TV Radio Mirror (Jan - Jun 1963)

SINGLES 1) Further More/Saturday Night at the Movies, Ray Stevens (Mercury) — Well, old "Ahab" has come off them burning sands and is strongly in the running again with his belly-laffin' "Further More." The flip is good, but a little long drawn. 2) Chains/Stranger in My Arms, The Cookies (Dimension)— "Chain" looks like a winner, the ladies sure belt it out. The flip is just a filler. This could be another "Locomotion." 3) No One Can Make My Sunshine Smile/Don't Ask Me to Be Friends, The Everly Brothers (Warner Bros.) — If this isn't a hit, I'll eat the record. The lads are in fine fettle here. "No One," I believe, is the stronger, but the flip has a message the teenagers will dig. 4) Spanish Lace/Somebody's Waiting, Gene McDaniels (Liberty) — This chap may be on his way to another big one with "Lace." It's a tune composed by Tin Pan Alley's great team of Pomus and Shuman. Gene, aided by the Johnny Mann Singers, turns in a fine performance. The flip is improbable. Look for this one to be big. 5) The Payoff /Cast Your Fate to the Wind, Martin Denny (Liberty) — Martin Denny, riding high on the L.P. charts with his latest album, "Taste of Honey," now has the follow-up to his single "Honey." Liberty informs me "Cast Your Fate" is the strong side, but this reviewer sees more potential in "The Payoff." Some fine Denny piano. 6) Hercules/I'm Gonna Clip Your Wings, Frankie Vaughn (Philips) — This record is the kind that could sneak up on you. Frankie turns in a shouting performance as the man who, when in love, is "Hercules." The flip will not set the world on fire, but, with some deejay help, "Hercules" could be a monster hit. 7) Every Step of the Way/Blues Stay Away From Me, Pat and Shirley Boone (Dot) — Although Pat and Shirley turn in an exciting performance on "Blues," "Every Step" seems the stronger competition for hit honors. Both members of this talented Boone family carry their own weight. 8) I Am/Earthquake, Roy Hamilton (Epic) — Here again the record company feels "I Am" is the strong side, but I take issue with them. Roy's original "Earthquake" has much more market value. It's a winner from the arrangement and voices to Roy's vital rendition. 9) Come to Me/Weddin' Bells, Richard "Popcorn" Wylie (Epic) — Epic again climbs the chart with this comparative newcomer, "Popcorn" Wylie. He's sort of a cross between Fats Domino and Sam Cooke. His voice is not his meat and potatoes, but rather his stylizing is his trump. 10) Cold, Cold Heart/I Don't Hurt Anymore, Dinah Washington (Mercury) — Well, the "Queen" is on the scene! The Hank Williams' classic "Cold, Cold Heart" looks as if it can get more mileage than "I Don't Hurt Anymore." As usual, Miss Washington turns in a glowing performance. THE NEW SOUNDS Continued from page 9 simply, he's an album-maker, not a single record maker. He can experiment, due to the fact that, if his reputation and sales value are strong, he is presold. Of course, huge success can sometimes kill the chances of opening new avenues of expression. Another large trend seems to be the "Nashville sound." Many artists have been flying to Nashville to make their single efforts. Aside from the fact that Elvis, the Everly Brothers and Brenda Lee make all their records there (to say nothing of Patti Page, Clyde McPhatter, Damita Jo and Brook Benton ) , the reason for Nashville, I believe, is that rock 'n' roll and country-andWestern have found a denominator and have blended. Evidence of each is apparent on the other's shining examples. There is now growing a new style, an individual attitude, which will one day no longer be a middle ground. For the present it's called "the Nashville sound." Geographically, the reason for it being "Nashville" is simply that, in that fair city, reside musicians who have absorbed two styles and can marry them without it becoming a disconcerting morass. These players, who do ninety percent of the accompanying, also have the capabilities to improvise arrangements, in the same sense as gypsy musicians in Europe and our own jazz players. To those watching the music scene, this amalgamation has been in the coming since the world started shrinking after World War II. Another thing that appears to be a trend is the large album. This, too. seems to be part of a natural sequence of events. The recording industry just now begins to leave its infancy behind. It's older and broader in its backlog. Subsequently, Decca, for instance, can put out a Crosby package with numerous L.P.s and cover twenty-five years of Crosby's career. Yes, soon, as with other developed mediums of expression, you will find the historic element in L.P. packages. I cheer it. I think that it opens the door to possibly the best way, with the exception of the film art. to look back and absorb the past. Through this medium, it can remain a vital expression. A living one. All in all, a marvelous achievement and one that cannot be developed or extended enough. — Till next month.