The roots of long-lived R&B vocal group the Scamps lie in the Kansas City chapter of the Civilian Conservation Camp workforce of the late '30s. According to Marv Goldberg's profile in the June 2002 issue of Discoveries, workers Earl Robinson and James Whitcomb regularly passed the days singing and harmonizing with their colleagues, earning the nickname "The Scamps of CC Camp" in the process. In time, lead Robinson and bass Whitcomb began performing with siblings Wyatt and Torrence Griffin on tenor, making the Scamps a more serious proposition until World War II scattered all four members across the globe; in 1946, the Griffins returned to their native Kansas City and formed a new group with pianist Rudy Massingale, soon convincing Robinson and Whitcomb to re-form the Scamps with Massingale as accompanist. After making their professional debut at Kansas City's Sherman Bar, the Scamps traveled to California at the behest of manager Johnny Tumino, and there they signed with the Modern Music label to cut their debut single, January 1947's "Don't Cry Baby." "That's My Desire" appeared two months later, followed in May by "Sweet Slumber." After two more Modern releases, "Solitude" and 1948's "I'll Never Smile Again," the Scamps' recording career came to an abrupt halt when the American Federation of Musicians went on strike. During the layoff, Torrance Griffin was killed in a hunting accident, forcing the addition of tenor Edward Stafford. After the musicians' strike ended in late 1948, the group -- now performing as the Five Scamps -- signed to Columbia, and in March 1949 the label simultaneously issued two singles: "Chicken Shack Boogie" and "Red Hot." Columbia repeated the trick in June, releasing both "How Nice" and "The Fishing Song," followed in November by "I Love the Way You Walk." In early 1951 the Five Scamps mounted a Midwestern tour. When Griffin went on a brief hiatus, the group installed guitarist Harold Slaughter and his vocalist wife Theresa as his temporary replacement, and for unknown reasons a club owner objected to the promised five-piece lineup amounting to six, firing them on the spot. Unbelievably, this incident created such dissension in the ranks that Griffin was forced to resign, with the remaining members naming Slaughter his permanent replacement on the condition that his wife remain on the sidelines; meanwhile, Griffin returned to Kansas City and formed his own group, Wyatt Griffin & the Five Scamps, with lead Earl Garnett, tenor Arthur Jackson, bass Edwin Fountaine, and pianist Louis Wright. This lineup recorded 1951's Columbia release "Gonna Buy Myself a Mule," prompting the original group to rechristen itself the Red Hot Scamps; after a few months, its lineup changed yet again when Slaughter was replaced by tenor/guitarist Clarence "Sonny" Kenner, and in 1952, vocalist Evelyn Twine took over for Stafford as well. After several other roster changes in both Scamps camps, in 1954 Griffin rejoined Robinson and Whitcomb in the Red Hot Scamps, and in 1955 this group -- still featuring Massingale in addition to Arthur Jackson, a holdover from the Griffin-led lineup -- cut its final sides for the Peacock label, with "Waterproof" appearing in late summer. Griffin again exited in 1957, with guitarist Sam Alexander named as his replacement; trumpeter/vibist Arthur Finney took over for Alexander in 1960, with pianist Willie Rice replacing Massingale later that same year. Co-founder Whitcomb was the next to go, joining Jay McShann's orchestra in 1961. Bass Sam Johnson took over in his absence, and in one form or another the Scamps forged on until 1970, when Robinson finally threw in the towel. But by the mid-'70s he was back at it, recruiting Jackson, Finney, and Rice to return to the Kansas City nightclub circuit. Massingale later signed on as well, and both co-founders continued performing with the group well into their seventies. As of this writing, the Scamps remain a Kansas City live favorite half a century after their birth; in May 2002, officials renamed the section of the city's 8th Street spanning from Broadway to Central "Scamps Alley" in their honor, and both Robinson and Massingale were present at the ceremony. That same year, British reissue label Ace released Red Hot!, a 22-track collection of the group's vintage recordings. ~ Jason Ankeny