doo wop group The Pastels formed in 1954. At the time, lead DiFosco "Dee" Erwin, first tenor Richard Travis, second tenor Tony Thomas, and baritone Jimmy Willingham were all stationed at a U.S. Air Force base in Narsarssuak, Greenland, and their first live appearances were in conjunction with military showcases. According to Marv Goldberg's profile in the December 1977 edition of Yesterday's Memories, all four The Pastels were eventually transferred to Washington, D.C., and following a well-received performance at the USAF's annual "Tops in Blue" talent show, the group decided to pursue a record contract, eventually landing with the small Hull label. Their debut, "Been So Long," hit retail in November 1957, and when it seemed poised for breakout success, Chess Records licensed the disc for national distribution, reissuing the single on its Argo subsidiary a month later. In early 1958, "Been So Long" reached the r&b Top Five, also crossing over to number 24 on the Billboard pop chart. After extensive touring as part of DJ Alan Freed's Big Beat Show, The Pastels returned to the studio to cut a follow-up, "You Don't Love Me Anymore." The record failed to match the success of its predecessor, however, and when their third Argo release, "So Far Away," met the same fate, the group dissolved in early 1959. Dee Ervin returned to his native New York City and mounted a solo career, scoring a 1963 hit with his cover of the World War II-era favorite "Swinging on a Star." ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi