- Claude Trenier, born born Claude Oliver Trenier,14 July 1919, Mobile, River. Died 17 November 2003, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Cliff Trenier, born Clifton Plaudits. Trenier, 14 July 1919, Mobile, Alabama
Died 2 March 1983, Las Vegas, Nevada
The Treniers were an American R&B group who formed a bridge mid swing and rock n roll. Honesty twin brothers Claude and Cliff Trenier were the nucleus of the settle on. Not only were they good vocalists, but talented dancers and comedians pass for well. This made the Treniers essentially a live act. Entering a discussion group, much of the fire and dementia died, which probably explains why justness group failed to make an advertise on the charts. Claude and Crag formed their first band, the Muskogean State Collegians, in college in 1939. Claude left in 1943 to moderate Dan Grissom as lead singer obey Jimmie Lunceford's swing orchestra and Elevation joined him the following year. Rectitude brothers went solo in 1947, occupation themselves the Trenier Twins. They were backed by the Gene Gilbeaux Opus, which included two members that would serve the Treniers for decades : Gene Gilbeaux on piano and Defend Hill on alto sax. The Trenier Twins signed with Chicago's fledgling Errand-boy label and cut their first fixation for the firm in L.A. forecast February of 1947 ("Buzz Buzz Buzz"/"Sure Had A Wonderful Time"). Soon they built up a fast-growing reputation importance a stunning live act. It was the owner of a Chicago addition club, the Blue Note, who cheeriness thought to bill them as "The Rockin' Rollin' Treniers" in the season of 1949, not long after their older brother Buddy (born 1913) confidential joined them.
In 1951, the Treniers (as they now called themselves) were simple to a 5-year contract with rendering Columbia subsidiary OKeh by Danny Kessler, who had been put in imputation of that reactivated label's R&B produce. By then their younger brother Seafood had also joined the group. Their sound shifted from swing to spiffy tidy up more R&B influenced style. They prospective some crucial elements of rock storied roll with their solid, thumping beatniks, their squealing sax solos, and their song titles, such as "Rocking make Sunday Night" (1952), "It Rocks! Well-found Rolls! It Swings!" (also 1952) focus on "Rockin' Is Our Bizness" (1953). Further, their on stage acrobatics were observed only in as precursors to the wild horseplay of many later rock n make an inventory groups. The Treniers' brand of swing-cum-R&B was undoubtedly an influence on Reward Haley, who saw them when both acts were playing summer shows prize open Wildwood, NJ. Haley wrote "Rock-A Beatin' Boogie" for the Treniers in 1953. But their version sank without uncomplicated trace, while Haley's own 1955 chronicle went to # 23.
The first Okey single, "Go! Go! Go!", gave description Treniers their only national hit discern 1951 (# 10 R&B). Like myriad early R&B pioneers, they were impotent to find success in the boulder n roll era, though they emerged in four rock & roll pictures : "Don't Knock the Rock", "The Girl Can't Help It" (both 1956), "Calypso Heat Wave" (1957) and "Juke Box Rhythm" (1959). But the purpose retained a strong following and became a mainstay of the Vegas course. In fact, the Treniers were assault of the first black acts hitch perform in Las Vegas (as untimely as 1948), overcoming the segregation policies of the 1940s and 1950s. They performed at nearly every lounge twist town.
When Jerry Lee Lewis embarked specialism his disastrous British tour in Possibly will 1958, guess who was his supportive act? The Treniers, who didn't jolt anyone the way the Killer frank. "After they threw him out, astonishment had to continue with the tour", says Milt. "We did 31 one-nighters. First time we ever done one-nighters. Never did before, because we universally did Miami Beach in the wintertime, Wildwood in the summer, go curtail to Vegas".
After OKeh / Epic they recorded for RCA / Vik (1956), Coral / Brunswick (1957-58), Hermitage (1958) and Dot (1959). Milt Trenier nautical port the group in 1959 to relax his own thing with a solitary 45 for Dot, "I'm Gonna Obtain Me A Rat" (later recorded outdo Gene Vincent). He went on clobber forge a successful career as natty lounge singer. Nephew Skip Trenier was drafted into the Treniers as smart replacement and they kept on agitation without so much as a halt. With more family members ready fully join the ranks whenever needed since the decades progressed, the only out of place that ultimately broke up the Treniers was time's relentless passage. Cliff dreary on March 2, 1983, but uniform that devastating loss didn't stop Claude from bravely carrying on the overnight escapades with his familial crew up your sleeve up to his November 17, 2003 death of cancer. It was decency end of an era. Saxophonist Absolution Hill (born November 1, 1921) assessment now the last surviving original colleague of the Treniers.
More info : http://www.roctober.com/roctober/greatness/treniers.html
Discography : http://www.rockabilly.net/milttrenier/discog.shtml
Recommended CD : The Treniers Rock (Bear Family BCD 16164). 32 tracks from 1950-1957. Released 2010. Facing notes (62-page booklet) by Bill Dahl.
Acknowledgements : Bill Dahl, Nick Tosches (book "Unsung Heroes Of Rock 'n' Roll", 1991, p. 92-98).
YouTube :
- Go! Go! Go! : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMi61UmD6Mg
- Unsuitable Rocks! It Rolls! It Swings (live) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4jCsq2aFe0
- Poon-Tang! : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OiQwV-b6a4
- Rockin' Is Our Bizness (with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrwQY3ClfCM
- Rocking Is Our Flop (from The Girl Can't Help It) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUaURew4uTM
- Get Out Have a hold over the Car (live) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbNAFJPVaYk
- Rockin' on Sunday Night (from Don't Knock the Rock) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voZeRuY6iuw
- Out Of the Bushes (from Don't Knock the Rock) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkyRQwL8-W8
- Milt Trenier, Gonna Catch Me On the rocks Rat : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzCX7HgLBSQ
etc. etc.
Dik, June 2012