Making Your Memories with Rock & Roll and Doo-Wop: The Music and Artists of the 1950's and Early 60's

By J.C. De Ladurantey

Making Your Memories With Rock & Roll and Doo Wop: The Music and Artists of the 1950's and Early 60's digs back through the catelogue of popular music and brings to life the solo artists, duos, and groups whose music once filled the airwaves and turntables with rock and roll and doo wop. "Joe D, The Doctor of Doo Wop" brings his expertise, honed by hosting a weekly radio, "Making Your Memories," to his revelation of the backstories of these trendsetting artists. Listen live on Southern California's KSBR, FM 88.5 or on the web at www.ksbr.org

Until the British Invasion in mid 1963 changed the direction of American music, the sounds created by the artists profiled in "Making Your Memories with Rock & Roll and Doo Wop shaped the entertainment soundtrack of a generation. THis music history shares little known details of the lives of these artists, the history of the period, the distinctiveness of the music, and the power and influence of the songs lyrics.
Making Your Memories with Rock & Roll and Doo Wop: The Music and Artists of the 1950's and Early 60's will leave echoes of the time's memorable songs in your mind's ear, their lyrics on the tip of your tongue, and their memories in your heart. You'll discover a fresh desire to find the recordings and give them another spin on your record player, even if your digital music lives in the cloud.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.C. De Ladurantey
• Release date: Feb 23, 2017
• ISBN: 9781491784013

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1960S

Copyright © 2016 J.C. De Ladurantey The Doctor of Doo-Wop.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-4917-8402-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-8401-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016900475

iUniverse rev. date: 02/17/2016

Contents

Foreword

Preface

1. Introduction—The KSBR Story

2. A Simpler Time

3. Simple Music

Section A — Rock and Roll and Doo-Wop History

4. The Days the Music Died

5. Good Old-Fashioned Rock and Roll

6. Behind the Scenes

7. Crossovers

8. Covers, Versions, and Tributes

9. The Orchestration of Rock and Roll

10. Songs That Salute the Music

11. Do Ya Wanna Dance?

12. But, Daddy, Where Are the Words?

13. American Bandstand and Dick Clark

Section B — The Magic of Song

14. Sad Songs, Heartaches, and Tragedies

15. Pure Romance

16. The Magical Songs of June and Summer

17. Music from the Movies

18. Places, Destinations, and Cities

19. The Weather

20. Cars and Novelty Songs

Section C — Doo-Wop-Doo-Wah

21. An Analysis of Rock and Roll and Doo-Wop Music

22. The Art of Falsetto

23. Nonsense Songs

Section D — It’s All about the Music!

24. Positive Messages—Songs That Made You Feel Good

25. Great Songs That Never Hit the Charts

26. One-Hit Wonders

27. The Magic of One Word

28. Music of the Surf

29. Music by Geography

Section E — The Artists of the 1950s and Early ’60s

30. Teen Idols

31. The Ladies and Female Groups of Rock and Doo-Wop

32. The Name Game

33. Saluting Those Who Served Our Country

34. The Influencers

35. The Duos

36. They Wrote It and Sang It

37. Still Performing

38. The Era of Elvis—His Many Faces

39. The Three Faces of Bobby Darin

40. What Is in a Name?

41. Interviews and Greetings

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

Doo-Wop / Rock and Roll: Level 1 Trivia Quiz

Doo-Wop / Rock and Roll: Level 2 Trivia Quiz

Oldies Fan Quiz

References

Foreword

Mr. Brian Beirne has been one of the most familiar voices on the airwaves and is considered to be one of the foremost modern music historians in America. As Mr. Rock N’ Roll, his trademarked moniker, he was honored after five decades on the air, which included his twenty-nine years at KRTH 101 in Los Angeles, representing the longest continuous stint in FM radio history. He is currently the producer of Legendary Shows, presenting ’50s’, ’60s’, and ’70s’ artists throughout the world. In 1991 he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

By Brian Beirne, Mr. Rock N’ Roll

Some fifty-plus years ago, as a kid of thirteen, I played my first record on the radio. I can still feel the thrill of cueing up my first 45 rpm record and throwing the mike switch for the very first time. DJs like myself had full creative freedom with our show, and we had the pulse beat of the American teenager. We were their friends, and they were ours … we spoke the same language … music! Teenagers from all walks of life were enthralled with this new expression of freedom we labeled rock and roll. Kids sang on the street corners looking for an echo … still others picked up a musical instrument for the first time. Everyone wanted in on the excitement.

For those of you who lived it, you’ll enjoy this reflection of those golden years. For those of you who didn’t, you’ll have a firsthand glimpse of what you missed. This book truly captures what I like to call that gentle period in time when we had drive-ins rather than drive-bys. Enjoy it … and rock on.

Preface

We are a culture of people forever fascinated by our pasts and our futures. We look into crystal balls; check our horoscopes; dream of lives less complicated; and wish for houses on hills, luxury cars, and ideal mates. We also reflect back on our childhoods and adolescence. We embrace fond memories of times that were fun and full of adventure, heartbreak, and a lack of responsibility. That was a description of the 1950s in the United States. It was clearly a simpler time.

The 1950s was a very unique period. It was before the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It was before the Beatles. Our country could have withstood any one of those events—but not all four. Facing just one event, we would have continued unabated into the later ’60s much as we had been in the late ’50s—with stability, innocence, and simplicity. But that was not to be. The ’50s represented a time of long periods of stability with only periodic episodes of chaos. After 1963–64, that all changed. The later ’60s were a time of infrequent levels of stability, with more and more chaos.

Those of us who matured in the years from 1954 through 1960 were exposed to the innocence that the music of the day captured. We would be at an eighth-grade graduation party, with boys on one side and girls on the other. It was 1956 when we were captivated by Shirley and Lee’s Let the Good Times Roll, just to hear a faint grunt that said, We do not have to follow all the notes in the song. We watched 45 rpm records spin and drop down Eddie, My Love by the Teen Queens and looked for someone, anyone, to hold in a small embrace. And then we would thank our musical dance partner and look for someone else.

With the development of the jukebox industry during the 1930s, Billboard began publishing music charts as an expansion of their business of selling sheet music for the vaudeville theaters. Information for rankings was based upon records sold and jukebox plays. In 1953 there was not one rock and roll song on the Billboard Top 30. The charts reflected artists such as Tony Bennett, the Four Aces, Eddie Fisher, Patti Page, Rosemary Clooney, Doris Day, and Kitty Kallen, who had the number one song of the year, "Little Things Mean a Lot." Those artists had two songs each in the Top 30 and dominated the industry. Nat King Cole and the Four Knights represented African Americans on the charts.

One of the most powerful influences of the ’50s and early ’60s was clearly the music. World War II was over, the Korean conflict went to the second page, and music was having a more profound effect on our lifestyle. Rock and roll, with its beat, the influence of rhythm and blues, and an emphasis on lyrics, as unique as they were, precisely expressed the feelings between two people. We would watch the radio and listen intently to the words and how they affected us. The car radio played music that extended to our hi-fi record players that spun 45s and 33 1/3 rpm long-playing albums. Early rock and roll eventually faded out those 78 rpms in favor of the smaller 45 rpm discs and twelve-inch 33 1/3 albums.

The turning point for music in the ’50s was to occur in 1954. Two songs made the Billboard Top 30 that forever changed the fabric of what was listened to: Sh-Boom and Shake, Rattle and Roll. Billboard recognized Sh-Boom by the Crew Cuts and Shake, Rattle and Roll by Bill Haley and the Comets, while much of the country listened to the versions recorded by the Chords in 1953 and Big Joe Turner at house parties (Whitburn 2010).

In the era of the 1950s, innocence and immaturity dominated. We could do whatever we chose to do with family support systems and our own visions of the American dream. When bread was only twenty-three cents a loaf, we knew we would never go hungry. Our happiness and innocence were being reflected in the music. They were in the words, nonsense syllables, instrumentation, and, of course, the beat. Radio was king, and it clearly was a world for teenagers.

Making Your Memories with Rock and Roll and Doo-Wop (MYM) is more than a book chronicling an industry. Most importantly, it is intended not to reflect all elements of the music listened to but to tell the reader a story—a love story, an affair of the heart, mind, and soul. This particular era of music was one that was listened to, watched, and danced to. MYM also chronicles our thought processes, our feelings, hopes, dreams, and heartaches. Today this same music still makes us feel young again and provide a time to shed the years.

In my later years, I had a unique opportunity to go back to school and take classes in broadcasting. I took that opportunity, obtained a time slot on a local radio station, and created a format titled—you guessed it—Making Your Memories. This book follows that journey and highlights the various shows produced by category and theme. MYM focuses on the music, lyrics, and artists and their stories. Absent the truth in music discussion, I leave any conflict, legal, or race issue aside for other, more knowledgeable authors. MYM is about the love affair with the music and the artists. It is my memories, as I remember them, almost off the top of my head. Any references are to ensure I do not misquote an important part of the story told regarding love of the music.

While the times may have been simpler, today’s technology offers many options. It is my intent to utilize this technology to aid you, my readers, in consuming yourselves in the music. As you read each chapter, pull out your own collection of CDs, and listen to a few bars of the song or artist being discussed. You will not only be able to reflect on the music but also see it through the magic of your memory. As Freddy Johnson, bass singer for the Marcels of Blue Moon fame, wrote (Gribin and Schiff 2000 Foreword):

Nothing can change a memory, especially a time,

When music had meaning to it.

Memories are glimpses to a legendary time.

JCD

Chapter One

Introduction—The KSBR Story

All of my love, all my kissin’, you don’t know

what you’ve been missin’ …

OH BOY – BUDDY HOLLY

A s a young teenager, I was always enthralled with the music of the ’50s. The challenge was to listen to the song, remember the words, and try to sing along with the message delivered by the artist. Some of the songs were more challenging than others. For many of us, the song, its melody, and many times its nonsensical nature were easier to remember than the dates, times, and figures that were taught in high school classes.

The first MYM business card.

We were on our way!

I started collecting 45s and 33 1/3 albums and listening to the radio at the age of twelve. With limited funds from a limited allowance, I could only buy a few at a time. Not satisfied with the size of my collection, I shoplifted the small 45s, putting them under my shirt and sliding out of a neighborhood market that would later employ me. My collection of music grew rapidly, and I became known as the one with the best collection. I was invited to small gatherings after school or a Friday-night party—but only if I would bring my collection of records. It was only after I was caught shoplifting my favorite song of the moment that my collection stabilized.

I was invited to a party one Friday night at the tender age of fourteen. I was asked by a very charming young girl in class to bring my collection of 45s for the music. I could not go for some reason and advised her of that fact. She asked if she could borrow the collection, and I agreed to loan her a portion of what I had accumulated. I was totally unaware that this was a going-away party for her and her family. The next day, they moved and took my collection with them! I went back to shoplifting.

My collection grew again and over the years became a big part of my devotion to the music and artists. It was only when I went into the United States Marine Corps that my collection was again given away, this time by my mother. There is no doubt that she knew the source of the majority of the collection, so in hindsight, I guess I deserved it.

And that is where the story really begins.

Taking on my various careers and pursuit of education, I spent time commuting or traveling. Listening to the collection became my therapy to defeat the Los Angeles–area traffic. There were still visits to Tower Records, Sam Goody, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, and my favorite discovery for music, Penny Lane. Antique stores with their collection of old 45s and albums hidden in the back aisles also called to me. I would purchase an entire album just for the one song that brought back that memory.

My taste in music had expanded. Orange County had its own station, KSBR, located at 88.5 FM on your radio dial and broadcast worldwide on the web at www.ksbr.org.

KSBR is the most listened-to jazz station in the world, with audiences in Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Europe. The studios are located on the campus of Saddleback Community College, and the station is licensed to the South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees. Their legal ID is KSBR, Mission Viejo, as they are located in that city. The licensed transmitter power output is a mere 471 watts. Because it is a nonprofit student-run station located in the lower FM band, there are never on-air commercial announcements or personal statements regarding the music. It is just pure contemporary jazz.

While I respect jazz and those who wrote and performed it, it always seemed to be background music to life as we did other things. The station called to me because of its local news, delivered informatively by Dawn Kamber, and their specialty shows on the weekend with alternative jazz, blues, and music of the late ’60s and early ’70s. There was even an ’80s show on Sunday nights. But no ’50s or early ’60s.

One typical, beautiful South Orange County Saturday afternoon in mid-2010, I was listening to KSBR’s air talent Bob Goodman and his show, A Whole Nuther Thing. I do not remember the song, but he actually played a song from the ’50s. It could have been the Everly Brothers or a tribute to Ritchie Valens, the Big Bopper, and Buddy Holly; quite frankly I do not remember. I went crazy! There was no other radio station in the Los Angeles area playing my music. The one big station in the Los Angeles and Orange County area that was known for oldies was playing ’70s and ’80s for their new audience demographic.

I drove home and looked up the station on the web. I scrolled to the KSBR site and located the name of the general manager, Terry Wedel. I had an idea. I would ask him if I could loan the station a portion of my collection so they could play more ’50s music for their listeners. I obtained his e-mail address from the website and sent him a brief message offering my collection for airplay. A few days later, to my surprise, I received a response. Sounds interesting, he said. Come down to the station, and maybe we could talk about it.

We settled on a date and time to meet. We talked about the music and my knowledge of the artists and background of songs, and after about thirty minutes, he shocked me with his proposal: I don’t think we have anyone available that knows the music like you do. I’ll make you a deal. You go to broadcasting school—we will see if you can do it—and we will give you a time slot to play the music yourself. I would have to take a series of five classes in order to produce, mix, engineer, and announce, as it was a student-run station with no support from any full-time employees.

For the next five months, I went back to community college and took a series of classes that enhanced my appreciation of the world of radio and broadcasting. I learned the historical and technical side of the house to a minimally acceptable level, all with the assistance of very patient and professional instructors, fellow students, and even a tutor.

Returning to community college was an eye-opener. After settling in to the course work and adjusting to being around young boys and girls, I shared my vision with them as I produced musical interludes utilizing ’50s and ’60s music to learn the technical side of broadcasting. During class we were required to present our projects. I was overwhelmed to find that the younger set knew and recognized many of the songs from the ’50s. Other classmates of Gen X, Y, and millennials heard my music and inquired regarding the artists and song titles. I would later hear them humming Earth Angel or Sixteen Candles during our technical sessions. It was then that I knew that there was a new generation that could be captured by the sounds of the ’50s and early ’60s. It became my inspiration to bring my vision of Making Your Memories to all generations.

In January 2011 Terry Wedel took a big chance and gave me a Monday morning time slot playing jazz that had been programmed in to the Selector automatic-play system of KSBR. Within the first week, I had accidentally shut the station down by hitting the wrong buttons, played two songs at the same time, and talked for three minutes without