The Five Satins

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The Five Satins are an American doo-wop group from New Haven, Connecticut. They were formed in 1954 and kept performing until 1994. The group began with six members and later became a quintet. The leader was Fred Parris. In the early years they had little success, until the group reshuffled and recorded the song In the Still of the Night. It was first released on the small local label Standord, and then on the New York label Ember.

Music and breakthrough

In the Still of the Night became a big hit in the United States, and later the song sold more than a million copies. It was originally the B-side of the single The Jones Girl. The song gained a second life when it appeared in 1959 as the opening track on Oldies But Goodies Vol. 1 from Original Sound Records, a series that grew to fifteen volumes. Shortly after the success Parris went into the army, so that the group had to reorganise again. The debut album Presenting The 5 Satins was released in 1957. The group is in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

Influence

The music of the Five Satins is doo-wop in its muted form: soft harmony singing, a slow, swaying rhythm and a lead who is given space. The song stayed on the radio for decades, and the compilation albums kept it alive.

Listening

• 
  In the Still of the Nite · The Five Satins, 1956
  Apple Music ↗

Discography

Studio albums

• 1957Presenting The 5 Satins
• 1957The 5 Satins Sing
• 1960Encore
• 1982Fred Parris and the Satins
• 1993For Collectors Only
• 2020Five Satins Selection
• 2025Sing