Old Music Monthly #(-266): March 1971
Today, we’re getting onboard the time machine and going back to the far away year of 1971 to look at a publication called Song Hits. The magazine was printed by Charlton Publications out of Connecticut, and began when Italian immigrant John Santangelo was searching for lyrics for “Shuffle Off to Buffalo” at the behest of his wife. To get the lyrics, he had to buy the whole sheet music, which cost 35 cents. He said, “A-nuts-a to this!” and bought 50 songs, reprinted only the lyrics on cheap paper, and sold them to dealers in Manhattan for 10 cents a piece and split the profits 50/50.
In the mid-1903s, Santangelo had nearly 500 dealers all over New England and the Mid-Atlantic. He changed printers often to avoid ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers), but by 1934 they had caught up with him. Santangelo pled guilty to criminal infringement charges and received a year and a day prison sentence. While making license plates in the slammer (not really, but maybe?) he met disbarred lawyer Edward Levy, and they formed a printing company when they were released.
They made nice with ASCAP and formed Charlton Press, and started printing lyrics magazines in 1941. By 1942, they were Charlton Publications and issuing Hit Parader and Song Hits. As an aside, in 1944 the company started Charlton Comics, which started strong but were in decline by the 80s. In 1983, DC Comics purchased all of their action heroes, including Peacemaker, Judomaster, Captain Atom, and Blue Beetle.
The Ads
The ads are the real MVPs in this magazine, just full of nonsense. Ostensibly, this magazine is aimed at younger teens, but then they’ve got ads for black power outfits (kidding… kind of)
Eleganza
Eleganza is applied to a whole bunch of different things now, but for a time it was a mail order clothing catalog. I assume they are out of business, but there are tons of other things now using the Eleganza name, including a shoe line, a women’s clothing outlet in Pakistan, and the name is applied to some sort of Drag Queen Ball. There are tons of pics of the ads out there, especially on Pinterest (or as my step mom calls it, “Pin Interest”). All the models in this magazine are black, and in looking at what’s out there, most of them were black with a few white dudes in there to share in the hot looks of the time.
Hit Parader
This is kind of a funny ad. They can afford to be self-deprecating since they were published by the same company.
Music Careers
This isn’t quite as salacious as the ads we talked about in #(-523), but song poems are still a money maker, apparently. I’d love to submit something to this, but I doubt this scam exists anymore.
Columbia Record Club
My favorite ads are always these Columbia House / BMG ads. Which 12 fill you pick? Don’t forget to Venmo your penny to me.
The Genres
The magazine is broken down into 4 categories of song lyrics: Pop (16 pages; 25 songs), Soul (10 pages; 14 songs), Country (14 pages, 19 songs), and Oldies (2 pages, 9 songs). In total, there are 67 songs, and I am only familiar with 10.
Pop
The magazine starts with pop, which makes sense since it’s “popular”, I suppose. The “Pop Star of the Month” is Grand Funk Railroad. The only reason I’m posting this article is so I can tell everyone that Butthole Surfers guitarist Paul Leary used to have a dog named “Mark Farnier From Grand Funk Railroad”.
Oldies
There are 9 songs listed under “Oldies But Goodies”. So, how old do you think these songs are? Prepare to have your expectations ruined. I looked up the single release dates, and remember, that this magazine was out as early as January 1971, but I counted them as March so they are very likely two months newer than I’ve listed.
Jimmy Cliff – Wonderful World, Beautiful People (October 1969, 17 months)
Led Zeppelin – Whole Lotta Love (November 1969, 16 months)
Credence Clearwater Revival – Who’ll Stop the Rain? (January 1970, 15 months)
The Cuff Links – When Julie Comes Around (November 1969, 16 months)
Leslie Gore – Why Doesn’t Love Make Me Happy (Sometime in 1970, it’s a non-album single, so I can’t really guestimate)
“Watch out Girl” ???
Joe South – Walk a Mile In My Shoes (January 1970, 15 months)
Christie – Yellow River (April 1970, 11 months)
Dion – Your Own Backyard (Sometime in 1970 as a single, but it wasn’t released on an album until 1975)
“Watch out Girl” (they didn’t list an artist for this, but the most likely culprit is The Embers, and this was a B-side to “Far Away Places” in 1970. It wasn’t reissued as an A-Side until 1977)
I’ve never heard of Christie, Joe South, or The Cuff Links, but more on that later. Also, a late entry by Lelie Gore whose fame had already peaked 8 years prior. Leslie, if you’re reading this, I mean no disrespect. But if you really are reading this, you best get back in your grave, girl.
Soul
At first, I was going to make a segregation joke, but really, all the genres are separate so it wouldn’t work anyway. You’ll be happy to know that the Soul Artist of the Month was Jerry Butler, or maybe you won’t, but he does get the biggest picture.
Country
Chet Atkins was a hit making producer as well as musician, and he signed “the first African-American Country Singer” Charley Pride, which caused a lot of violent altercations in the south. Also, Atkins biggest hit was a guitar centric remake of “Yakety Sax” called “Yakety Axe” which was released in 1965.
Without further delay, the 8-Track:
Usually, when I stray from the format, there’s a top ten list or something for me to pull from, but this magazine is not that sophisticated. So, instead I’m going to pull from the sections and just explore some stuff I’ve never heard before.
The Cuff Links – When Julie Comes Around
Hailing from Staten Island, The Cuff Links (aka Cufflinks) were a bubblegum pop studio group masterminded by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss, who were accomplished songwriters (“Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini”) by 1969. They had singer Ron Dante front a bunch of these single use pop groups to crank out a bunch of singles seeking a hit, and while Dante was working, a single he sang called “Sugar, Sugar” as the “leader” of The Archies went to number one in September of 1969. Vance and Pockriss enlisted a then unknown Rupert Holmes (“Escape (The Pina Colada Song)”) to arrange “Julie”.
Meanwhile, just as “Sugar, Sugar” was falling from number one, The Cuff Links’ first single was rising. “Tracy” was a fast hit and reached number one in October of 1969. When “Tracy” became a hit, the team had to assemble a record quickly. By Dante’s recollection, he recorded the entire album’s vocals in a day and a half. “Julie” was released and peaked at #41 in the U.S.
A band was assembled to tour, but Dante was under contract and did not tour, nor did he record for the second Cuff Links album. Dante was stiffed on the royalties for the first, and had to go the offices of Vance and Pockriss and confront them in person to get paid. Holmes recorded (most of) the vocals for the second Cuff Links album. Vance and Pockriss frankensteined several versions of the group and continued to release singles into 1975.
Dante continued to sing for similar projects, released a disco album in 1978, and then became a back up singer for Barry Manillow. He also sang the theme song for NBC’s Silver Spoons. Holmes joined up with The Buoys, and their first single “Timothy” was banned because it was about two minors trapped in a mine collapse who resorted to cannibalism. Holmes continued as a prolific songwriter, writing for a number of artists before he moved on to becoming a playwright who has one two Tony Awards. Vance and Pockriss continued writing songs, Pockriss went on to write songs for Sesame Street.
Badfinger – No Matter What
Welsh band Badfinger started in 1961 as The Iveys, but changed their name to Badfinger after the working title for Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends” (originally “Bad Finger Boogie”). This song comes from No Dice, their second album (Or third if you include a first album record as The Iveys). It turns out I have heard this song, we had a classic rock station in Virginia that was the rare station not owned by Clear Channel (Satan), they would play this once in a while. Of course, they never told you what they were playing or who it was by. I think this was also in a commercial some time ago.
Badfinger released several albums on Beatles’ Apple Records imprint, but when the distribution with EMI ended Apple was embroiled in legal fights with EMI, which destroyed the band. They split in 1975, when singer guitarist Pete Ham committed suicide. They reformed in 1978, and had shifting lineups with as many as 2 to 3 changes per year. The split “permanently” in 1984, but like any band who released anything prior to 1970, there is at least one zombified version of Badfinger out there touring Europe.
The Fifth Dimension – One Less Bell To Answer
You probably know The Fifth Dimension for their number one hit medley of two songs from Hair: “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In”. This song spent six weeks at the top spot in the spring of 1969. This song was released in 1970, and peaked at #2, kept from the top spot by George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord”.
Most of the Fifth Dimension’s recordings were backed up by the mighty Wrecking Crew. The group has been going since 1966, but it’s currently in (yet another) Frankenstein version with Florence LaRue as the only original member. LaRue also has an extensive theater career.
Jack Greene – Something Unseen
Tennessee’s Jack Greene began playing guitar at the age of 10. At 18 he was a regular on Tennessee Barn Dance, and in his early 20s he moved to Georgia and started The Peach Tree Boys. He moved back to Tennessee where he started The Tennessee Mountain Boys in which he sang, played drums, and guitar. His band opened for Ernest Tubb, and Tubb recruited Greene into his backing band in 1962. Tubb encouraged Greene to go out on his own, Greene recalled: “Ernest told me ‘Son, I believe it’s time to go.’ But also said ‘If you can’t make it, you can always come back’.”
Greene had hits starting in 1966, but by 1975, his hits were declining rapidly and he was dropped by his label. He had a brief resurgence in 1980, but continued touring and was part of the Grand Ole Opry until 2007. In 2011, he retired from touring. He died in 2013 from complications stemming from Alzheimer’s Disease.
Ronnie Dyson – I Don’t Wanna Cry
Speaking of Hair, Brooklyn’s Ronnie Dyson won the lead in the Broadway musical at 18. He also had a cameo in the 1979 film. He continued his theater career, and segued into a recording career by releasing singles of songs he sang in his shows. Here, we’re at his second single which only peaked at #50.
Dyson was with Columbia Records, until he moved over to Atlantic in 1982. Dyson died of heart failure in 1990, and the far too young age of 40.
Chairman of the Board – Pay to the Piper
In 1967, the songwriting powerhouse team Holland / Dozier / Holland left Motown to start their own label(s). The recruited General Johnson (his actual name) with Eddie Curtis, Danny Woods, and (Canadian!) Harrison Kennedy to form Chairman of the Board. Their first single (“Give Me Just a Little More Time”) peaked at #3, and the rest of their songs were high on the R&B charts, but didn’t do too much on the regular US chart. This track went to #13, and only 2 other singles charted in the US after this.
The group splintered and all recorded solo albums. Johnson and Woods continued with the group, which split in 1976. In 1978, Johnson and Woods brought on new member Ken Knox, now credited as General Johnson and Chairmen of the Board. They started their own label and focused on “Beach Music”. However improbable it may seem, General Johnson recorded with Joey Ramone and we talked about it back in Old Music Monthly #012. General Johnson died from lung cancer in 2010, and the band continues as a zombified version (of course) under the guidance of Knox.
B. (Buddy) Miles – Dreams
The magazine lists this track “as recorded by B. Miles”, but out lord and master Google clarified that with the quickness.
Buddy Miles was born in Omaha, Nebraska and was playing in his dad’s band by the age of 12. His dad was a stand-up bass player for Duke Ellington and Count Basie, among others. Miles moved on to play with Wilson Pickett and The Delfonics. He met Jimi Hendrix (you’ve probably never heard of him) in 1964 when they were both sidemen for other artists. Miles eventually joined Band of G*psies, and also recorded with Santana, as well as several projects using variations of his own name.
In addition to drums, he was also a gifted singer, guitarist, and saxophonist. The best part? He sang on the California Raisins commercials and on two California Raisins albums. I was a fan of Buddy Miles at 11 years old and I didn’t even know it! I used to have a yellow California Raisins t-shirt that I loved. Miles died of heart failure at his home in 2008.
The Flaming Ember(s) – I’m Not My Brother’s Keeper
Originally The Flaming Embers 1964, they changed to the singular version in 1969. They were a blue-eyed soul band from Detroit who named themselves after a local restaurant. They scored a regional hit penned by George Clinton (yes, that one) in 1967, then declined to sign with Motown and instead signed with Holland /Dozier / Holland’s Hot Wax Records instead. They scored a number of minor singles before this one (“Brother’s Keeper” peaked at #34), but after this they were relegated to bar band status for the rest of the 70s.
Not really sure when they split, but they were inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 1999.
Christie – Yellow River
Christie is a pop singer who wears roller skates and sings bubble gum pop. No, just kidding, it’s a group of pasty white British men. The lead singer / bassist / songwriter is Jeff Christie, but really, they should’ve picked a better name. They could call it Crunchie and he could change his name to Jeff Crunchie. I mean, it’s not worse.
Anyway, Christie (the guy) presented the song “Yellow River” to the Tremoloes, but they wanted to go more hardcore (my words, not theirs) as they were entering the 70s. The Tremoloes had recorded the song before they changed their minds, so Christie (the guy) recorded his vocals over their instrumentation. Christie (the guy) then got in touch with Tremoloes drummer’s brother’s band, The Epics, and Christie (the guy) absorbed them into Christie (the band).
“Yellow River”, Christie’s ode to golden showers was a number one UK hit for the band. It peaked at 23 in the US, and has been covered by many artists including REM and Elton John.
That’s all for now, folks. There will be a slight hiatus while I start catching up on 1997! Thanks for reading!