During World War II, Ward was a commissioned officer and led the Coast Artillery Choir at Ford Eustis in Virginia. After the war he resumed his studies at the Chicago Art Institute and The Juilliard School in New York City. While pursuing a career as a vocal coach and part-time arranger on Broadway, he met talent agent Rose Marks, and they decided to form a vocal group from the ranks of his students; Clyde McPharrer, first tenor; Charlie White, second tenor: William Joseph Lamont, baritone; and Bill Brown, bass. In October 1950 they took first prize on the Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts television show. The Dominoes caught the ear of Ralph Bass of Federal Records, a new subsidiary of King. After coming up with original R&B material at the request of Bass, The Dominoes signed a contract with him. They laid down four tracks, all written by Ward and Marks, at the New York studio on November 14, 1950. Their first single was on the street in December.
"Do Something For Me" broke nationally in February 1951 and marched op the R&B charts to a respectable #6 position. Carried by the emphatic bass vocal of Bill Brown, "Sixty Minute Man" entered the R&B chart at the end of May 1951, rose quickly to #1. The demand for their personal appearances kept the group on the road and out of the studio until January 1952. Both Bill Brown and Charlie White bad been replaced, later to surface in a new group, The Checkers. They were replaced by bass singer David McNeil and second tenor James Van Loan. Two moderate hits, "I Am With You" and "That's What You're Doing To Me" kept the stores busy, and King/Federal owner Syd Nathan added a second shift to his pressing plant.
Ward's group clinched their title as she top R&B vocal group with another #1 hit in 1952. "Have Mercy Baby" was a storming rocker led by Clyde McPhatter at his frenzied best. Is was released in April 1952 and held the #1 R&B spot for ten weeks. Ward was depending more and more on McPhatter's unique gospel fervor, both on ballads and jump tunes, but McPhatter himself was virtually unknown to the public. Clyde McPhatter was born in Durham, North Catolina, on November 15, 1932. Like Ward, McPhatter was the son of a preacher father and organist mother. In 1945, the McPhatter family moved to New York City and Clyde was soon singing with the Mount Lebanon Singers, along with Charlie White. Joining The Dominoes as lead tenor was his first big break.
In the first week of September 1952, The Dominoes were working at the Michigan State Fair when Ward was approached by a young singer from Detroit named Jack Leroy Wilson. Wilson, born in Detroit on June 9,1934, had boxed under the name of "Sonny" Wilson and had been Golden Gloves Champion at the age of 16. He later sang with the Ever Ready Gospel Singers and an R&B group that included Hank Ballard and other future members of the Midnighters. Ward invited Wilson to join The Dominoes on tour. Working their way back East, the group stopped in Cincinnati on September 17 and did a double session, which turned out to be the last one for Clyde McPhatter. From this session came the hits "I'd Be Satisfied," "Pedal Pushin' Papa," "The Bells," and "These Foolish Things Remind Me Of You."
McPhatter decided to leave in April 1953 and was recording for Atlantic with his own group, The Drifters. Jackie Wilson took his place in the Dominoes and his first excursion as lead singer, "You Can't Keep A Good Man Down," was a Jukebox hit. None of the remaining Dominoes releases for King/Federal were very successful and Ward took his group to Jubilee Records in mid-1954. After just two singles, Ward landed a lucrative contract with Decca in April 1956 and the Dominoes' first record for that label, "St. Therese Of The Roses," enjoyed pop-chart action, attaining #27 on the Top 100.
As R&B fans were turning to groups such as the Midnighters, Drifters, Platters and Penguins, Ward still had not found a niche in pop music. His one-year contract with Decca expired and he moved his group again, this time to Liberty Records in April 1957. Finally he got the pop hit for which he had been striving since the Dominoes were formed. With the new lead voice of Eugene Momford, formerly with the Larks, "Star Dust" made #13 on the Top 100 in the summer of 1957 and sold for 24 weeks.
Billy Ward & His Dominoes never again enjoyed that success. Jackie Wilson worked out a deal with Ward to leave the group before their Liberty recordings and embarked on a highly acclaimed solo career, initially under the management of Billy Ward. He had 16 R&B and six Top 10 pop hits before he was felled by a stroke in 1975. Wilson survived for a hellish eight years before mercifully passing away in January 1984. Clyde MePhatter's career after he left the group reached the heights of pop stardom, but his decline in popularity in the late 1960s left him a broken man, he died in June 1972.
By Peter A. Grendysa, 1993
Source: The Master King Series, Rhino Records
Stardust
Billy Ward & The Dominoes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Steals across the meadows of my heart
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Always reminding me that we're apart
You wander down the lane and far away
Leaving me a song that will not die
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The music of the years gone by.
Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
The lonely nights
Dreaming of a song
The melody
Haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you
When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
But that was long ago
And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale
Tells his fairytale
Of paradise, where roses grew
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love's refrain.
The lyrics of Billy Ward and His Dominoes's Stardust are a nostalgic and melancholic reflection on lost love. The mention of "the purple dusk of twilight time" and "the meadows of my heart" set a poetic and romantic tone. The use of nature imagery and celestial elements like "little stars" climbing up in the sky adds a dreamy quality to the song.
The chorus of the song highlights the central theme of the track - the idea that love has now turned into stardust and is nothing but a memory of the past. The line "Love is now the stardust of yesterday, the music of the years gone by" captures this sentiment perfectly. The song continues with a verse about how the melody of the song haunts the singer's "reverie," and they reminisce about a time when their love was new and "each kiss an inspiration." The nightingale's "fairytale" serves as a reminder of paradise - a place where everything was perfect and love existed.
Line by Line Meaning
And now the purple dusk of twilight time
As nightfall arrives, a violet hue descends over my surroundings.
Steals across the meadows of my heart
This evening sky casts a symbolic shadow on my soul.
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Tiny stars gradually emerge above me, each one a reminder of our separation.
Always reminding me that we're apart
These celestial objects trigger constant awareness of us being absent from one another.
You wander down the lane and far away
You've physically left me behind and have gone in another direction.
Leaving me a song that will not die
You've left me something that you've created, which I cannot forget or shake off.
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The love that we shared is now a nostalgic, intangible entity that we can't relive.
The music of the years gone by.
The romance, memories and accompanying sounds of our past.
Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
Occasionally, I ponder the difficult, sleepless nights spent in solitude.
The lonely nights
These are nights when I am alone, with only my thoughts for company.
Dreaming of a song
I drift away, imagining a musical composition in my mind.
The melody
This musical arrangement has a pleasing and unforgettable tune.
Haunts my reverie
The memory of this song persistently occupies my daydreams.
And I am once again with you
I am transported back in time to the fond, earlier days of our togetherness.
When our love was new
This was a joyful, optimistic and passionate time for our relationship.
And each kiss an inspiration
Each tender kiss we shared was a source of inspiration, optimism and strength.
But that was long ago
However, this period of time has elapsed, and is now part of our history.
And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
I find my solace and comfort in the traces of our past, most notably in an intangible musical expression.
Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
Near a garden perimeter, under a twinkling night time sky.
You are in my arms
You are here, present in my embrace.
The nightingale
A particular bird, the nightingale, known for its beautiful chirping.
Tells his fairytale
The bird's singing brings forth a fanciful, fictional narrative.
Of paradise, where roses grew
This imaginative landscape features lush, blooming roses, synonymous with indescribable beauty.
Though I dream in vain
Despite my fervent, long-lasting wishes.
In my heart it will remain
Within my thoughts and feelings, this scenario will always endure.
My stardust melody
This beautiful tune evokes cosmic imagery and soulful vibrations.
The memory of love's refrain.
The memory of the beautiful and sentimental component of love that we experienced.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER GENTRY, JOHN HUTCHINSON DEAN, MATTHEW EVERITT, SIMON IAN WHITE, STUART BLACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@spillteatv9417
And now the purple dusk of twilight time
Steals across the meadows of my heart
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Always reminding me that we're apart
You wander down the lane and far away
Leaving me a song that will not die
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The music of the years gone by
Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
The lonely nights
Dreaming of a song
The melody
Haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you
When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
But that was long ago
And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale
Tells his fairytale
Of paradise, where roses grew
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love's refrain
@jesusurrutia3809
This song immortalized you Ray Liotta, Rest in Peace. 🕴🌆

@bettypotter6226
Absolutely. Love him in this scene.
@bettypotter6226
I loved Ray Liotta in the gray suit airport scene. This song makes it soo sexy. Love you Ray. Rest In Peace good man.
@wvcricker5683
Then you had Jimmy Two Times who said “I gotta get the papers, get the papers”….
@GrummanTestPilot
@@wvcricker5683god tier comment
@beselbic
Scorsese sure knows how to pick some great classic tunes for his films.
@purkasz
Not him. Robbie Robertson of the Band is his music director
@williammontgomery4045
0
@nancyhicksgribble9799
Actually Martin did choose them. On the original book he got from Pileggi, Martin scribbled the music that was popping up in his head as he read the book.
@FunnyVideoMaker77
Except in The Irishman when he played that one song over and over