I've Been Busy Lately

I just wanted to apologize for not posting any new songs lately, but recently, another one of my manuscripts has been accepted to be published. It should be out in a month or two, so look for it. It will be called This Paradise, by Kenneth Dwain Harrelson. I'm really excited about this, my second novel to be published! If anyone happens to buy it and read it, please let me know what you thought about it and if you enjoyed it. It's a period piece, set in the Depression, and it's about a drifter that goes to work at a small husband and wife farm. It's in the same vein as John Steinbeck used to write, but no wonder - him and I share the same birthdate! (Just not the same year, however....) A gazebo is part of the central theme.

Here is the cover for it:

The Joker (Not Batman)

Artist: Billy Myles

Song: The Joker (That's What They Call Me) (a-side) (b-side is Honey Bee)

Label: Ember Records E-1026

Number: E-2156

Songwriter: B. Myles

Time: 2:33

Released: 1957

This is a first for Music For Every Mood. Today's song is from a "one-hit wonder." Yes, according to what I can find on Billy Myles, he was a noted songwriter of many hits recorded by other artists, but the song The Joker (That's What They Call Me), was the only hit he himself sang. It rose to a respectable #25 on the US pop charts, but to an even higher #13 on the R&B charts.

Born on August 29th, 1924, he sadly passed away on October 9th, 2005. But, in between those dates, he wrote a lot of popular songs for many artists. Have You Ever Loved A Woman for Freddie King and Eric Clapton, If I Ever Fall In Love for Gladys Knight and the Pips, I Won't Cry Anymore for Big Maybelle, Nobody But Me by Lou Rawls, Your Love Alone for Brooke Benton, Your One And Only Love for Jackie Wilson and No Love (But Your Love) for Johnny Mathis. He seems to have had an extreme fondness for song titles with the word "Love" in them! His specialty was "love ballads," so go figure. The success of the song The Joker led to his appearing on the Ed Sullivan show, the very same episode that Buddy Holly and the Crickets were on in 1958.

Billy Myles eventually retired to Greenville, North Carolina, where he managed his music publishing company Selbon Music Publishing. (Nobles spelled backwards.) William Myles Nobles, a.k.a. Billy Myles, died there in 2005.

So, keeping with the Rhythm and Blues kick I've been on for my last two posts, here is that great uptempo recording of The Joker, by Billy Myles. This is not to be confused with the song of the same name by The Steve Miller Band, (another good song!) Listening to it, one wonders just why it was that Billy Myles never became a huge recording star. His voice is pleasant enough, in the same manner as the lead singer for The Platters, but I suppose the record company he worked for, Ember Records, preferred that he keep writing the hit records instead of recording them. That would take too much away from his time with pen and paper.

Miss Rhythm

Artist: Ruth Brown
Song: Honey Boy (b-side) (a-side is Taking Care Of Business)
Label: Atlantic 45-2075
Number: A-4874
Songwriters: Dixon-McCoy
Time: 2:11
Released: 1960

Music in the 1950's starting changing in a big way. We saw Popular music becoming even more popular, Country and Western became more mainstream and Jazz took tremendous strides toward mainstream popularity in that decade. We also saw the birth of new styles of music, namely, Rhythm and Blues and even later in the decade, Rock and Roll. With all this great music being produced in the 1950's, is it any wonder that so many singers and groups, no matter in what style they performed, are still fondly remembered even today? One such artist who flowered during this period, was Ruth Brown.

Ruth was born on January 12th, 1928, the oldest of seven children. Her father directed the local church choir, but she preferred to sing in nightclubs and USO shows. She eventually ran away from home, where she came to the attention of Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson, the bosses at Atlantic Records. Although her repertoire at this time was mostly popular ballads, Ertegun convinced her to switch to rhythm and blues. Her first song, So Long, became a hit and it was followed by Teardrops From My Eyes, in 1950, which went on to become her first major hit. These were followed throughout the '50's with such classics as I'll Wait For You, I Don't Know, Daddy Daddy, 5-10-15 Hours, (Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean, Oh What A Dream, Mambo Baby and Don't Deceive Me. Such was her success at Atlantic, that it became known as "The House That Ruth Built."

As the 1960's dawned, the music industry was starting to change, and with it saw the decline in popularity for several pioneers in the R&B field. Ruth was dropped from the Atlantic label in 1961 and faded from public view to become a housewife and mother. To support her two boys, she took jobs as a maid, driving a school bus and as a Head Start teacher. It wasn't until the mid-1970's that her career was revived. She started recording for several different labels, starred on Broadway, appeared on television and toured again. And, if this wasn't enough, in 1987, her fight for musicians rights and royalties led to the founding of the Rhythm And Blues Foundation. In 1993, she was even inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Sadly, she passed away on November 17th, 2006, from complications following a heart attack and stroke she suffered after surgery in October of that same year. The likes of Ruth Brown are not likely to appear again and I feel she will be sorely missed.

Today's song, Honey Boy, is a lively tune encompassing her Rhythm and Blues stylings, as well as her leanings toward Rock and Roll. Whenever I hear this tune, it always gets me going - it has the ability to affect you in that manner. So, treat yourself to today's song and see if your foot doesn't start tapping along with Ruth Brown as she belts out Honey Boy!

God, Country And My Baby - In That Order

Artist: Chico Holiday

Song: Fools (b-side) (a-side is God, Country And My Baby)

Label: Coral 62291

Number: 111,135

Songwriters: John Dolan - Chico Holiday

Time: 2:34

Released: 1961

Chico Holiday was born Ralph Vergolino in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on August 24th, 1934. When he debuted, he was apparently promoted as a teen idol. He even had one of his early hits written by Sonny James, Young Ideas. Other songs included Your Kid Sister, Lulu Had A Baby, God, Country And My Baby, Blue Tattoo, It Won't Be Me, I Believe I Believe, Rockin', Johnny Was Late For The Wedding, Cuckoo Girl and Rockin' Horse To Rockin' Chair. These were recorded for several different labels. Other than the fact that he later became a gospel singer and is now the head minister at Calvary Chapel Yorba Linda church, in California, I couldn't find out much about him. But, today's song is good.

Fools, was the flipside of a 1961 single and is a song he co-wrote. It features a very impassioned vocal, sang with a strong, teen idol kind of delivery. I can't find where it was ever a hit record, but one listen to it and you'll agree that it could and should have been. So, please give a listen to Chico Holiday as he sings Fool. You won't be a fool for doing so!

Heeeere's.... Jill!

Artist: Jill Corey
Song: I Love My Baby (My Baby Loves Me) (a-side) (b-side is Egghead)
Label: Columbia 4-40794
Number: ZSP 39414
Songwriters: B. Green - Warren
Time: 2:11
Released: November 12th, 1956

Jill Corey was born Norma Jean Speranza in Avonmore, Pennsylvania, on September 30th, 1935. She won a talent contest sponsored by the local Lion's Club, and this led to her singing the song on the radio. From this, she got her own radio show - all at the age of 13! By the ripe old age of 14, she was working 7 nights a week. By 17, she was a local celebrity. From a simple recording she made in her home town, her talents came to the attention of Mitch Miller. He was so impressed that he immediately telephoned her and the next day, she flew up to New York so he could hear her in a more natural studio setting. He was so enthralled by her voice that she was offered a Columbia recording contract that same day! From these beginnings, she started to appear on television programs of the era such as The Steve Allen Show, Person To Person hosted by Edward R. Murrow, The Robert Q. Lewis Show and Ed Sullivan's Toast Of The Town. She even became a regular for 9 months on Johnny Carson's show. She also appeared in motion pictures such as Senior Prom. In 1961, she married Pittsburgh Pirates baseball player Don Hoak and gave up her career. He died tragically 8 years later and she returned to her previous life of performing onstage. She still performs and loves to birdwatch in Central Park. Talk about a well-rounded career!
Her only album for Columbia was entitled Sometimes I'm Happy, Sometimes I'm Blue, from 1958. It featured songs grouped together by theme with a side of songs from the Roaring Twenties and a side of torch songs and ballads. Today's song is in the same style as side one of her album, and which she sang live on Ed Sullivan's show on January 20th, 1957. It is entitled I Love My Baby (My Baby Loves Me). It features Jimmy Carroll and his Orchestra backing her up and the arrangement is quite catchy. It was also her first major hit record. Thrill along with the voice that still thrills audiences to this day and download Jill Corey as she belts out I Love My Baby (My Baby Loves Me).

Peggy Lee Followup

Artist: Peggy Lee
Song: Ooh That Kiss (a-side) (b-side is Oh! No! [Please Don't Go])
Label: Decca 9-29534 (Pink Label Promotional - Not For Sale)
Number: 45-L 8178
Songwriters: Harry Warren - Mort Dixon - Joe Young
Time: 2:19
Released: June 6th, 1955

In a previous Peggy Lee post here, I posted one side of this single. Here is the other side of it - Ooh That Kiss, by Peggy Lee. This song has a nice Cha Cha Cha beat and is very appealing. Peggy Lee could really sell a song! I must say that this is one of my most favorites I've posted here so far, so by all means, you have to get it! I wouldn't lie to you - this one will have you swaying before you even realize it. Keep those requests coming!

Still Performing After All These Years

Artist: The Four Lads

Song: Oceans Of Love (b-side) (a-side is Giuggiola [Joo-Joo-Lah])

Label: Kapp K-412X (White Label Promotional Record - Not For Sale)

Number: K-5876

Songwriters: Carl Sigman

Time: 2:12

Released: 1961

The Four Lads formed in the late-1940's, and from what I can find on the internet, are still together to this day and performing live shows. That's 58 years they've been in the entertainment industry! The founding members were Corrado "Connie" Codarini, bass; John Bernard "Bernie" Toorish (born March 2nd, 1931), tenor; James F. "Jimmy" Arnold, (January 4th, 1932 - June 15th, 2004) lead; and Frank Busseri, baritone and group leader. They grew up together in Toronto, Ontario and were members of St. Michael's Choir School. This is where they learned to sing and worked hard at practicing their harmonies. By 1950, they began performing at local clubs and were noticed by scouts. Recruited to go to New York, the quartet were spotted by Mitch Miller, who immediately put them to work singing backup with some of the artists he produced. One such singer they backed was Johnny Ray and his big hit Cry, in 1951. This made them well known.

They released their first single, The Mocking Bird, in 1952. By 1953, they made their first gold record with Istanbul (Not Constantinople). This kept them busy throughout the 1950's and 1960's and was followed by such hits as Moments To Remember, No, Not Much, Standin' On The Corner and Who Needs You? Today's post comes just a few years after those hits.

The song Oceans Of Love, with Joe Sherman directing the orchestra, is a catchy little, guitar-driven ditty. As a guitarist myself, I can tell that this record features a guitar played on a Fender Twin Reverb amplifier, which is how it achieves it's particular sound. This guitar sound was later exemplified by such Surf-Rock groups as The Surfaris and The Ventures.

Codarini was replaced by Johnny D'Arc in 1962 and in the early 1970's, Toorish was replaced by Sid Edwards. Jimmy Arnolds died of lung cancer in Sacramento, California, aged 72. It is original member Frank Busseri who reconstituted the group and sings to nostalgia crowds to this day. But, this record is from when they were in their heyday, with all their original members. Download Oceans Of Love by The Four Lads and relive the wonderful times when you could hear those glorious vocal groups from the Fifties! Back when gasoline cost 20 cents a gallon and the music was priceless.