As a longtime fan of Johnny Maestro, both with the Crests and the
Brooklyn Bridge, I wonder if anyone can solve a mystery: Both on the
web and in several reference books, I have run across references to
earlier recordings which allegedly pre-date his involvement with The
Crests.

None of the official bios make any mention of any such recordings,
but his vocal polish on his very first recordings for Joyce Records do
suggest he was not a total newcomer to the scene.

Several references have him singing with a young Tony Orlando in a
group while other books have him singing with a group known as the
Ardells.

While any such recordngs may never have been released (if they
existed at all) I would be interested in anyone with the answer to what
Johnny was doing prior to signing onto Joyce. (Neighborhood groups.
perhaps? Or demo artists?) Having followed his career from the early
days right until today (He sounds great, by the way, as good or better
than ever) I am just curious how he actually got started in the
business. Thank you for any help.