One of the first Caucasian acts to perform at traditional Black venues including The Apollo in New York, Dante & the Evergreens are remembered for their 1960 novelty hit "Alley Oop." Recorded at the same time as the version by the Hollywood Argyles, Dante & the Evergreens' "Alley Oop" reached the top slot on the Cashbox charts and outsold the Argyles' recording on the east coast. Formed at Santa Monica College in 1959, Dante & the Evergreens were befriended by Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean, who brought them to the attention of their managers, Herb Alpert and Lou Adler. With the success of "Alley Oop," Dante & the Evergreens toured for a few years. Unable to match the song's success, the group became increasingly frustrated. When vocalist Frank Rosenthal fell ill in 1964 and the quartet was unable to tour for six months, the group went their separate ways.