Following World War II the United States experienced a new wave of optimism. Young couples started families and purchased homes. The American Dream was at its prime, and this was reflected in the products of the time. Automobiles became more flamboyant and futuristic, with tailfins and bright exciting colors.

The music industry thrived with an explosion of creativity. April 12, 1954 was a pivitol date for popular music - with the release of the blazingly hot number one hit record "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and His Comets. Elvis Presley followed. Rock and Roll was born.

DooWop music, characterized by an arrangement of a unique range of harmonized voices, grew out of Rhythm and Blues and Jazz in the early 1950s. By the late 50s many vocal groups had merged DooWop with Rock and Roll, resulting in a truly unique sound. By 1962, the Brill Building, located at 1619 Broadway in New York City, became a mecca for music publishers who capitalized on this sound, springboarding the careers of such artists and writers as Carol King, Phil Spector, Neil Sedaka and many others.

The Livin' Ends, a documentary conceived by Jake Gorst and developed through Jonamac Productions and King of Queens Music. will provide an overview of this period in the history of American popular music. The film will accomplish this by tracing the history and accomplishments of a vocal group that struggled to make it in the music industry during this period of time.

About The Group

In 1963, Vinny Carella and Vinny Sanpietro, members of the Jamaica, Queens Delehanty H.S. Glee Club, had the idea to form a Rock & Roll group. With recently graduated glee club member, Ben Galiani, Vinny Carella’s boyhood friend, Bruce Miraglia, and later Paul Pecorell, they became Vinny & The Exclusives (later known as The Livin' Ends). They rehearsed diligently and by mid summer of 1963, they began performing at local school dances and private affairs, and financed their first demo session at Sanders Recording Studios in New York City .

By February of 1964 they were billed on their first Rock & Roll Show, opening for Randy & The Rainbows and Vito & The Salutations, both recent national chart topping acts. Randy & The Rainbows immediately bonded with the group and soon had them audition for Neil Levenson, the writer of their hit “Denise”. Neil liked the group’s sound and signed them on the strength of their demos. Now four members (Paul Pecorelli departed soon after the demo session) began their professional recording career with Neil, producing recordings for Charlie Koppelman and Don Rubin of Big 7/Roulette Records and for Screen Gems/Columbia (Colpix).

Ben Galiani and Vinny Sanpietro began collaborating on new material and in 1965 came up with a song, "Hey Everybody". The song was recorded and a representative for the group sold the master to the New York based Holton Record label.

A&R man Jimmy Ienner re-recorded the tracks at Bell Sound Studios and the group recorded new lead and background vocals (with Al Staubitz replacing Bruce Miraglia). The song was released on Patty Records (a Holton subsidiary) in late 1965-'66. The group continued recording for Holton along with a number of labels and group names in the ensuing years.

In 2004, the documentary Leisurama produced and directed by Jake Gorst, opened with the song "Hey Everybody" by The Livin' Ends. The inclusion of the song in this film sparked a renewed interest in the group which culminated in plans for an anthology of the group's work. The five primary members of the group were contacted and agreed that this new venture held the potential for a renaissance of The Livin' Ends.

In June 2004, the group held a reunion in New York, which included a three hour rehearsal. Within twenty-four hours, they had recorded three exciting songs. It was if they had never been apart. It was a magical and unprecedented event. The three day reunion was captured on film and will be included in the documentary.

This documentary is being made possible by tax-deductible donations from humanitarians, individuals, corporations and foundations with a love of the arts and a desire to further cultural education. For more information on how you can help bring The Livin' Ends to public television please click here.

The Livin' Ends will be told by on camera interviews of group members, producers, song writers, historians and musicologists. The documentary will include archival photographs, vintage home movies, and footage from the National Archives and other sources. The documentary will be scored with original Livin' Ends recordings.

This web site will serve as a portal for the dissemination of information on the production.