The Dubs - Don't Ask Me to Be Lonely (1957)

In 1956, two vocal doo-wop groups from Harlem, New York merged together. Billy Carlisle and Richard Blandon came from The Five Wings (which had originally been called The 5 Stars). Jake Miller, Thomas Gardner, and Cleveland Still came from The Scale-Tones after having only recorded one record. Originally naming themselves The Marvels, the group recorded and released a failed single titled “I Won’t Have You breaking My Heart.” After renaming themselves The Dubs, they put out their first (and immediate) success, the song heard below. After its release in early 1957, Thomas Gardner was replaced by a different ex-member of The Five Wings, Tommy Grate. This new lineup had two more hits with the songs “Could This Be Magic” and “Chapel of Dreams”. The group split up in November 1958 after declining success. The group was resurrected in July 1959, and although there were no more hits, they remained together until the mid-1980s. At that time, the group splintered into two separate entities, each of which still performs to this day.

Written by Richard Blandon, this song was the group’s first taste of success. It was initially released locally on the Johnson label, but was soon picked up for national release on George Goldner’s Gone label. Although it reached number seventy-two on the Billboard Hot 100, it never charted on the R&B charts. After the song’s success, Thomas Gardner left the group and was replaced with Tommy Grate.



The Dubs - Don't Ask Me to Be Lonely (1957)

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Lyrics:

Ask me for the world
It doesn't seem much
Ask me for the moon, dear
And I'll reach out to touch
Anything for you; for you, dear, only
But please don't ask me to be lonely

Ask me for the stars, dear
And I'll do your command
Ask me for the diamonds
I'll put them on your hand
Anything for you; for you, dear, only
But please don't ask me to be lonely

I searched this world
This whole wide world
Looking for a girl such as you

I gave up my search
When I looked into
Pretty, pretty eyes of blue

Ask me for the stars, dear
And I'll do your command
Ask me for the diamonds
I'll put them on your hand
Anything for you; for you, dear, only
But please don't ask me to be lonely

Don't ask me to be lonely