Helping Out Our Readers (Part Three)

Another follow-up ... and a brand new challenge!

re:  DOTTY DANIELS:

Dear Kent, FORGOTTEN HITS, 
Thanks!

I was so inspired by the night that you arranged for me to go on the radio with Dave.  I so enjoyed talking about music and singing, I spent the next day following leads.  The main one was the mention in your FORGOTTEN
HITS for Nov. 28, 2009. From that,  I found this from Billboard.  I have
others to send to you, but have to send the links individually.  I  felt so
good to see this.  Many thanks to you.
More to follow.
Warm regards,
Dotty

Here's a link to the actual Billboard issue that singled out Dotty's record, "Play me A Sad Song" as one of their regional break-out hits.  VERY cool!!!  (kk)  

Click here: Billboard - Google Books

http://books.google.com/books?id=XwsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA26&dq=billboard mag 1963
breakout hits dotty
daniels&hl=en&ei=3jwSTpjYHo-u8QOLwbizDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false 

And HERE's a WAVZ / New Haven, CT survey (dated August 17, 1963) showing Dotty's record at #1!!!  (kk)

http://las-solanas.com/arsa/charts_view.php?svid=11015

And one more chart showing ...

http://las-solanas.com/arsa/surveys_item.php?svid=11013
 

Greetings, Kent:

I've been on a lovely cloud, loving every minute and grinning from ear to ear BECAUSE I NOT ONLY GOT ANSWERS, I ALSO RECEIVED  A MAGNIFICENT GIFT IN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ON DAVE THE RAVE'S  SHOW.  THAT WAS GREAT!!!  

I sent copies of what I found and I will get Joel's book. Looking forward to Saturday -- a Saturday night that I do have a date, a date with to share in another musical serendipity. 

Writing my boom is going to be a joy and maybe not as difficult as I thought. What a support.  I'll jot down memories and then sort them out, find the facts to back them up.  

I thank you for all you've done and for those wonderful music experts at FORGOTTEN HITS.

SINCERELY,

DOTTY

So glad we could help, Dotty ... this is what makes it all worth while!!!  (kk)

Attached is the "Newcomers Pick of the Week" reviews from the May 11, 1963, issue of Cash Box, with the Dotty Daniels record one of the three reviewed. Note that the songwriters listed for "Play Me A Sad Song" are "Simon, Landis" (split personality?). I didn't see any other references to the record or the artist in the following weeks' issues (although I don't have every one).

-– Randy Price

What a wonderful surprise!  This is the piece I remember.  Thanks to your reader and many, many thanks to you for all you do.  I am so happy.  You can imagine.  

I am also looking for any photos anyone night have taken at anytime.  I was on Summer Time at The Pier, The Steele Pier in Atlantic City with Brian Hyland and others.  The Diving Horse was a wonder at the Pier.  Other  possible places where photos may have been taken were: Ashtabula, Ohio.  I had a chaperon one night to play The Cast Aways and appeared with the first sex change person in the US, maybe the world: Christine Jorgensen. 

Mansfield, New Hampshire, several times in Baltimore ... and I am looking to see if any still photos are available to examine from The Buddy Deane Show.  I met with Chop Chop Fisher and did a show with him.  He later called my Grandmother to tell her what a fine job she had done in raising me.  I remember moving so fast, jumping on an airplane, getting into
town, going to the DJ's first, then a show, back on a plane, etc. 

And of course, will check for any stills from THE BOB KING SHOW, WOOK TV, WASHINGTON, DC. AMY Artist, Billy Fraiser was a guest on the show, too, summer of 1963.  If anyone has any photos they'd like to share, that would be a big help with the memoirs.
I appreciate your help.

Warm regards,
Dotty

If any of our readers can help out in this regard, please email and I'll be sure that Dotty gets your photos.  Thanks!  (kk)

This has been a great time for me.  I am encouraged and will go on to write about the life I had in music and the wonderful people I met along the way. I will include the great help I received from you and the great time with Dave the Rave.  Both of you provide a very rare window into music. You keep the music alive.

Warm regards and many thanks.

Dotty 

Yowsah! Yowsah! Yowsah!!!

Check THIS out!!!

Dotty's biggest 45 is going for BIG bucks right now at GEMM.COM ...

$80 for a VG++ copy of the single!  (kk)

Click here: Dotty Daniels Vinyl Records, CDs, Dotty Daniels Albums, Rare Dotty Daniels Music

By the way, I let our FH buddy Jerry Osborne know about our recent rendezvous with Dotty Daniels, figuring that this sort of thing was RIGHT up his alley for his "Mr. Music" column ... and Jerry assures me that he WILL feature Dotty's story in an upcoming issue ... most likely on August 8th.  
("Mr. Music" is syndicated in newspapers all over the country ... and Jerry also posts each new edition online on his website):

Click here: "MR. MUSIC"

I am so grateful to you for all your help and understanding.  Dave The Rave really took it across the top in that wonderful interview.  We talked about FORGOTTENHITS.COM, and I hope other artists from the Oldies  Days will come forward to checkout your column.  Since reading your column and talking with Dave, many more memories have begun to surface.  I am jotting down notes as I remember, so I can elaborate later, even if it means researching because when I was working in music, as I told Dave, I had to catch planes, being in a place only a short while and did not get to see any local papers or feedback.   Your column is a music encyclopedia.  

Thank you for mentioning me to Jerry Osborne ... I will go to Jerry's site right now.  I do so appreciate your support and thanks for all the wonderful people I am now meeting through you.  I'll report back on my contact with Jerry Osborne. 

Sincerely,

Dotty

And here's an example showing you just how much work we go through sometimes to get you the answers to your questions!!!  This is a "behind the scenes" look at some of our detective work!  (kk)

Dear Kent,

"Today Is The First Day Of The Rest Of My Life" ...

Who sang the original version of this song?  It was not John Denver. 

This song was offered free on a 45 at one the Local Federal Banks in Oklahoma City .  I went and picked up a copy of one, but it was lost years ago.  I’ve been trying to contact Larry Neal, but don’t know how to locate him. 

Larry Barnes

John Denver DID do a song called "Today Is The First Day Of The Rest Of My Life" ... but I wasn't familiar with it.  Even listening to a short "sampler" on Amazon.com didn't help, as I've never heard this song before (and wasn't a big John Denver fan!)  But you've already elimiated this one from the "options" list, so I moved on.  I know a similarly titled song by Bread called "Today's The First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life", which comes from their "Lost Without Your Love" album ... but odds are THAT isn't the one you're looking for either ... and it was never released as a single.  So I checked Joel Whitburn's new book ("Top Pop Singles, 1955 - 2010") but didn't see anything listed there ... so, at your suggestion, I contacted Larry Neal on your behalf.  

Here's what he had to say:

Kent,

I am afraid I am coming up empty handed on the song title that your reader wanted to know who sang it. If you are like me, you know what records you have and where you can get your hands on them. I even looked in my section where I have nothing but records which were done only by local recording artists and groups, records that did not chart nationally, but only made our local surveys here in OKC. Nothing came up.I was kind of wondering what year

or possibly decade it came out. Maybe it was a country song. If so, I never listened to country stations, so I really wouldn't be familiar with it. You are right about Bread and John Denver recording songs with a similar title.

Larry

With that thought in mind, I checked Joel Whitburn's COUNTRY Singles Book ... and found a Top 40 Country charting single by LaWanda Lindsey called "Today Will Be The First Day Of The Rest Of My Life", released in 1973 ... so I thought that maybe the other Larry was right ... and THIS was why we couldn't figure it out.

So I sent a note to FIRST Larry (Barnes) and told him I needed more information ... around what year did it come out?  Was it by a male singer, a female singer or a group ... etc, etc, etc ... ANYTHING that would help narrow down the field a little bit ... and here's what he sent me:

It came out in early 1971, I believe.  It was a single male singer.  He had no other hits I know of.  I’ve researched this for years and have found nothing.  If I heard his name, I would know it.  I do believe it went high in the charts in the Oklahoma City market, but not anywhere else.  I believe that it was Local Federal Bank that advertised in the paper that they would give you a free 45 of it, if you came and picked it up.  I went and got one, but it was lost sometime in the early 80s.  Thanks for your help. 

Larry

Guess that eliminates LaWanda Lindsey, too!  (lol)

I asked Tom Diehl (our resident expert who has supplied SO many answers to this column over the years!) if HE was aware of a song like this ... and he came up with an EXCELLENT candidate ... but it's a GROUP and not a male solo singer.

In 1971, Sounds of Sunshine released a song with that title ... these are they guys who had a minor Top 40 Hit with "Love Means You Never Have To Say You're Sorry" that same year, inspired by the classic line from "Love Story".  Maybe THIS was the track Larry #1 was looking for????  (kk)

Kent,

This is one thing that FH is all about ... one reader or readers helping someone else with a song title and / or artist they can't remember the name of ... and hopes that another reader can help them out.

First, let me say that I am going to get out my local surveys from 1970 - 1971 and see if the record charted and which group or artist is on the survey. I should have the record if it did, but sometimes I do find a record missing or mis-placed. That bugs me since I am the only ones handling my records.  I am going in there now to try to find the answer for your reader.

Larry

And then ...

Kent,

Let me tell you what I just now did. Your reader said that said song came out in 1971, he believed. What I did was go through the surveys for the years 1970, 1971 and 1972. Nothing by that title came up as making the survey for even one week. Now I guess it is possible that it could have been played but never made the survey. I don't know. I have one other avenue to find out that I am going to go to right now. If I have any luck, I will let you know.

Larry

See ... we dig DEEP for these answers!!!  (kk)

Kent,

Sorry but I have come up empty handed on the song your reader requested information for. My only other theory is that in the early seventies, and other time periods as well  I guess, is that Local Federal Savings and Loan, now known as Continental Savings and Loan, would sometimes use a song in commercials (television and radio) that would be repeated over and over in a day's time, As I mentioned, the song didn't make the local surveys here, at least during the 1970-1972 time period. We have a commercial here that constantly runs on television using Jackie Wilson's  TO BE LOVED in the background. But then again, that song charted. If I find out any more on said record or come up with any more ideas I will let you know.

Larry

Thanks for the diligent effort, Larry ... we really appreciate it! 

(Tell the truth ... don'tcha just LOVE a good challenge?!?!?)  kk

Kent,

You are right ... I DO love a good CHALLENGE, as the Champs would have said, but in the last few hours the more I think about it, I do believe that the song in question was used in Local Federal Saving and Loan's commercials. Those commercial here in OKC were done by a local advertising company which also did national commercials as well. So it is possible they had a known singer do them. I will continue to try to come up with something. If I do, I of course will let you know.

Larry

And, finally ...

Kent,

Here is what I have found out on the record in question.

It was produced by a local ad agency here in OKC who also had agencies nationally. It was done for a banking institution but not the one that the reader mentioned. The person I talked to by e-mail remembered it vividly because he said when it came out, he called up the agency

and wanted to know the name of the singer. Unfortunately, he cannot remember the name of the singer ... again, this happening 40 years ago.

I was right about one thing apparently ... the song was used in a banking institution commercial (radio and television). Hence, the reason the song never charted locally on the survey.

The person who relayed this information on to me is a retired top 40 DJ here in OKC who definitely remembered it, but again, not the singer's name. The singer probably lived back East where this agency had another office.

Larry

Great detective work, Larry! 

And that'll wrap this one up, folks!!!  (Unless somebody out there has a DEFINITIVE answer, we're putting this one to bed!!!  To quote George Harrison on an old Beatles bootleg I have, after rehearsing Paul's "Teddy Boy" for about seven or eight minutes ... "Well, we certainly gave THAT one fair consideration!!!"  lol)

Meanwhile, Larry Barnes came up with ANOTHER question:

One other question.  The song “Getting Over You” by Julie Grafa in 1973 or 1974.  Who wrote that song?  I’ve always believed that the song was written about me, but have no proof of it.  This was another local hit in the Oklahoma City market. 

Larry Barnes

Sure ... pick ANOTHER song that never charted nationally!!!  (lol)  But I ran it up the Larry Neal flagpole anyway, just in case!  (kk)

Here is the information you need on the second record in question. The information is as follows:

Julie Grafa (Getting Over You / Love The One You're With) - June, 1973

We all know who wrote the flip, but the song Getting Over You was written by a Mary Ann Smith. This record was on the MARANN record label backed up by the Gary Good Quartet. Also, that same year, she had another record, Life Goes On / The Beginning. Same information on the label as the first except the song The Beginning was co-written by M.A. Smith and Evelyn Smith.

Larry Neal / The Wax Museum

Excellent!  Thanks, Larry!  (kk)


STAY TUNED!!!  This week's edition of The Sunday Comments is shaping up as one of our BIGGEST EVER!!!  Be sure to check back to The Forgotten Hits Website Sunday Morning!  (kk)