The Intentions’ “Mr Misery” b/w “Summertime Angel” was released as Jamie 1253 on May 16, 1963. It was cut at Bell Sound in New York, where the group went to cut “Mr Misery” as the A side and had not B side in mind. The eventual B side, “Summertime Angel,” was written in the studio while they were already recording “Mr. Misery.” “Summertime Angel” was written by group members, lead singer Richard Mignona and first tenor John Montmore. The rest of the group consisted of John Poloney as second tenor, Bill Lerario as bass and Thomas Inzilla as baritone. The group came from the neighborhood of 30th and Tasker Streets in South Philadelphia and all attended Bishop Neumann High School together. Their Jamie recording session came soon after they had graduated from high school when they auditioned for Jamie producers Jimmy Wissert and Bob Finiz, who also came from the same neighborhood.
“Mr. Misery,” written by Bob Finiz, was a dirge that garnered no airplay and even the upbeat and timely “Summertime Angel” relied solely on Jerry Blavat’s airplay on WCAM, the low wattage Camden radio station, to sustain it until it generated airplay on the much bigger and hit-endorsing station, WIBG.
At the same Bell Sound session, the Intentions cut a doo-wop unreleased version of the Gershwins' "Embraceable You," while Ernie Spano and his short-lived gorup, Ernie and the Halos, sang their “Girl From Across the Sea (Angel Marie)” and "Darlin!! Don't Make Me Cry." The Intentions sang behind Ernie Spano as background chorus along with at least some the Four Js, like Bob Finiz, their producer and writer and one of the Four Js.
