well as several other chart hits.

The hits continued through 1958 and '59, with High Sign, Happy Years, Kathy-O, Walking Along and She Say (oom dooby doom).

By this time The Diamonds had diversified from the material that had brought them chart success. They were recording jazz, pop and even an album of traditional western songs.

The pages that constitute tthis site have been written with the close collaboration of The Diamonds themselves. Within them you will find much detailed information - discography, sessionography, history, pictures, sound clips, stories - it is all here.

This is the most comprehensive website on the Diamonds in the world.

Whether you remember The Diamonds through their live performances, their records and appearances in the movies - or whether you are just discovering their music, we hope you'll spend a little time learning about and appreciating one of the great harmony groups ever to cut a groove in a vinyl disc. Enjoy!

Author's Note

There are many sites on the world wide web that include The Diamonds on their pages. The accuracy and reliability of these sites varies considerably. Unfortunately, most of the information on these sites has been lifted from publicity releases and album sleeves or simply stolen from the sites of others and is generally quite stale - or at worst - plainly incorrect. This site has been written for the purpose of getting the record straight. It was done by sourcing information directly from the group members themselves. Of the eight fellows who were a part of the hit making group throught the late fifties and early sixties, five are with us today and each has made a contribution to this work..

The Diamonds left a legacy of over one hundred (released) recordings and seventeen chart hits. Most of these recordings are extremely rare in 2009, but small samples of most of these will be available for listening on this site.

The website has been created in close collaboration with Tedd Kowalski and Mike Douglas - the longest serving Diamond. This project has largely come about as a result of the close collaboration between Mike Douglas and Ric Tester. It has taken a long while to build and is constantly being updated.

Enjoy this tribute to The Diamonds.

"We certify that this site contains a truthful account of the history and activities of The Diamonds"

Tedd Kowalski (co-founder of the Mercury recording Diamonds)

Mike Douglas (member of the Mercury recording Diamonds)

The first group of Diamonds that recorded between 1955 and mid 1957. Clockwise from top: Bill Reed (bass), Phil Levitt (baritone) David Somerville (lead) Tedd Kowalski (Tenor).

The Diamonds - mid 1957-1958. Clockwise, from top. Mike Douglas(baritone), Bill Reed (bass), Dave Somerville (lead), Tedd Kowalski (tenor)

The Diamonds 1958-1961. Clockwise from top; Evan Fisher (tenor), Mike Douglas (baritone), Dave Somerville (Lead), John Felten (bass).

The Diamonds 1961-1969. Clockwise from top: Evan Fisher (Tenor), Mike Douglas (baritone). Jim Malone (lead), John Felten (bass),

Copyright Notice

All the information on this site has been obtained first hand from the original group members.This site features many rare clips and pictures - all from the private collections of The Diamonds themselves. All material on the site is copyright and whilst it is free to view, it is not free to take. The web authors have gone to great lengths to insure the integrity of the site . All photographs are watermarked and encoded with information that Identifies the original source, both in metadata and pixel structure. Likewise the information on this site is for public viewing but must not be lifted from this site for any purpose.