Day: July 14, 2012
CAMEO RECORDS HOT IN 1962… JANUARY 12, 1963
From the MCRFB news archives:
Cameo Leans On It’s ‘Limbo‘ Wave for 1963
PHILADELPHIA — Cameo-Parkway Records, which started out 1962 with a slew of hot twist singles and and LPs, thinks it has an even hotter dance going for it as 1963 begins. The would be The Limbo. The Chubby Checker single recording (disking) of “Let’s Limbo,” on Parkway, has passed the 1,600,000 mark according to the firm, and the LP, which was only issued two months ago, is now over the 200,000 sales figure, the Cameo firm has reported.
Cameo Parkway Records wound up with its hottest year in 1962 overall. The Philadelphia firm had a total of 17 singles on Cameo or Parkway in the top 50 of the Billboard “Top 100” chart, best showing of their product in sales thus far, which includes all sales culled from the labels’ recording acts, such as Bobby Rydell; The Tymes; Dee Dee Sharp; The Dovells; The Orlons, and Chubby Checker, the label’s hottest act since 1960. END.
(Information and news source: Billboard; January 12, 1963).
DICK DALE MAKING WEST COAST WAVES… JANUARY 12, 1963
From the MCRFB news archives:
DICK DALES RIDING BIG ON SURF AND CHARTS
HOLLYWOOD — One of the hottest selling attractions here on record disks and in person is a 24-year old surf-riding buff, Dick Dale, whose Del-Tone recording is currently dominating the local charts and whose personal appearances are drawing ‘turn-away’ crowds here in the lower California west coast area.
Dale currently has three single sides on local radio station playlists on KFWB and KRLA. Music City’s Top 40 Best Selling Singles chart lists Dale’s “Peppermint Man” in the No. 1 position, followed by “Miserlou” as the No. 2 best seller.
Music City’s Top 40 Best Selling Albums Chart lists Dale’s “Surfer’s Choice” LP in the No. 2 top-selling position, second only to Vaughn Meader’s “First Family” album. Sid Talmadge’s Record Merchandising, which happens to be a distributor for both Cadence and the Del-Tone label, said last week that the Dale package has started catching up with the Meader “First Family” album.
Talmadge also said he has already moved 50,000 copies of “Surfer’s Choice” LP and has sold more than 75,000 of the Dale singles. Dale, and his band the Deltones, comprising as an instrumental group of seven with Dale serving as lead, are currently appearing at the Harmony Park Ballroom in nearby Anaheim. END.
(Information and news source: Billboard; January 12, 1963).
BRENDA LEE’S HOUSE DESTROYED BY FIRE… JANUARY 12, 1963
From the MCRFB news archives:
Brenda Lee Hurt Slightly as Fire Destroys Her House
NASHVILLE — A raging fire recently gutted the luxurious home of popular songstress Brenda Lee, Monday, December 31, 1962, which resulted in slight injuries to Brenda when she tried in vain to save her famous poodle, Cee Cee, from the soaring flames and smoke.
The fire, which was attributed to a faulty electrical wiring with a household appliance, swept the nine-room home, valued at $37,000, leaving all but a single bedroom in total ruin.
Dub Albritton, Brenda’s manager, said the star’s $25,000 wardrobe of stage clothes and costumes was completely destroyed. They were not insured, though the house and property was.
Brenda was at home with her mother and several other relatives when the fire started. All except Brenda were asleep when the country/pop star, who was watching a late-night television program, noticed smoke in the house.
All were awakened and stood outside in frigid 20-degree temperatures when the eighteen-year old singer, barefooted and wearing only a house robe, went back into the burning house to retrieve her poodle, Cee Cee.
The dog, one of four, was unaccounted for and missing immediately after the blaze broke out. But she was too late. The little poodle, who had traveled the globe with Brenda, was found expired having succumbed to heavy smoke inhalation. The singer’s hair was singed and one of her eyes sustained injury, Albritton said. He said the eye injury was not considered serious.
In addition to her missing poodle, more than 80 stuff animals collected by Miss Lee were lost in the fire.
In the house when the fire began were Miss Lee’s mother, Mrs. Grace Rainwater; her brother, Randy; her sister, Mrs. Ralph McFalls and her husband, and her niece, Lisa McFalls. No one, outside of Brenda, were injured.
“I don’t know how it started,” Mrs. Rainwater said in a recent Nashville newspaper article. “Suddenly there was just smoke all over the place. We just got out and let it go.” END.
(Information and news source: Billboard; January 12, 1963).