I’m familiar with the Chanters from Queens. The group of the same name on the Combo label is from Watts, a neighborhood in southeast Los Angeles, as are Donald Woods & the Vel-Aires. “The Man from Utopia” is said to have been inspired by Utopia Cleaners, a dry cleaning service on East 98th. Street in Watts. Last time I drove by there, the business was gone but the building was still standing.
“Tell Me” by the Gassers was recorded at Dolphin’s of Hollywood, a record store at Vernon and Central in LA. There was a studio in the back and a radio station in the front. You could record a song in the back, bring it out front to be played over the air, and if the listeners liked it, you’d have an instant hit.
Thanks for the stories, Fiji Hill