Rooftop Singers
Cashing in on the folk music revival of the early '60s, the Rooftop Singers were a trio specifically assembled for the purpose of recording a single song, Walk Right In, originally recorded in 1930 by Gus Cannon And The Jugstompers. The Rooftop Singers consisted of Erik Darling (b. 25 September 1933, Baltimore, Maryland, USA), Bill Svanoe and former Benny Goodman band vocalist, Lynne Taylor. Darling had played in folk groups called the Tune Tellers and the Tarriers, the latter including future actor Alan Arkin, and replaced Pete Seeger in the Weavers in 1958, remaining with them for four years. In 1962 he heard Walk Right In and adapted the lyrics for a more modern sound, utilizing two 12-string guitars and an irresistible rhythm; he then assembled the trio and signed with Vanguard Records. Walk Right In became that label's, and the group's, only number 1 record. The Rooftop Singers placed one album and two other folk songs in the US charts: Tom Cat and Mama Don't Allow. The group disbanded in 1967 and Taylor died the same year; Darling and Svanoe subsequently retired from the music business.