The image the group created here last spring appears to be paying off on their current tour, which could be the biggest invasion since the Beatles
The Stones are here! The five long haired, boot-footed, leather-jacketed beats were scheduled to arrive in New York on Friday (October 23), for their second American stomp, which promises to be a gash-of-a-bash, kicking off with two SRO performances at the New York Academy of Music on October 24.
According to the Rolling Stones their last tour here in the spring was a disaster. The one bright spark which saved them from an almost total wash out on the tour circuit was their final, chaotic New York, Carnegie Hall scene, which resulted in the hall being banned to other beat groups and an eleventh hour triumph for the boys.
Happy promoters. There are several happy promoters on the current Stones tour — and very few empty seats. The five rebels have arrived. They’ve done it the hard way, without a great big smash record and with only the one redeeming factor from their last tour. Their image, and the impression they left behind on their previous trip is one of belligerence and rebelliousness. They didn’t achieve their desire to conquer the entire American market, but they passed judgement too quickly. The sum total of their previous tour and its publicity has meant big box office on their current swing across the country.
Before the five Rolling Stones — Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Keith Richard, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman — arrived, publicity, promotion and general arrangements had reached pandemonium, stage 1. GAC, London Records and publicist Connie deNave had been besieged with limitless phone calls and letters, asking for press interviews, personal interview sand any other contact with the boys.
Big magazine coverage. Nearly every fan magazine in the country (and some of the slicks ones too), woke up to the fact that the Rolling Stones were coming and planned six or eight page spreads on the boys both in color and black and white. Other press interviews and photo sessions have been set up across the country, including one which was scheduled at the New York Astor Hotel immediately after their arrival Friday (October 23). At press time, it was also hoped that a complete photo session could be arranged during rehearsals for the Ed Sullivan Show, Sunday (October 25).
Because of the ban on arrival receptions at Kennedy Airport, the Rolling Stones arrival was kept a complete secret until a couple of days before they came in. As it is, arrangements were made for the group to have special security at all times during their stay, and for the most part they will be accompanied by private guards wherever they travel. However, these plans are not expected to curb Stones fans from turning up at other airports throughout the United States or at any hotels. In fact, mass riots and a way to deal with them were points high on the agenda for attention some weeks before the boys came in.
50,000 eager fans. An example of the Rolling Stones increasing popularity here is the staggering total of 52,000 official national fan club membership with another 10,000 unofficial followers.
Rolling Stones mania finally hit home when two girls from Cleveland left their families in an attempt to visit the boys in England. Miserably for them, they failed, but as a result of their efforts, the girls and their families will be guests of the group at their Cleveland concert on October 31.
Will record here. During their trip, the Stones will record several sessions under the aegis of their British producer Andy Oldham. Recording dates have been set up in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. The group will also tape an Electronovision spectacular for a Christmas showing, appearing on the same show, along performances by Billy J.Kramer & The Dakotas, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Beach Boys and Lesley Gore (and possibly other big names may be added).
Out in time for their arrival were three new one shot fan books and a new hit single on London, “Time Is On My Side” which is bounding up the charts.
Last time, people were curious. This time they’re excited, and in terms of prestige alone, this tour could turn out to be one of the most sensational and spectacular concert events of the year.
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Information, credit and news source: Music Business, October 31, 1964
It’s fun being a success,” say the Motown stars. But success hasn’t changed them too much. They still live at home, date old boyfriends, and like to talk about clothes.
Diane, Mary, and Florence(Photo: Music Business, October 10, 1964)
TIGHT PANTS. Should a girl wear tight, tight pants, like some of the fashions seem to dictate these days?” I think it’s all in how a girl acts when she gets them on,” says Mary Wilson, of the smash-hit Detroit group, the Supremes. Mary made the observation during a break in the group’s recent appearance at the Brooklyn Fox Theater, with jockey Murray “The K” Kaufman.
“Foronething,”Mary continued, “Those tight-fitting pants are particularly good when you’re on the road, because you don’t have to press them so much. But we’re all quite petite and we like flare-outs (dresses) too and we often wear them in our shows. But really, it seems to be that the tight things are the favorites and we often have to wear them, sort of by demand, if you know what I mean.
“Like with Dick Clark. We were out on his tour for 48 days this past summer. We had silver pants for our act on that show, and I must say, he just loved them. In fact, he just about insisted that we wear them all the time. He would getup- set when we would try something else. We’re getting a lot more clothes for our wardrobe now and we plan them all ourselves too.”
Want more than rock. Obviously, the Supremes are interested in more things than clothes-musical styles for instance. “Nobody seems to get anywhere these days without a hit record,” Mary continued.” We started singing over seven years ago. For most of that time, we’ve been making records, on a lot of different labels. Then with a good rock and roll sound, after all these years, we get a hit and things start to happen. People notice us. The trouble is that they think rock and roll is all we can or want to do, and that isn’t true. We hope to do an album soon with songs like ‘People’ and ‘I Am Woman’. ‘Those ballads are a long way from ‘Where Did Our Love Go.’
“We hope to get into the nightclub field and we’re working at it right now. We just appeared for a while in the20 Grand Club in Detroit and we tried out our new act recently in a Bermuda Club called the Clay House. We seemed to go over real big there but I know there’s a lot more work left to do before we’re really ready for the big time.
“In a way we’re old-timers already. We’re all about 21 now, but we started singing when we were all in school at 14. We knew the fellows in the Temptations and we got to be like a sister act to them, doing shows with them. We were all from the same neighborhood.
STILL LIVE HOME. “We still live in the same neighborhood at home with our Moms. One of them usually goes on tour with us. When we’re home, between tours and one-nighters and record dates, we sometimes still go out with old friends on dates. We all like to go bowling and Diane (Ross) loves to swim. She won some prizes when she was on her high school team.” (The third member of the trio is Florence Ballard).
It’s no secret that such Britishers as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones have openly dug the artists from the Tamla- Motown group, and the Supremes have often been mentioned as among the top favorites. But it’s really a mutual admiration society, trans-Atlantic style, since the Supremes have just recorded a new album of Beatles and other British group hits.
LIKE BRITISH ACTS. “When those fellows first got started here in America, we all just asked, who are they and what have they got. Now I think the Beatles, and the Dave Clark Five, especially, get better with each record. I like their songs. The other night, a couple of us saw the Animals and I can tell you that they were a terrific group too. “We’re having a ball right now our- selves. It’s fun being a success and it’s even fun going on tour. It means a lot of bus riding but the groups are all swell and we have a lot of fun flirting, in a nice way, on the bus with all the fellows. I know we’re going to have great fun in England too (the group was due to appear on British TV Sunday, October11). I hope they’ll like us, even though we haven’t had a chance to take Berry Gordy upon his offer to send us to drama school yet. He thought we had a lot of promise and wanted us to get that training for TV work. I guess things have just been too good for us. We haven’t had time to study. We’ve been too busy working.” END
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Information, credit and news source: Music Business, October 10, 1964
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The above Music Business 08/15/1964 (two-page spread) Capitol Records ad was digitally re-imaged and completely restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
Songs about surfing, hotrods and motorscooters have made them the symbol of California youth and helped them sell millions of records
One of the most exciting new sounds in the record business, created and started by American artists and producers, is the West Coast pop sound. It has taken its place as one of the powerful forces in the industry, sparked by aflock of young, male artists on the West Coast like The Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, The Rip Chords, The Chantays, The Marketts, The Surfaris, and Dick Dale &The Deltones.
The West Coast pop sound has been identified as the “surf,” the” hotrod,” the “motorscooter, “or in general, the outdoor sound, a sound loosely tied in withvariousfavoriteoutdoorsports practiced by youthful cultists in the California sunshine. Basically, the WestCoastapproach breaks down into two categories: the vocal style, as exemplified by the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean and the Rip Chords, and the instrumental music, proponents of which are Dick Dale, The Chantays and the Marketts. The Beach Boys, one of the hottest acts on record today, started their hit string with a surfing record on Capitol, and claim to have sired the original surf.
The Surfing Sound
Says Beach Boys leader, Brian Wilson: “All the kids were interested in surfing and Iremember one day when my brother Dennis came home from high school telling me about his friends who thought I should write a song about surfing. I was always playing around with songs anyway, hoping maybe I could get into the business someday, so I took a crack at it right away. We called it “Surfin’, ” and my two brothers and a couple of friends and I recorded it on our own. My brother Carl, who was 14, was the only one who could play an instrument, the guitar, and he played it on the record. That was in September of ’61 and we got the record out on a small label.
“Then, a few months later, my father, Murry Wilson, got excited about our possibilities and took one of our masters to Capitol Records where he saw Ken Nelson. Mr. Nelson referred him to Nick Venet who finally saw him after a five– week wait and flipped over the record.” Capitol’s a.&r. vice president, Voyle Gilmore, says that when Venet played him the tapes, he (Gilmore) said “Don’t let that man get away. We want to sign these boys up.” And that’s what happened. The two sides, “Surfin’Safari” and “409,” were released right away. “We thought the` Surfin’ side would hit on the West Coast and that ‘409’ (which was about a Chevrolet) might hit in the East. But `Surfin’, broke in Detroit and we figured we had something,” said Gilmore. It was one of the first major so-called “surf” hits. At nearly the same time the Marketts, one of the beach-based instrumental groups, came out with “Surfer’s Stomp,”and “Balboa Blue,” examples of another wing of the evolving West Coast sound.
“After that one hit,” said Wilson, a good looking young Californian, who prefers to sit in his office and think and work to cavorting on the beach, “We all took up instruments. We learned how to play in a very few months. Now I play bass and we have two guitars and drums. We’ve evolved about 800 per cent since we started and that’s in just two years. What happened was that I learned the art of production. In fact, now, I think we’ve evolved away from the strictly West Coast feeling. I’ve brought some eastern production values into our records, because you can’t stand still in this business.
Riding The Trend
“We rode the surfing trend while it was hot. There was a good identification there. You know, like the outdoor image and that scene. But I saw a chance to maybe broaden the appeal without really changing the style at all. You know how kids are with the cars. Well, I just started writing different types of lyrics with the same musical sound, and right away we had another something going for us.”
Capitol and the Beach Boys actually contrived to break the new hot-rod trend while holding the surf beach-head at the same time. That happened with the single which coupled “Surfin’ U.S.A.” and “Shut Down.”
It’s the only single in recent memory that ever spawned two separate hit albums, each one bearing the title of each individual hit single side. It also gave birth to a rash of hot rod albums from a rash of West Coast labels. Just as it happened at first with the surf scene. Typically, the albums were profusely illustrated with magnificent four color photos of action surf scenes, and of the many kinds of favorite hotrods in vogue with the drag-minded set. “A lot of those albums were sold”, Wilson observed, “and for several reasons. Partly it was the material, but it was also the pictures and the information and the tables of words used by this group or that group. They were playing on the two great loves of young kids, their music, and their fads.
The Honda Scene
“But now you don’t see so many of the surfing and the hot rod albums. Surfing, in fact is strictly passe. And hotrods have hit their peak too. Now it’s the Honda scene. You’ve got to be on the motor scooter kick now to be really in”.
“We have a song about ‘Little Honda,’ in our new album and it’s getting played like it was a single. That is the new kick. I don’t know what will be next. Some of the younger people are trying sidewalk surfing now, where you get aboard and put some wheels under it and stand upon it going down a hill just like you were going down a wave. But I don’t think that will catch on.
“As far as the Beach Boys are concerned, we just want to keep on identifying with what the young people like to do and like to think about. It doesn’t have to be specifically about surfing or cars or scooters. Our new single will be called ‘When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)’. That certainly touches what every guy is thinking about.
“I’m a little afraid of limiting our subject matter too much. In fact, I want us to just keep building as a good vocal group with a well developed sound. Some people say some of our harmonies sound like the Four Freshmen. That’s no accident.The Freshmen have been the greatest for years. Their arranger, Dick Reynolds, is practically a god to me. What he does has been a great influence on me and the group.
“I just want to keep developing that sound. I don’t know where we’ll be five years from now. I can’t look that far ahead. One year is enough and we’ll be here, I hope, singing better than ever. But there’s no sense in moving too fast.
“There’s a lot of work in this but I like working. The other guys can have the fun, and they do. Dennis is the only real surfer we’ve got and he still does it. He also has an XKE and a Sting Ray. Carl drives around in a Grand Prix. But I’m usually in the office thinking and writing stuff. I don’t go out of my way to write a lot for others but I did write ‘Surf City,’ ‘Drag City’ and ‘New Girl In School’ for Jan and Dean. Once in a while I get out long enough to play some tennis. I played football in school and I like the competitive sports, but I like record hits too.”
Career vs. Marriage
One of the boys in the group is already married, and Brian Wilson is thinking of it too. He has a girlfriend, Marilyn Rovell, who sings with her sister, Diane, and a cousin, Ginger Blake, in a group known as the Honeys. The Honeys had perhaps the first and one of the few girl surfer records.
“I’d like to get married, “Wilson continued, “But there’s a hang-up there for the image. I don’t think it would be good right now. With the Beatles, it’s different. John Lennon was married before they made it. It’s accepted. But to get married after you’re in the public eye could shatter the illusion.”
Why haven’t girl artists made it with the West Coast sound? Wilson has an answer. “In all this music, there’s an association of the outdoors and sports. This is a masculine identity. The girls a resort of spectators. Besides, there’s been so much female influence in the last couple of years with all the eastern girl groups, I think it’s kind of a reaction.
“When I said I thought surfing was passe, I meant not as a sport, but that other things are making more excitement on records, like the Hondas and the other scooters. Other sounds are too, like the Beatles; they are as “in” as any sound could ever be. They’ve done a number of interesting things, I think.
“For one thing they really broke things wide open for vocal groups. They’re a new concept too, because every one of their guys is a known personality in his own right, separate from the group image. That has really never happened before. The Beatles also glorified the drummer. Drums will be even bigger in group work from now on.
“I admire the Beatles. They have a lot of creative ability and they present their music well. It’s a synthetic-sound in a way, combining Chuck Berry, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly and others. But they do it very well.”
Watching The Field
Wilson watches carefully what other people are doing in records and will readily offer thumbnail opinions . . . on, for example, who is making the big impact and why . . . like Burt Bacharach. “He fascinates me. He has incorporated good music with the teen stuff and it just knocks me out to think about it.
“And Phil Spector. Some say he’s cold now but there’s no such thing as a cold great talent and in any era he would be a great talent. He did so much for the production world, bringing in drums and saxes like nobody else had done. And Tamla Motown. Well with them it’s so obvious . . . like saying the sky is blue.
“And Chuck Berry. It’s hard to really state how much his revival has meant. It’s just tremendous. You hear that ‘Memphis’ beat in dozens of the new records. Johnny Rivers had a hit with it but the beat is everywhere. If there’s a soul of rock and roll, Chuck Berry has to be it.”
As for the Beach Boys, Wilson wants to “expand our style and versatility. I hope we can ramify our basic feel into just one of the best vocal groups. There isn’t any pat formula but it helps to know what the others are doing in the business. We’ve never been to the east but we’ll be there in September to do some concerts, and then in October, we hope, off to England, where our first hit ‘I Get Around’ is just breaking now.” END
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Information, credit and news source: Music Business; August 15, 1964
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MCRFB Notes: Click over photos (PC) or ‘tap and stretch’ photos (Mobile) for largest detailed view possible. Article featured below is also from the August 15, 1964 edition of Music Business.
Sexiest of the New Dances Is a Smash In Northern California, Sparked by the Bobby Freeman Recording of “C’mon And Swim”
Not since the twist swept all before it two years ago has any dance created so much excitement in the picturesque city of San Francisco. It has caught on in just a few months and one of the reasons, besides the excitement inherent in the dance itself, is the Bobby Freeman recording. Freeman’s new single, on the Autumn recording label, is in the Top 20 in sales in that city.
The recording of “C’mon and Swim” was made by Tom Donahue and Bob Mitchell of the Tempo Weekly Newsletter, a publication that tips the trade on current and new best-sellers in that city. The duo, top rated jockeys of KYA in San Francisco, says of the swim, “We think it has the potential to become the biggest dance sensation since the twist.”
An explanation of the popularity of the swim is apparent by a description of it in a story in Variety July 15. Story says it isa variation of the twist, which pantomimes various swimming strokes, like the breast stroke, dog paddle, back- stroke, etc. “Done well it is the most graceful of these dances. It is also far and away the sexiest.”
Another reason for the success of the swim in San Francisco could also be attributed to the fact that it is done in clubs along Broadway, the late-night districts in North Beach, and in several of these clubs by girls in topless bathing suits. Crowds usually gather before the open windows of these clubs and try to peer in to see the dancers.
About 25 clubs in San Francisco‘s North Beach nightclub belt are now featuring the swim. It’s the biggest attraction the clubs have had in two years and San Francisco clubs play all types of acts, from nudes to hypnotists. Best known are The Galaxie and The Condor.
Bobby Freeman is credited with having originated the swim about a year ago. He taught it on his appearances at dances and shows in the Bay Area. Suddenly it caught on and turned into a high school sensation.Onehighschoolprincipal banned the swim from school dances and it became famous.
The Bobby Freeman record, issued in May, broke wide open in the Bay area after a weekend of play by disc jockey John Hardy of KDIA. Subsequently it caught on in Seattle, San Diego, Fresno, San Jose, Sacramento, Stockton and other California cities.
“C’mon and Swim” has built into a national hit. The dance has yet to break out of the West Coast. However, with the Dick Clark show featuring the dance and with Freeman demonstrating it on the Dick Clark tour, it could happen nationally too. END
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Information, credit and news source: Music Business; August 15, 1964
Bobby Freeman upstaging his own performance of The Swim(Credit: Music Business)
Nothing has ever happenedlike it before. This is the opinion of astute tradesters about the forthcoming Beatles tour.
Five months before the (Beatles) tour hits the road in August, promoters are selling out their one night stands to the armies of Beatles fans.
In Toronto, The Maple Gardens sold out its tickets to the Beatles September show in just a few hours. In New Orleans mail orders only in five days amounted to a $12,000 advance.
In Detroit, promoter Art Sheridan sold out the Liverpool Lads first show, has half sold the second (Sept 4), and is trying to convince the boys and manager Brian Epstein and GAC to let them do a third show. (P.S. They won’t).
Promoters are finding The Beatles the most saleable item since Elvis Presley. According to GAC spokesmen who are booking the four Liverpool lads, even Elvis didn’t sell out this far in advance.
The way the promoters are pushing the concerts are via a radio spot or two or a newspaper ad or two. And it works. Beatles fans apparently can’t get rid of their money fast enough, and the orders are pouring in.
In New York, where Bill Grumann of Limelight Productions is promoting the show at the Forest Hills L.I. Tennis Stadium August 28-29, reports are that both shows are already sold out too.
Promoters are paying a guarantee of $20,000 for weekday nights and $25,000 for weekend nights or 60 per cent of the net receipts, whichever is greater. These figures mean that a promoter has to gross close to $50,000 to break even.
At first this scared a lot of veteran promoters, who were trepidatious about The Beatles and concerned as to whether they would be as hot in August-September as they have been in January–February–March.
However, now that the lads are proving they can sell out the box office months before they come to town, many vet promoters are screaming for another chance. They are calling GAC and begging for dates. It’s too late for some of them, for most of the dates are filled, from California to New York and including Canada.
There appears to be little doubt today that The Beatles tour will gross over $2 million. For their end The Beatles stand a chance to take out $1 million. Seats are scaled at $3, $4, $5, with most of the orders for the $4 variety.
The Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein arrived in New York from London last Friday to look over the tour scene, and to watch another act of his, Gerry and The Pacemakers, on CBS television’s The Ed Sullivan Show. All bookings for The Beatles tour are okayed by him, wherever he is. END
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Information, credit and news source: Music Business; May 9, 1964
Beatles’ George Chimes On Set of Group’s Second Major Motion Picture Film
MUSIC BUSINESS (4/14/1965) — “We arereallyenjoying making ‘Eight Arms To Hold You.’ It is a knockout!” George recently told Music Business. “Our travels have taken us pretty well all over the world but in this our being our second film, we filmed in three countries-Nassau in the Bahamas, Austria and of course England.
“The film plot is very involved and totally different from our previous film, “A Hard Day’s Night.’ The opening night scene is devoted to a high priestess, played by Eleanor Bron, in an Eastern temple. According to sacrificial rites the priestess must wear a ceremonial ring but it has fallen into the hands of Ringo Starr. That’s where we come in!
The Chase Scene
GEORGE HARRISON. Photo shot from a scene in the Beatles’ second film, ‘Eight Arms To Hold You‘.
“Gangsters, hired bythe cult, then chase us through the three countries mentioned, the first of which is England. Incidentally we filmed this part last and are in fact filming at the moment at Twickenham in Middlesex. In this part of the film chase scenes include a set with us fleeing down Salisbury plain in a television outside broadcast van!
“To escape we travel to Austria. Didn’t have any time to practice skiing, though. John was the only one who has ever tried his hand at it before. Unfortunately the script included a chase scene down a mountain slope on skis! So we were given a gentle but firm push and the film producer shouted ‘Action.’ Just as well it was only a short scene because we couldn’t keep upright for long!
“Austria was a dead loss as we couldn’t move from the village between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. because the only pass was closed owing to avalanches caused by melting snow.
“All we had time for was filming and had to get up at the unearthly hour of 5 a.m. to start. Who says it’s an easy life?
“The film script then demanded that we should go to the Bahamas, so off we were again, still being chased. I don’t think Ringo wanted the ring anyway! He’s got enough to last him a lifetime – every fan letter he gets has a ring in it and a ‘please wear it for me’ message! Fortunately he manages to get the ring off his finger and the film ends with another poor bloke being chased!
Confusing But Fun
“That’s the film plot – very confusing isn’t it, but we had a great laugh. I’d like to make films until I was pensioned off but I wouldn’t make them without John, Paul and Ringo. Filming is less strenuous than ballroom work but the hours are much longer and filming can become a drag when you have to spend three hours or more preparing a ten minute scene.
“I’d like to make a script myself but it would mean being off the scene for about nine months and I couldn’t afford that length of time. It might not be a good one anyway so I think it’s better for the professionals to do it.
“I’ve read the script for our next film, in which we play cowhands, and am really looking forward to making it. I’d like to take a week off before shooting commences and practice horse riding or it might end up like the skiing episode!” END
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Information, credit and news source: Music Business; April 14, 1965
Tony Hatch and Petula Clark have had a lot of hits together but none have been bigger than their current smash, “Downtown”
She liked it.“Petula Clark was more knocked out with ‘Downtown’ than I was,” said Tony Hatch. “I’d only written the first three lines and the bridge, but she told me to go home, put some lyrics to it, and then she would fly to London and record it.”
Petula Clark
Tony Hatch, at 25, is the brilliant young man behind the success of “Downtown“. He’s a writer, producer and arranger, and has been associated with Pye Records and Pet Clark for the past four years. Quiet, modest and unassuming, he played drums with the Queen’s Royal Guards before signing with Pye, and eventually became one of Britain’s most important personalities in the music industry. Among his credits, he can list the British lyrics to Peggy March’s “I Will Follow Him,” as well as composing, arranging and producing Bobby Rydell’s “Forget Him.” In fact, in the latter part of his term with Cameo, Bobby refused to record with anyone but Hatch, and made several trips to London purely for this purpose.
Produces Searchers. A more integral part of Tony’s recent activities has been The Searchers. He’s produced every one of their sessions, and works closely with the group in their selection of material, in addition to helping them arrange it. They, in turn, don’t feel happy unless he’s at the controls, and having attended several of their sessions, take it from me that Hatch and the group augur very well together.
In the past four years, Tony Hatch and Petula Clark have come up with several British and Continental smashes.
“It’s really since Pet moved to Paris and expanded both her activities and talent,” says Tony. “She’s improved tremendously in that time, and today, can turn her hand to anything and still come up with a great sound. We recorded Downtown’ on October 23.”
Trips to Paris. “I go to France every three or four months armed with a selection of material for Pet to run over. She makes her choice, and then comes to London to record. We always cut at least three or four songs, which we keep in the can for future releases, and she generally records in both French and English.
“On my most recent trip I went to Paris with three songs. We tried them out, but Pet wasn’t terribly happy. She asked if I had anything else, but I was a bit loath to mention ‘Downtown’ as it wasn’t completed. Anyway, she persuaded me to play it, and when she heard what little there was, she made up her mind to record it.”
Double rhyme lyrics. “I returned to London and began work on the lyrics. It took three weeks to complete the song. Anyone who knows the words will see that they rhyme in the middle as well as the end. When it was finished, I arranged it, and Pet flew into London to record it. “Its entirely different from anything else Pet has ever recorded. It does have a little rhythm and blues in it, but more so in the arrangement than the actual song. It’s established Pet in a new groove, and of course we were both delighted when it became an American hit, especially as it had been a smash all over Europe.
Worried about covers. “Without trying to sound self important, I think ‘Downtown’ would have been an American hit anyway. At the time of release, my big problem was the fear of an American artist covering it, as I feel it would have been a good song for a group like the Drifters.
Tony Hatch producer; songwriter
“Personally, though, I think the British boom is coming to an end there. America went through a phase of accepting everything and anything that was British, and for a time, I thought the market had no discernment. It seems to be tailing off now, and I think ‘Downtown’ made it on its merit.”
Both due here. Tony is naturally delighted with the long standing success of The Searchers in this country, particularly when he learned that “Love Potion #9” is their biggest hit to date. He was due to arrive here on Friday (January 15), for talks with both Kapp and Warner Brothers, and at the same time will attend sessions, even though he doesn’t intend to produce anything himself.
Petula Clark arrives this coming week from Canada, for talks with Warner Brothers about the follow up to “Downtown,” which has already been recorded, but remains on the secret list until the green light is given. She will also do a few promotional shots during her stay here, including a scheduled “Hullabaloo” TV appearance.
Three language lass. Pet is a singer of rare fine quality and performance, and is able to tackle any song in at least three languages. She is in tremendous demand all over Europe for top drawer night club, television and gala performances. Because she was accepted as a child star in England, she found it tough to crack the adult market, and finally moved to Paris about four years ago, where through a succession of breaks she became one of Europe’s leading stars. Eventually England accepted her talents on an adult basis and she is in constant demand for such shows as “Sunday Night at the London Palladium.”
A number one with “Downtown” is the greatest welcome she could receive in America. END
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Information, credit and news source: Music Business; January 23, 1965
Jay and The Americans have been searching for an identifiable sound ever since they started recording. So far they’ve had three smash hits, and they have all been different
Jay & The Americans 1964
That nervous feeling. “I used to feel physically sick every time we did a personal appearance,” said Jay Black of Jay and the Americans. “Honest, it was no laughing matter, even though you might think I’m joking about it. Literally, before every performance, the rest of the boys would have to kick me into shape.
“I don’t know why this happened. I mean, I wasn’t particularly scared, or any of that jazz. Maybe it was a feeling of insecurity.”
“This istheonethingI’mserious about. It didn’t show outwardly, and still doesn’t if I have a nerve attack before a performance.
No laughing matter. Jay must have had butterflies when he and the group – Kenny Vance, Sandy Deane, Marty Sanders and Howie Kane (who has been in the army but getsoutintimefor Christmas) – were chosen to open the Beatles first ever American concert in Washington last January.
It was no laughing matter, as the audience believed they were there to see the Beatles only, and they let out hoots and hollers en masse when they discovered there were other acts on the bill. The group, having a natural sense of comedy in situations like this, decided it was easier to pitch in than fight. Jay walkedonthestage,observedthe Beatlemania first hand on stage andsaid,“How did you know we were going to be here?” The place broke up laughing.
Have played everywhere. “It’s not always as easy as that,” said Sandy Deane. “Audiences are different everywhere.I guesswe’veplayedtoalltypesof crowds. Clubs, one-nighters, colleges. You name ’em and we’ve played ’em. We’ve appeared in clubs where the audience has been so drunk they didn’t even know we were on. We feel like standing there and not singing a note.
“Talking to Jay and the Americans, you get the feeling that you’ve been thrown into a punch line game with five comedians. This is an image that doesn’t need developing. If anything, they prefer to play it down, even though the comedy bit comes in handy during their act.
“We’ve had three big record hits,” said Jay. “We’d like to be more consistent. We’ve been together for two years. We’ve had good and not so good experiences. Right now, life is pretty good.”But who are we? I mean, people buy our records and we make personal appearances but we haven’t yet reached the stage where we’re immediately identifiable.
College dates tops. “The one direction which we’re serious about – apart from upwards – is colleges. We like playing college dates best. Maybe it’s because we look a little like University freshmen.” (The boys wear turtle neck sweaters and bright-red cardigans on stage).
“When we do a college concert we feel at home, and we also get the feeling that the rest of the audience is able to identify themselves with us. This is a great field with a terrific future.”
Look at the Lettermen. They play colleges for about nine months out of every year. Only there’s one difference. Their music isn’t the same as ours, and we can’t afford to ignore the commercial market.”
A differentsound.“Inchoosing material, we always look for something a littledifferent.Ifyou remember,all three of our hits have had a different sound. Good songs too, if we have to say so ourselves.
“Wesley Farrell wrote, ‘Come A Little Bit Closer’. Right up until the time of release, we didn’t know whether it was going to be the topside or not. People told us it was going to be a smash. We didn’t believe them until ithappened. What’s the point of having false illusions.“
Our next record is a real groove. It’s called “Let’s Lock The Door (And Throw Away The Key)”. For our own career we hope it’s a hit. That’s been the one thing lacking. A follow up hit.
Won’t follow trends.“We don’t follow trends in music we prefer to create for ourselves, and then we don’t get stuck when the band wagon has been rundown. We’re not always right, but at least we can’t be accused of being copyists.”
One person who is leading Jay and the Americans in the right direction is their co-manager, Vic Catela of Concerts Incorporated who they dig. “We leave everything in his hands,” says Jay. “He’s so great. We’d love to have him on the road with us, but we’d be so impossible tocontrolhe’d probably resign.That would be no good.
“Someone’s just started a fan club for us. They’re running a contest. The two winners get to spend an evening with us. Hope they don’t get disillusioned when they meet us. Probably think we’re some kinda nuts or something.”END
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Information, credit and news source: Music Business; December 5, 1964
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Note: Americans’ frontman Jay Black passed away on October 22, 2021. He was 82. For his obituary, published in NPR.org please go HERE
JAY BLACK (third from left) & THE AMERICANS (Photo: MUSIC BUSINESS) December 5, 1964
Trini Lopez’s Recent Continental Tour In Paris, Monte Carlo and the Riviera An Overwhelming Success, Europe Wants Him Back
Trini Lopez: Europe’s Biggest Star
Trini’s recent continental tour caused as much commotion in Paris, Monte Carlo and the Riviera as the Beatles did in the U.S.A., and they all want him back again.
MUSIC BUSINESS — (09/26/64) — If you’re part of the Jet set ‘in scene’, or you dig the discotheques and the West Coast sound in any one of its multiple facets, then you’ll appreciate that Trini Lopez is one of the leading members in all these fraternities.
At the risk of sounding a little cliche’d, but because there happens to be no other way of putting it, Trini has become the ‘darling of the discotheques’, not only here, but all over Europe where they originally started.
French scene. We caught Trini in New York last week on a 48 hour stop-over en route back to the West Coast, from a particularly successful two week season at the Paris Olympia, followed by a week of concerts on the Riviera, during which time he starred at the annual gala in Monte Carlo. The event was sponsored by Prince Rainier and Princess Grace, and generally only attended by the highest of society as the tickets work out to about $200 a throw! (At least!)
Trini Lopez arrives at Orly Airport in Paris to open his show at the Olympia. (Music Business)
Trini digs working in France, but the French are really wild about Trini – as are the Germans, Italians, Dutch, Belgians, Swiss and Spanish. “This last French trip was fantastic”, he enthused over veal cutlets at Danny’s Hideaway. “Everywhere I went, they went mad.
Greatest ever. “The Paris Olympia season was probably the greatest I’ve ever done. Maurice Chevalier, who never goes to the theatre except to see an opera,came to my opening night. So did Charles Aznavour, Keely Smith and Henry Mancini who was in Europe with his entire family.
“When I noticed Chevalier sitting in the audience, I dedicated a song to him, and everyone stood up and cheered. Then Chevalier rose and took a bow. After the show, he came backstage to talk with me. It was the first time I’d met him. I’m very impressed.
“Keely Smith had been appearing in Germany, so she dropped by to say hello, and I had calls from millions of people. Brigitte Bardot called me from St. Tropez, and said she learned to do the surf from all my albums, and all France is surf crazy.
Steals Show.“The audiences were beautiful. The first time I played the Olympia was earlier this year, when I appeared on the Beatles bill. The newspapers reported then that I’d stolen the show from the Beatles, and although I couldn’t believe a thing like that, when I got back this time the reception was unbelievable.
“There were riots all the time, and I had to keep doing encores. I loved it when some of the audience joined in on some of my songs like ‘Quando Caliento del Sol’, and they liked it when I spoke to them in French.
“When I arrived for the Olympia dates there was a whole crowd of fans at the airport wearing sweaters which gave my name and the dates I was playing the theatre.
“It’samazing. It’s only been a year since I started recording, but there I was in France mixing with allthe great people.”
Maurice Chavalier, Keeley Smith and Charles Aznavour visit Trini backstage on opening night. (Music Business)
Grand Prix award. Infact,Trini Lopez’ French success was consolidated earlier this year when he was awarded the “Grand Prix du Disque” as being the most popular singer inFrance.That’s why it wasn’t so surprising to learn that he had been invited to appear at the annual Gala in Monte Carlo.
“There were riots there too,” he admitted. “And the people that came to that show weren’t just ordinary people. They were real society. Anyway, I came on and did my act, and they kept on banging the tables for an encore, which I couldn’t do. They kept yelling ‘Encore Trini’, but after 45 minutes I was exhausted. In the end they all walked out of the gala without paying their tabs! The next morning, one of the French papers reported that I’d caused a mass riot!
At the discotheque. “After the gala I met Prince Rainier and Princess Grace, and believe it or not, spent an hour with them at the discotheque. Princess Grace is very charming, and spent most of the time talking about Hollywood.
“In Deauville, where he played a concert with Ray Charles, it was the same story. Riots and front page headlines. But after three weeks of wild chaos, which was nothing less than what the Beatles have been getting here, Trini was glad to be back in America.
Home Sweet Home.”You know the song, ‘I Love To Be In America,’ well that’s me,” he said. “There’s no place like home, even though I won’t be here too long.
“I noticed in my absence that my Latin album took off like crazy. I’ve wanted to record an LP in Spanish ever since I started singing, but I had no idea it would be such a big seller. I’m even more thrilled because I’m doing dates in South America later this year.
Henry Mancini drops by with his daughters Monica and Felice to say hello. (Music Business)
“Trini says it looks like he won’t be playing any discotheques here for quite a while yet, even though he would love to. He’s not scared of being labelled the “darling of the discotheques” as he admits to being a middle of the road singer who had to start off somewhere.
Surf Sound. He feels the discotheque sound is predominantly West Coast and exciting, but in France, it is labelled as the surfing sound, and its interpretation there has nothing to do with groups like the Beach Boys.
He is surprised and thrilled by his universal success, and proudly pointed out that “If I Had A Hammer,” his first disc on Reprise, reached number 1 in 20 countries, and sold in excess of 5,000,000.
Tight Schedule.”I want to go back to Europe again,” he said, “And I’ve been invited to play dates in Beirut, Germany and Israel, as well as France, Scandinavia and England. They all wanted me this time, but my schedule was too tight.
“I’d like to come back to New York too. I dug that booking at Basin Street East, and would like to play there again. I also enjoyed my recent concert at Forest Hills.
“But although I still live at home in Texas, I plan to move to the West Coast soon. That’s the greatest place of all.” END
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Information, credit and news source: Music Business; September 26, 1964
Trini Lopez died on August 11, 2020. He was 83. For his obituary, published in Rolling Stone please go HERE
The image the group created here last spring appears to be paying off on their current tour, which could be the biggest invasion since the Beatles
The Stones are here! The five long haired, boot-footed, leather-jacketed beats were scheduled to arrive in New York on Friday (October 23), for their second American stomp, which promises to be a gash-of-a-bash, kicking off with two SRO
