The Academics were a teenager doo-wop group, with the group's name coming from their high school nickname. The five teenage boys, Dave Fisher (Lead), Billy Greenberg (Tenor), Marty Ganter (Second Tenor), Ron Marone (Baritone), and Richie "Goose" Greenberg (Bass), all went to school at Hillhouse High School located in New Haven. Their sound got the attention of a news reporter at WELI-AM (a New Haven radio station) Joel Alderman, who agreed to manage them. Through his connections at WELI, Alderman got fellow Disc Jockey Carl Loucks to record the group. Their first single, released in 1957, was "Too Good To Be True" with the b-side being "Heavenly Love." Although not becoming a hit, "Too Good To Be True" became a New Haven hit. The group released several more records through 1957 and 1958 before breaking up.

Fisher then went to Middletown where he became a student at Wesleyan University. There, he met a new group to perform with, ditching his doo-wop harmonies for folk. They called themselves The Highwaymen, and in 1960 recorded the song "Michael (Row the Boat Ashore)." The song went to number one on the Billboard Top 100.

"Too Good To Be True"

"Darla My Darlin'"