‘Essex’ Marine Quartet Hoping For Big Break

Photo By Sgt. Miranda DeKorte | THE SWINGING’ ‘ESSEX’-Pooling their voices, these four Camp Lejeune Marines, left to right, LCpl. Walter Vickers, Pfc’s Billy Hill, Anita Humes and Rudy Johnson, make up the singin’, swingin’ team of the “Essex.” Breaking into the recording field with the Roulette Company, they have tentatively scheduled a release entitled, “Easier Said Than Done” and “Are You Goin’ My Way” for April 15.  

NORTH CAROLINA, UNITED STATES

04.16.2019

Story by Lance Cpl. Miranda DeKorte 

Marine Corps Installations East       

This week we are republishing a story that appeared on our pages on this month in history. We hope it will give you an appreciation for our Corps’ illustrious heritage and a unique look at the style and tone of journalism during these years. Today’s article features a Marine Quartet and their journey to record their first record.
“Easier Said Than Done” has a real double meaning for four Camp Lejeune Marines, LCpl. Walter Vickers, Pfc. Billy Hill, Pfc. Rudy Johnson and Lady Leatherneck Pfc. Anita Humes.
In addition to being a very accurate axiom for those attempting to hit the big time, it is also the name of the first record to be cut by this Marine singing quartet.
The Essex, as the group is named, have cut a master recording of “Easier Said Than Done” with a tune called “Are You Going My Way?” on the flip side, with the Roulette Record Company, and are now anxiously waiting for the release date, tentatively set for April 15th.
If the record sells well, the Essex have high hopes of “breaking big” into the entertainment world. To date, they have already secured a one-year contract with Roulette, and have been scheduled for a premier promotion tour to include a total of 11 public appearances in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Detroit, Chicago and Boston.
The Essex appear confident that their first record will go big, but theirs has not been an overnight success.
The group was first formed when Rudy, Walter and Billy began singing in the barracks to pass the off-duty hours. Rudy had planned for years to eventually cut a record, and the group began to lean away from the songs and musical arrangements of other artists, and experimented with their own.
As time passed, and the group had a ready portfolio of their own work, they considered transforming the trio into a quartet, using a female vocalist, and contacted Anita, a Woman Marine, who had been singing with the Milton Dennis Jazz Quartet on base and in Jacksonville, N.C.
Anita agreed to join the group, and within a few days, they were hard at work on “Are You Going My Way?”, written and arranged by Rudy. When it appeared the arrangement was perfected, the Essex took their first big step and taped the arrangement, which was taken to New York and submitted to Roulette Records by Rudy.
Roulette cut a “dub” or initial record from the tape, and a producer-arranger said that the song had potential. An audition was suggested, and the Essex were asked to return on March 19th for an audition. Rudy hurriedly called the group together, and learned that Anita was at her home in Pennsylvania on leave. She cut short her leave and joined the Quartet to cut their master record with Roulette, signing the contract.
While stating that the Marine Corps is still their primary concern, the Essex are planning to organize after their discharge in 1965, and hit the entertainment world full-force.

• Date Taken: 04.16.2019
• Date Posted: 04.16.2019 15:49
• Story ID: 318338
• Location: NORTH CAROLINA, US