by Robert Wilkinson
November 19 was the birthday of legendary producers Hank Medress of the Tokens and Jerry Fuller who wrote countless classics for Ricky Nelson and Gary Puckett and the Union Gap! Today we get to enjoy some classic rock and roll produced by these two giants, as well as celebrate the birthday of an early pioneer of raunchy rock and roll who wrote "The Twist!"
Hank Medress (November 19, 1938 – June 18, 2007) was an American doo wop singer and producer who founded the Tokens. He also produced the Chiffons, Tony Orlando and Dawn, as well as Melissa Manchester. We begin the dance with the first hit record the Tokens took to the charts!
"Tonight I Fell In Love” (#15 US pop charts)
Here frontman Jay Siegel does a lip synch to the original studio version of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” (#1 US, #11 UK)
Two more hits for this group in the mid-60s! “I Hear Trumpets Blow” (#30 US) and “Portrait of my Love” (#36 US)
From the brilliant songwriting team of Gerry Goffin and Carole King, the Tokens giving us “He’s In Town” (#43 US, #20 Canada)
Here are a few he produced with Jay Siegel, sometimes contributing vocals.
First, featuring another Carole King tune delivered up by the Chiffons with Carole pounding out the piano part, “One Fine Day” (#5 US, #12 UK, #6 NZ)
Here was their first hit, also produced by the Tokens! “He’s So Fine” (#1 US, #16 UK)
Randy and the Rainbows were produced by Hank and Jay, and rode the next song into the Top 10 in 1963! “Denise” (#10 US, #5 Canada)
The Happenings were also a BT Production. This particular hit was produced by Bob Crewe of 4 Seasons fame, and it hit the charts in 1966 like a rocketship! “See You In September” (#3 US). They followed it up the same year with “Go Away Little Girl” (#12 US)
The next year they hit big with their version of the Gershwin standard “I Got Rhythm” (#3 US) and the classic vaudeville song made famous by Jolson, “My Mammy” (#13 US)
Thanks for every tune, Hank! Your songs were a big part of the soundtrack of my early life!
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Pivoting to another major talent from the same era in music, we now celebrate the music of the great singer, songwriter, and producer Jerry Fuller (November 19, 1938). He worked with some major talent, so let’s dance!
First, his rockabilly version from 1959 of “Tennessee Waltz”
He wrote this for Sam Cooke, but Ricky Nelson took it to the top! Yes, the great James Burton is the lead player in all the Ricky clips. “Travelin’ Man” (#1 US)
From 2011, a live solo performance by Jerry of “Travelin’ Man”
More hits for Ricky written by Jerry! “A Wonder Like You” (#11 US)
“Young World” (#5 US, #19 UK))
“It’s Up to You” (#4 US, #22 UK)
He produced the Knickerbockers who delivered this Beatle-influenced top 20 hit in 1965! The lead vocals sure do sound like he was trying to imitate John Lennon. “Lies” Here they are in another clip lip synching “Lies”
Jerry may be most famous for producing and writing a bunch of hits for Gary Puckett and the Union Gap!
“Woman Woman” (#3 US)
“Young Girl” (#1 US)
“Lady Willpower” (#1 US)
“Over You” (#5 US)
We’ll close this dance with something Jerry produced for Al Wilson in 1973, a live performance on Soul Train of the very groovy #1 hit “Show and Tell” (#1 US)
Thanks, Jerry! You're another part of the soundtrack of my life!
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Our last set features the birthday of Hank Ballard (born John Henry Kendricks; November 18, 1927 – March 2, 2003) R&B singer and songwriter who is considered one of the first rock and rollers to hit the charts in the early 50s (along with Bill Haley!) Known for raunchy lyrics, he and his Starlighters definitely got fingers popping and feet a-rockin’!
And now, spoiler alert! Seems Hank took credit for something he never wrote. After a little research, I found out that “he was present in the Fall of 1958 at the Jackson House in Tampa, Florida when Hank Ballard listened to a song created by Nathaniel Bills, and quickly recorded it in North Miami, Florida, and claimed the copyright as his own.” Anyway, here’s his original version that Chubby heard a few weeks later and took to the top!
Here’s that fateful tune, the only song ever to get to #1 in two non-consecutive years. (That was Chubby’s version.) Here’s the original, released in Dec 1958 by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters doing “The Twist”
Back to the beginning! In 1953, the Starlighters were known as the Royals, and had their first hit that went to #6 R&B, even though a lot of stations banned it for being raunchy! “Get It”
They changed their name the following year, and made it to #1 R&B with this monster (despite it being banned by the FCC!) "Work With Me, Annie" Here's the flip side, a ballad featuring Hank doing his best to sound like Clyde McPhatter. One historian believes this could have been part of the inspiration for "Please Please Please" by James Brown. For your enjoyment, "Until I Die."
From 1953, another early hit! “Sexy Ways”
As a result of a conspiracy of radio stations, not only was "Annie" banned from airplay, they also banned "Annie's" “answer songs!" "Annie Had a Baby" and "Annie's Aunt Fannie"
From 1956, gritty R&B! “Open Up the Back Door”
This 1960 hit went to #4 R&B! “Teardrops On Your Letter” but it was the flip side that became the biggest dance craze in history just a few short months later when Chubby Checker’s version went #1 everywhere! First, here’s another version of Hank Ballard’s tune with great twisters showing us how it was done! “The Twist”
Here’s the Chubby Checker version that went to #1 twice in the following months! “The Twist”
His career pretty much closed with these 2 hits, both from 1960.
“Finger Poppin’ Time”(#7 US) and “Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go” (#6 US)
For our closer, a great live appearance on a PBS Oldies show! “Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go”
For the encore, another great live oldies performance of “Look At Little Sister”
If you want to know more about this fascinating period where R&B gave birth to rock and roll, please check out Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks
© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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