(484) MERLE TRAVIS : A FIXTURE AT AMERICAN MUSIC AND SONGWRITER FOR TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD

I met Merle Travis, the country western singer who they called a "guitar picker" and who came from the South - Kentucky,  when he came into American Music, the big song publishing house I worked for as a staff writer for several years when I first moved to Los Angeles!  I grew up in North Carolina and Oregon listening to Country music and never lost my enthusiasm for it.  Merle wrote songs and played on sessions for demos and became a fixture there.  Great man!

So many artists who went into performance careers have worked making demos, Bobby Darin, as I recently mentioned, made demos in the recording studios in the Brill Building, in New York City.  Glen Campbell made demos in Los Angeles, some for American Music.  I made demos while at American Music and also I made demo's for Pat Boone's company, Cooga- Mooga! 

Demo records of songs with hit potential were send out - sometimes hand delivered by people like me - to the recording artists that the writer had in mind for their listen.  Sometimes they piled up in a corner and months went by before one got a listen, so that personal connection was important.

 

DISCOGS PAGE FOR MERLE TRAVIS link

(431) AFTER 1965 I WROTE MUSIC FOR TELEVISION AND FILM

After 1965 and the closure of American Music, the music publishing house where my five year song writing contact ended early with the death of the owner, Sylvester Cross, I decided to go independent, and like so many other American songwriters in that time when British Bands with their own singer-songwriters in the band were dominating the charts, I decided to try also writing music for television shows and films.

Honoring my contract that I'd left New York to move to Los Angeles for, I'd let offers to perform again and other opportunities go by the wayside. You can't live your life over, but sometimes you can't help wondering what might have been if you took a different road.

While many of my songwriter peers also took their chances at opening their own publishing houses and recording studios, many of my singer-actor peers were trying to move their singing into acting, like Elvis had been doing, but on television.

I watched a lot of television just like Elvis did and I was eager to place songs on some of them.

Very few have the lasting career of an Elvis Presley and even Elvis, despite all the movies he made that kept him in the public eye, was feeling the effects of the changes in music, what was selling, a different sound.

My friend always kept up on the latest music. He had records that were popular in the states sent to him when he was in the army in Germany, and he had the guys go down to the record stores in Hollywood and bring back records for his home juke boxes. In just a few years he'd need a "come back." But I don't want to go too far in my story yet.

FROM OUR ARCHIVES POST (306) A LITTLE REITERATION OF MY STORY JUST TO GET YOU SITUATED !

EXCERPT FROM OUR ARCHIVES
POST (306) FROM APRIL 23, 2012

A LITTLE REITERATION OF MY STORY JUST TO GET YOU SITUATED !

... But if you've been following my story, you know that I was born in Murphy, North Carolina, that I made my first recording in a kitchen in Winston-Salem, that I was discovered as THE NEXT JAMES DEAN in Akron, Ohio, in 1957, which lead to auditions in Hollywood and my living in New York City. I studied at Actors' Studio. I traveled all around the United States promoting my first couple records as the FIRST ARTIST SIGNED TO UNITED ARTISTS. Then, while on Roulette Records I toured for a couple years - in 47 states! -with rockabilly Superstar BUDDY KNOX. I became friends with Elvis Presley back in '57, one of the great friendships of my life.

I performed on Ed Sullivan, Jack Paar, Wink Martindale... so many television shows all around the country. I played live on radio stations. And then - then I moved to Southern California to work as a staff songwriter for AMERICAN MUSIC about 1960, after the KNOX tour was completed.

From the east coast to the west I moved and so did some of the people who were integral to my story. People like Elvis Presley, Johnny Rivers, and Jimmy Bowen were now also living in Hollywood for film or music...

(419) WES BRYAN : LOST MUSIC : BOBBY DARIN TM MUSIC and THE OLD PROSPECTOR

After Bobby Darin had TM, his music publishing company which he started in about 1963, he bought a song from me called "The Old Prospector." He recorded it on a full session himself and he took it to Vegas to pitch it to Louie Prima and Keely Smith.

This is a song that has not been released by Bobby or his heirs and, like Elvis' version of my song "The Dying Ember," which was released on Dot Records by Randy Wood as recorded by Dorsey Burnett, it's a song that could be found in some archive somewhere and, due to the full production, could be released someday

There were a couple songs I was writer on that Bobby wanted to record but Sylvester Cross at American Music wouldn't split the Publishing with Bobby, so the business man Bobby walked away. He remained my friend though.

Bobby bought Trinity Music ("TM") from Ed Burton and Joe Csida, who'd managed Bobby, for about half a million. This move from entertainer to songwriter to music publisher is one I would someday make myself, with much less risk than Bobby had taken when I started U.S. International Records.

In previous posts we've talked about Bobby's early death and his desire to provide for his son Dodd and his heirs. You can use the search feature to pull up old posts and read more and listen to some music!

(403) ONE SUMMER NIGHT : U.S. INTERNATIONAL : MY OWN LABEL

Designing a record label I would be proud of for my own business, U.S. International Records (I was thinking Big!) was a major consideration for me. Some time had passed since my songwriting contract at American Music had ended with the death of Sylvestor Cross, and I decided to do what so very many artists are doing today, go independent.

My cousin Dean, an artist, helped me by designing this, and he did the art-work the good old fashioned way - hand drawing. I still think it's a beautiful label.

As for the recording, I took a truck out to the beach in Malibu and recorded seagulls and waves and added it to the production of "One Summer Night," which got a couple great reviews and good airplay, even though there was near no money to promote it to the radio stations.

(We haven't noticed a copy on the e-bay auctions since 2007!)

After I put it out and it started to get that airplay, Randy Wood at Dot Records decided to release it on his label.

One of the people who put it on the air, on his syndicated show, and that meant the record was heard in Europe was famous DJ and funny man Gary Hollis. Gary and I are still friends to this day.

(374) FROM OUR ARCHIVE (316) VIVA LAS VEGAS AND GLEN CAMPBELL

Friday, June 18, 2010

(316) VIVA LAS VEGAS and GLEN CAMPBELL

Glen Campbell was aboard at American Music where I worked. When he moved to Los Angeles after Jerry Capeheart signed him, he spent a lot of time with me at my place. I got Glen Campbell the gig with Elvis Presley for the music for VIVA LAS VEGAS. Glen had asked me to introduce him to Elvis many times so I eventually did introduce the two men. Elvis asked Glen for a demo record and Glen provided it. Glen gave Elvis a demo of an instrumental he did called "Buzz Saw" that really showed off his musical genius. Because Elvis loved the demo he made the phone calls and Glen was assigned to be the LEAD GUITARIST - the LEADER OF THE BAND - for the movie music. As a member of the Musicians Union he was paid triple scale for the soundtrack work. This was before Glen become famous. He was a songwriter and studio musician much in demand for years before "By The Time I Get To Phoenix," the Jimmy Webb composition.

(372) GLEN CAMPBELL 1964 ALBUM SHOWS OFF HIS 12 STRING GUITAR PLAYING EXCELLENCE

Jerry Capeheart, Eddie Cochran's old manager, discovered Glen Campbell and invited him out to Los Angeles, gave him an American Music songwriting contract. Glen played in studios as a musician, making his living behind the scenes, until performing called to him again.

(356) JAMMING AND INNOVATION : JIMMY BOWEN AND WES BRYAN BEAT THE QUOTA AT THE SONGWRITING FACTORY

Jimmy Bowen and I had to write a certain number of songs while we we worked for Sylvester Cross at American Music. One night we wrote dozens of songs.

Of those dozens a few were made into demos and then presented to artists. But that wasn't the point the evening we were jamming together.

We were under a certain pressure at all times to meet quota but Cross wanted quality.

We were also having a good time at it. We were kind of making fun of our situation, a couple laborers in a song-writing factory, but at the same time being willing to go with the flow, keep the critical voices in our heads on vacation.

Jamming with other musicians and songwriters fuels creativity. PS. FROM WES: JIMMY PLAYED THIS ONE ON THE DICK CLARK SHOW.

(332) PLACES TO GO THINGS TO DO : ELVIS & HIS GUYS

I was a frequent guest at Elvis' when he lived in Los Angeles which was during his movie making years. I had some of the best times of my life in those years! I was also a staff song writer at American Music and involved in the demo making process for American Music and Pat Boone's company, Cooga-Mooga. Seems my whole life had become about music by then!

When Elvis' guys came down into town from Bel Air, we'd meet up to watch a show, have a meal, sit around a talk or play music after work. The guys were called "His Guys" or "The Entourage" then. These guys were a lot of fun to be with, and some of them had active interest in songwriting or acting, though most of them lived their lives around their working for Elvis. They were living the life of a millionaire, but once in a while they would take a break and get away.

We had favorite clubs and restaurants where we met up with my songwriter colleagues. We liked the Palomino Club in the Valley, which became one of our hang outs. Barney's Beanery in West Hollywood was where we hung out. Cliff Gleaves prefered it and Trini Lopez would come in. We liked the Carolina Pines restaurant. We liked the Whisky A Go Go on Sunset.

Elvis was now too famous to just stop into a diner or a club, though there were a few he still went to. Sometimes he would just drive Sunset in his Rolls Royce.

JIMMY BOWEN on CAPEHEART : LIVING IN A TEENAGE DREAM WORLD JIMMY BOWEN

Jimmy worked at American Music, wrote songs, and was recorded on Jerry Capeheart's label, after he too left Roulette.

(307) JIMMY BOWEN - SINGER SONGWRITER and FAMOUS MUSIC PRODUCER TO BE !

JIMMY BOWEN figures in my story from way back. I met Jimmy Bowen while he was passing through Akron, Ohio. He took me to a record hop there, where my first record was played. It was a record I home made in Winston-Salem without a label so it could not be played on the radio legally.

Jimmy Bowen and Buddy Knox had a group called The Rhythm Orchids. (They started out wearing light purple shirts when they played!) Buddy Knox and Jimmy Bowen were both Texas boys. Jimmy played a stand up bass, an instrument that featured in early rock and roll but soon disappeared from road performances.

Eventually I would perform with Jimmy on the road while on Roulette Records. I was on the Buddy Knox tour but I would occasionally meet up with Jimmy's tour.

The two of us showed up to work at American Music in Los Angeles. The two of us wrote some songs together... including "Break Down and Cry" which was recorded by Fabian and "Don't Stay Away" which was recorded by Jerry Fuller.

We're linking here to CMT (COUNTRY MUSIC) pages for Jimmy Bowen who has been recording with the band SANTA FE - back to his roots in music! And the next few videos will be a little Jimmy Bowen music festival!

(306) A LITTLE REITERATION OF MY STORY JUST TO GET YOU SITUATED !

This year we've been revisiting the smaller record labels in Hollywood and some of the songwriters and singer-songwriters who were making the scene in Southern California in about 1963.

But if you've been following my story, you know that I was born in Murphy, North Carolina, that I made my first recording in a kitchen in Winston-Salem, that I was discovered as THE NEXT JAMES DEAN in Akron, Ohio, in 1957, which lead to auditions in Hollywood and my living in New York City. I studied at Actors' Studio. I traveled all around the United States promoting my first couple records as the FIRST ARTIST SIGNED TO UNITED ARTISTS. Then, while on Roulette Records I toured for a couple years - in 47 states! -with rockabilly Superstar BUDDY KNOX. I became friends with Elvis Presley back in '57, one of the great friendships of my life.

I performed on Ed Sullivan, Jack Paar, Wink Martindale... so many television shows all around the country. I played live on radio stations. And then - then I moved to Southern California to work as a staff songwriter for AMERICAN MUSIC about 1960, after the KNOX tour was completed.

From the east coast to the west I moved and so did some of the people who were integral to my story. People like Elvis Presley, Johnny Rivers, and Jimmy Bowen were now also living in Hollywood for film or music...

(284) FABIAN BREAK DOWN AND CRY DECEMBER 1962

My old friend from New York, Fabian (Fabian Forte), recorded a song that Jimmy Bowen and I wrote called "Break Down and Cry" and it was a hit for him! Pat Boone and Randy Wood (Dot was his label) were the producers.He recorded it as a 45 RPM single on Dot Records in 1962 (number 45-16413).



Then the song was recorded as a single on Chancellor (Number 16413).

Here's the chart for radio station KQV in Pittsburgh: http://user.pa.net/~ejjeff/kqv120162.html

Link now to Fabians official web site where you can find a link to his fan club by clicking on the title above!

Like many of my peers he has continued to sing his heart out, entertaining generations of Rock n' Roll fans!

He's been inducted into the Philadelphia Music Hall of Fame too. What a great contribution to music the sons and daughters of that city have made to American music!

THE MYSTERY OF PETER JAMES - NO HE IS NOT P.J. PROBY

"Peter James is a real person. He is not P.J. Proby or someone else, recording under a fake name. I met him working with Jerry Capeheart at American Music. I saw him record at United Western. He did demos but he was also a producer. He was a white fellow, about 6 feet tall, thin, dark hair, and he wore an eye-patch!"

That's what Wes Bryan had to say when I asked him to help solve the Peter James Mystery that has been the talk of rockabilly and early rock and roll fans on YouTube recently.

I also contacted P.J. Proby and he says he never recorded under the name Peter James.

My own internet research brought up no evidence that Peter James continued to work after this period. But there is something new on the net everyday.

So if Peter James is out there, please contact us!

Christine Trzyna

MOVIE MIRROR YEARBOOK 1961

BUDDY KNOX and WES BRYAN - posed together - were included in the Sound Sations pages of this magazine. Articles were published on Elvis, Rick Nelson, Tab Hunter in the same.

I moved to Los Angeles and signed on as a staff song writer at American Music where my life would continue to include the famous or near famous - people I first met in Akron, Ohio, New York City, or touring through the Southern States, or while recording on United Artists, Clock, or Roulette Records...

(240) LIFE IN HOLLYWOOD RECORDING STUDIOS

In 1962 I was living in Hollywood, not far from all the famous haunts. My brother was living with me. But as I maybe mentioned before, an exodus of New Yorkers came out to Los Angeles, including Johnny Rivers, who stayed with us for a time. Ersel Hickey was the one who had too much New York in him to come out this way.

Hollywood was laid back, easy going compared to New York. The people in the business were generous with their time and referrals. I tried to be the same way.

Working for American Music, I ran into another New Yorker I knew from the east, music producer Phil Spector. He would use the big studio - A, where he perfected his "Wall of Sound" at Goldstar, while I used the small studio - B, there. Dave Gold and Stan Ross owned Goldstar and it was one of the best.

Use the search feature of this blog to read about Phil Spector and our blog called GOLDSTAR - THE LUCKY STUDIO!

(182) GLEN CAMPBELL RECORDS JERRY CAPEHEART'S TURN AROUND LOOK AT ME

Jerry Capehart was the man who signed me to American Music. (I've seen Jerry's surname spelled Capeheart and Capehart by the way, and I don't remember which he preferred.) I was honored to be signed by a man who was a great songwriter himself. Jerry and I remained friends until he also passed into Eternal Life.

This is the YouTube video of Glen Campbell singing Jerry's "Turn Around Look At Me."

Versions of Jerry's hit song were later recorded by the Vogues and Elvis Presley. This one, the original circa 1961, came out on Crest Records. Guess who owned Crest Records? Sylvester Cross who owned American Music! And guess who was a staff songwriter at American Music? Glen!

VIDEO REPLACED MARCH 2013 ]

(123) ELVIS THE ALBUM SELLER and MOVIES

It was our job at American Music to "pitch" our demos to an artist if we had a connection there, but meanwhile Sylvestor Cross, the owner of the company, was always on the phone, making deals for the music we wrote, and despite the staff meetings, it was he who often made the final decision about what songs would go to Bobby Darin, which songs would go to Elvis Presley, and so on.

I was friends with Elvis and attending his house parties every weekend that he threw one, but Cross send demos that my co-workers and I had written by messenger - company mail. He didn't expect me to exploit my friendship with Elvis in that way, and Elvis knew it and appreciated it. So did I. I didn't want to make business an issue between us. That doesn't mean Elvis never entertained any of the songs we at American Music wrote, just that I wasn't showing up at the house with that purpose.

Once Elvis was making movies, and movie soundtracks, it wasn't often that he was looking for music for a single. Elvis was becomming what we called "an album seller" rather than "a single seller." And he had established his own publishing houses, which was a move a lot of singers, be they singer-songwriters or covertune types, took. It was an investment in the songs you recorded to own a peice of them as publisher, and a way to make even more money.

Movies and soundtracks would take him away from the Elvis who sang "Hound Dog." Elvis wasn't concerned. Not yet anyway.

(94) AMERICAN MUSIC AND ELVIS

While Sylvester Cross never pressed me to take demos directly to Elvis when I went to parties at his home or socialized with Elvis, he did thank me more than once for "bringing Elvis to my house." What he meant was not his home, but his music publishing house. What he meant was that because of me Elvis was open to getting demo from various American Music songwriters delivered to him for his consideration.

Actually American Music had a lot to thank Elvis Presley for already. It happened this way. Sylvester had the copyright on "Blue Christmas," which had been recorded by Ernest Tubb, the country music star. He'd hit with it in the 1940s. In about 1958 Elvis recorded it, because it was his personal favorite Christmas song! Every year American Music got a giant revenue from the song because it was so associated with Elvis and his version sold so well.

Now, Elvis also had an interesting relationship with the songwriters at American Music, which was at the time located at 9109 Sunset Boulevard, cross street Doheny, adjacent to Beverly Hills. When Elvis was at MGM or Paramount, on his way home to Bel Air, he would pass by driving in his car, usually later in the day, 5 or 5:30 say. If none of us were standing outside, Elvis would honk six times, then take off. This was his hello. If we were standing out there he would stop and chat with me, Glen Campbell, Jerry Capehart - whomever was out there.

(84) BOBBY DARIN, FRED HORTON, GLEN CAMPBELL, and ME

Fred Horton and I wrote "Ashes of Time." Fred didn't work for American Music like I did, but the collaboration was OK'd by Sylvester Cross. Bobby Darin loved the song and I pitched it to him and he went around humming it a bit.

Bobby Darin bought my song "The Old Prospector" for TM Music, his publishing company. He took it to Vegas to pitch it to Keely Smith and Louie Prima. They didn't record it.

Glen Campbell is one of the artist who recorded "Ashes of Time," on his album called "Country Music Star Number One." This album came out in 1969. By then a lot of things had changed. I was no longer working for American Music at all. I had my own company called U.S. International Records. Still, Fred and I were happy that my old co-worker Glen had decided to use our songs.

Linked above: Here's a bit from Answers.com on the album, and all the songs for the album which were written by Fred Horton and me.