The Playmates were an American late 1950s vocal group led by the pianist Chic Hetti (born Carl Cicchetti, 26 February 1930), drummer Donny Conn (born Donald Claps, 29 March 1930 – September 2, 2015), and Morey Carr (31 July 1932 – 1987), all from Waterbury, Connecticut, United States.^[1]

Career

The Playmates—Donald Claps (a.k.a. Donny Conn), drummer and lyricist; Carl Cicchetti (a.k.a. Chic Hetti), pianist music composer; and Morey Cohen (a.k.a. Morey Carr), lead vocalist—were an instrumental and vocal trio, from Waterbury, Connecticut, and, in the early 1950s, at the University of Connecticut.^[1] After graduation in 1952, they began touring small lounges and night clubs in the United States and Canada, originally as "the Nitwits", later as the Playmates.^[1]

Signed to Roulette Records in 1958 as the label's first vocal group,^[2] and anticipating a Calypso craze, the group recorded an album called Playmates Visit the West Indies. They then released two notable Top 40 singles — "Jo-Ann" and "Don't Go Home" — before having a number 4 hit (July 9, 1958) with the tempo-changing novelty song "Beep Beep",^[1] which became a regular feature for Dr. Demento.

The "Beep Beep" song was on the Billboard Top 40 chart for twelve weeks. It sold more than one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.^[3] Concurrently with the popularity of "Beep Beep", American Motors Corporation (AMC) was setting production and sales records for the Rambler models.^[4] Because of a directive by the BBC at the time that songs did not include brand names in their lyrics, a version of "Beep Beep" was recorded for the European market, replacing the Cadillac and Nash Rambler with the generic terms limousine and bubble car.

The group followed up with a chart listing single in 1959 with "What Is Love" and then again in 1960 with "Wait For Me".^[5] After four albums for Roulette, the novelty group — known for its between-song comedy and banter as much for its repertoire^[1] — broke up in 1965. Morey Carr died from lung cancer in 1987.^[6] Donald Claps died in Malibu, California, on September 2, 2015, at the age of 85.

Discography

Singles

Album

• At Play with the Playmates (1958)

Side one

1. "Jo-Ann" – 2:35
2. "Your Love" – 2:09
3. "Darling It's Wonderful" – 2:35
4. "Substitute for Love" – 2:13
5. "Magic Shoes" – 2:10
6. "While the Record Goes Around" – 2:10

Side two

1. "Beep Beep" – 3:01
2. "The Day I Died" – 2:20
3. "Give Me Another Chance" – 2:25
4. "Lovable" – 2:16
5. "Intimate" – 2:20
6. "Don't Go Home" – 2:30