re: SAM COOKE:
>>>Can you please help me find a Sam Cooke song entitiled "You You You"? I really want to hear it. (Julio Sorondo)
>>>Since he repeats the word "you" about two hundred times during the course of the song, I'm guessing that you're looking for "You Send Me", a #1 Hit from 1957. Happy to feature it today ... it truly is a classic. (kk)
Kent,
If Julio was actually looking for the song "You You You," the #1 hit by the Ames Brothers from 1953, as recorded by Sam Cooke, it was a track on Cooke's 1960 RCA Victor LP "Hits Of The Fifties." Unfortunately, I don't have the album, or know of any CD source for Cooke's version of the song, so I can't help with supplying the track itself.
– Randy Price
I wasn't aware that Sam had cut this tune ... we'll see if we can track down a copy to share! Thanks, Randy!
After hearing this ... (news to me!) ... I checked around, looking for this track ... the "Hits of the '50's" album is LONG out of print ... but I DID find a decent copy on eBay for $7.98 so I ordered it and, incredibly, it arrived in just TWO DAYS via Media Mail!!! (Unreal!!!)
Quite honestly, I was a little surprised to see that Sam had recorded an album like this since he, himself, was an artist of the '50's ... and one who had contributed in such a major way to the great music of that decade. Titles included on Cooke's LP are "Hey There" (the Rosemary Clooney song), Nat "King" Cole's "Mona Lisa" and "Too Young", The Platters' hit "The Great Pretender", a version of "Unchained Melody" that predates The Righteous Brothers' hit remake version by several years, Gogi Grant's "The Wayward Wind", "Secret Love", a hit for Doris Day and Sam's takes on "Song From 'Moulin Rouge'", the Johnnie Ray classic "Cry" and Frankie Avalon's #1 Hit "Venus". (kk)
I also heard from Sam Cooke's great nephew Erik Greene, who wrote the EXCELLENT book "Our Uncle Sam" ...
Click here: Our Uncle Sam: The Sam Cooke Story From His Family's Perspective
Hi Kent -
Great to hear from you!
"You, You , You" was never released as a single and is indeed featured on RCA's album "Hits of the 50's." I have the original album, but to my knowledge it has never been released on CD.
Erik
Actually, I DID find a German Import CD copy ... but apparently it, too, is now out of print. Luckily, I was able to pick up a copy through eBay. (kk)
I'm glad you at least found the album. And I had forgotten about the European CD option. There's a lot of Sam's music that has been released on overseas labels that hasn't been released on CD domestically.
Good catch on your part concerning the "Hits of the 50's" album being an odd release. I asked the same questions to his two brothers (unfortunately, we lost his older brother Charles this past Friday) when writing Our Uncle Sam, and got an answer that made a lot of sense. When Sam first came over to RCA from Keen Records in January of 1960, they went through an "experimental phase" while trying to develop him into a successful crossover artist. His songs were formulated and somewhat dated, and as a result they didn't sell very well. It wasn't until Keen Records released the million-selling, Sam Cooke - Herb Alpert - Lou Adler - written single "Wonderful World," a song Keen still had the rights to, despite the fact that Sam had left the label, did RCA realize it was best to let Sam Cooke do his own thing creatively. "Chain Gang" was released that June of that year and also went on to sell more than a million copies.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Erik Greene
Along the way, we discovered another GREAT Sam Cooke Tribute Website:
Click here: Welcome To The Songs of Sam Cooke http://songsofsamcooke.com/albums/hits_of_the_50.htm
http://songsofsamcooke.com/songs/you_you_you.htm
I asked them what they could tell me about this unusual Sam Cooke remake.
It was one of his first albums for RCA so it is a little strange. The album isn't great but it is interesting to listen to.
Martijn
You'll find a wealth of information on this site regarding the many other singers and musicians who accompanied Sam Cooke on his recorded works. Thanks, Martijn ... who also sent us this MP3 to share with our readers:
(OK ... so it's NOT one of Sam's finest recordings ... but hey, I didn't even know it EXISTED until a few days ago!!! lol) kk
re: THE FOUR J's:
>>>The Four J's - Here Am I Broken Hearted - 1962 -- I can't claim that I know anything about the group, but my eyes and ears lit up when I heard it in Stereo! Must have been a regional hit!!! I later learned that they're a Philly group! Jerry, Joe, Jimmy and Jeffrey???? Charted? Reminds me a bit of The Bongo Stomp! Who has the master tape!? Great song! (John)
>>>Well, it didn't chart nationally ... but I'll bet between our hundreds of Philly readers, SOMEBODY may recognize this one and be able to fill in some of the blanks. Stay tuned! (kk)
Hey Kent,
Yes, the Four J's were a Philly group who recorded on Jamie Records ... Jr. Pirollo is still singing lead ... in 1980, I had the pleasure of being around him for a week in Wildwood, N.J. ... he owned a restaurant and bar called "Southwinds" and he would sing there also ... great guy ... he also had another great song called "By Love Possessed Am I". There is a great video of Jr. and the group on youtube singing "Here Am I Broken Hearted" live. I am also a close friend of Frank Jordan of the Jordan Brothers.
Great site, Kent ... keep up the good work!
Thanks,
Hank
Here's some info on the Four J's ...
The group began in 1957 in South Philadelphia and came up with their name as all four of the guys had first names starting with the letter "J". They released at least six 45s that I know of. In 1960, two of them (Junior and Jimmy) along with two other guys (one being Ernie Spano, of Ernie and the Halos) backed up Fabian on his records and tours. At that time they changed their name to the Fabulous Four and did a number of recordings on their own. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9iFNicAnOc&feature=youtube_gdata
Click here: YouTube - The Four J's-Here I Am Broken Hearted
Zimp
The song "Here Am I Broken Hearted" found its way on to a Jamie Records reissue in 1997 called "A Million $$ of Doo Wop", (Jamie 4002). I have liner note credit on this project. The original release was on 45 on Jamie 1267.
I would suggest you contact Frank Lipsius at Jamie Records for information. Jamie Records is still very much in business and would have the master. This group was the original backup vocal group to Fabian.
Clay Pasternack
re: KOMA:
My query is primarily directed to Larry Boyington. Larry, while listening to your early Saturday morning program on KOMA one frigid January Minnesota morning in the early 90s, you played a version of La n' Da on KOMA featuring tracks from the same week in January 1963. Even though the sound would fade intermittently, I heard most of the track and really liked it, though do not recall ever hearing it on WPGC, (Morningside Maryland, the station I listened to as a kid, home of Harv Moore, the Morning Mare). It would be great to know the specific artist that did this version, even though it wasn't a KOMA Climber.
Justin
I've directed your inquiry to Larry "Neal" Boyington ... here's what we got back:
KK,
First let me say thanks for forwarding this readers' question to me. I am always glad to help out with the name of a group or an artist if I know the name of it or a song title.
Here is the information the reader requested:
Song Title -- LA-DO-DA-DA
Group -- THE KEYTONES
Record Label -- CHELSEA
Flip Side -- I DON'T CARE
This was a faster and more uptempo version of the Dale Hawkins song released earlier back in 1958 on Checker records. I am not sure about this but I don't believe this is the same group that recorded back East singing Doo-Wop on OLD TOWN RECORDS, but I could be wrong.
The record in question peaked at number 23 on a KOMA playlist of 50 songs. They also had an instrumental in 1961 on the same label called DON'T TELL WILLIAM.
Larry
Click here: YouTube - Rare 1962 Rockabilly, Early Garage KEYTONES "La-Do-Da Da" dale hawkins
Thanks, Larry ... you da man on this one!!! (kk)
re: ROUND RECORDS:
Kent -
I just checked out your latest reader posts. Guy Arnston's list was interesting. I was only in elementary school in 1965-66 but I think the Pink Phynk was on Sheridan and Albion, just north of the Loyola campus if I'm not mistaken. Now for my question, for you, Arnston, or anyone else who grew up in Chicago who remembers:
Back in '89, I was at Round Records' closing sale -- along that same stretch of Sheridan Road. Among the wonderful 45s I picked up there at amazingly low cost was an M- copy of "Little Darlin'" by The Diamonds -- on the black Mercury label, which was already quite a collector's item in the year vinyl officially deceased -- for 25 cents. Naturally, I offered him $3 for it, but he wouldn't hear of it. I explained to him that the 45, being in such excellent condition, should be valued higher, but finally I caved in and just handed him a quarter -- I couldn't believe it. Anyway here's the question:
When did Round Records first open, was it in the 6Ts or the 7Ts?
Also does anyone HAPPEN to know if Round was connected to the "Round" label (Capes of Good Hope, etc.)? Much appreciated and groove on!
Bob Rashkow
To the best of my knowledge, there was no affiliation between the record store and the record label ... but let's see what comes back from our readers. (kk)
re: IMAGE:
>>> Regarding "Image" by Hank Levine ... I am originally from Los Angeles and back in the days of top 40 radio, there was a station there called KFWB. I believe that this was the same theme that they used for the jingle on KFWB. (Ken)
I'm pretty sure that the song was actually created to be the logo for KFWB and then subsequently released as a single (charted for one week at - interestingly - #98!). The basic melody was sung as "K - F - doub - le - U - B, chan-nel nine-ty-eight". When KFWB went to all news, it was still used, albeit with one less syllable, with the word "news" replacing "channel". KFWB is STILL on 980 AM but is now largely infomercials + news. I haven't listened enough to know if they still use that logo / theme.
Levine also had a similar follow-up titled "Portrait Of A Blonde".
I first came to SoCal in summer '63 and we probably listened to KFWB (Bill Ballance, etc.) more than any other station. When they went to all news several years later, the final DJ, Gene Weed, reportedly closed his show with the classic line, "We'll be right back after the news."
Gary Myers
re: COMMERCIALS:
Thank you, Stolf, for the link on your site to access the Tab commercials from the mid-late 60s.
Best to all,
Justin
re: BLUES' THEME / STICK SHIFT:
KK-
They say it takes a man to admit his mistake. I stand corrected on the similarity of the two songs in question. I just played them back to back and, as Davie Allan said in his comment, "the only similarity is the key of A and the color of the label".
I think I know what my problem was on these records. I would play one or the other and several months later play the other. I would always say to myself that these songs are similar in nature. Not So! For the first time I just played them back to back. I agree with you and Davie Allan.
Love your website,
Larry
That's OK, Larry ... I think at best Davie was "tongue-in-cheek" insulted by your comment. (kk)
Thanks for passing my note along to Davie Allan, KK. Insulting him and or his record was the furtherest thing from my mind. I guess after that mistake, "they will come and take me away" Ha! Ha!
Larry
No harm, no foul ... Davie Allan has been a good friend and long-time supporter of what we do here in Forgotten Hits ... and he's got a great sense of humor (as evidenced by his own web posting regarding these two tunes!) kk
>>>Davie, I told him that, at best, you were "tongue-in-cheek" insulted by his comment ... and that your response was just SO good that I HAD to run it!!! Sounds like our little web post featuring BOTH tracks back-to-back did the trick to convince him otherwise! (kk)
This is great! Thanks!
Davie Allan
>>>If you can play Close Your Eyes Little Girl by the Colony I would be a happy camper. Thanks again! (sq_fan)
>>>In reviewing some of your specific comments regarding The New Colony 6 on the most recent blog, I was reminded of a song that I heard from this Chicagoland group in the summer of 1970. At least it sounded like the NC6 in terms of the lead singer, though this track is not included on the Best Of Comp that I purchased some years ago.The only lyrics that I recall from the song are: "Little Girl, I'm In Love With You". If this is in fact a song by this favorite group of mine, is it available on a CD, (still in print)? Justin
>>>Unfortunately, that's not much to go on ... and nothing immediately comes to mind. There isn't a "legitimate" New Colony Six Greatest Hits Collection currently in print ... and that's a real shame. Over the years, we've had DOZENS of readers ask us how they can get copies of this material for their own collections ... in fact, at one point, we even contacted Rhino Records to see what it would take to get them to reissue the great compilation CD they put together a number of years ago ... but still no luck.) kk
Hi Kent-
I just finished reading today's Forgotten Hits posting (7/25/10), and wanted to answer the question that Justin had about a New Colony Six song he'd recalled hearing with the lyrics, "Little girl, I'm in love with you" ...
I think that the song that he is referring to is, "Close Your Eyes Little Girl" by the NC6. It was the last single released by the New Colony for the Mercury label in 1970. Quite a suberb romantic ballad, and quite tough to find on 45 as a "store-stock" copy. (Most copies that turn up are the Mono / Stereo "Promo" copies.) Unfortunately, it is one of the few New Colony Six singles that has never been re-issued on CD. I tried hard to push Rhino into adding it on the track list of the "Colonized - Best Of" CD that I compiled and produced, but Rhino president Gary Stewart flat out refused to allow me to put it on the compilation. Needless to say, lots of people were very upset that "Close Your Eyes Little Girl" wasn't on the CD. (Oh well ... so much for the "know it all" attitude of record company big wigs!)
Jerry Schollenberger
Well, jeez ... now I guess we HAVE to feature it!!! (lol) I didn't realize that this was that rare of a track ... so once again MOST of you will be hearing it here in Forgotten Hits for the very first time. Thanks for the info, Jerry! (kk)
"Close Your Eyes Little Girl" is the song. I think it is the ONLY NC6 45 not on CD so far!
WLSClark
No, not the only one ... most of the Sunlight / MCA stuff isn't available on CD ... but, from the sounds of things, it probably IS the only MERCURY track not available. Jerry Schollenberger has been campaigning for a COMPLETE Collection of Mercury Recordings to be released on CD for years now ... kinda like what they did for Spanky and Our Gang a few years ago ... ALL of the tracks, including outtakes and rarities ... maybe even a couple of "live" things (or TV appearances) ... but so far it's a no-go. (Perhaps a letter-writing campaign to Polygram / Mercury Records is in order???) An import of their two Mercury LPs came out a year or two ago (retitled "Treat Her Groovy") but the sound quality is a little substandard, especially for an import ... still nice to have all of these tracks in one place, however! (kk)
