(381) RCA A GREAT BIG RECORD LABEL

Elvis Presley left the Sun record label because RCA bought his contract from Sam Phillips about a year later, in 1955. So when I met Elvis in 1957 the old hound dog was already on a great big label, RCA.

Elvis is still on RCA!

We're linking to the RCA site!

In the 1920's RCA (Radio Corporation of America), which manufactured radios - the way most Americans first heard a record, purchased Victor and the label became RCA Victor. In the early 1950's RCA Victor was one of the big five. The others were Capitol, Mercury, Columbia, and Decca. EMI, the biggest label in the United Kingdom bought Capitol in 1955.

The big labels had the money to market, and marketing was an important part of moving a record into stores quickly so that sales could move it up the chart.

The smaller labels didn't have much of a marketing budget so it was up to the entertainer to promote. Sometimes playing a song on radio or TV sent fans into the record stores where there were few to no records to buy. They bought something else, something available.

By the late 1950's, the smaller independent labels that had been pioneers in releasing Rock and Roll records began to loose sales to the great big labels.

HOUND DOG SONGWRITER JERRY LEIBER HEADS FOR THE ROCK AND ROLL MANSION IN HEAVEN

"Rock 'n' roll songwriter Jerry Leiber, who wrote lyrics for such hits as "Hound Dog" and "Jailhouse Rock," died Monday. ...With Leiber as lyricist and partner Mike Stoller as composer, the team channeled their blues and jazz backgrounds into pop songs performed by such artists as Elvis Presley, the Coasters and Ben E. King... Their breakout hit was blues great Big Mama Thornton's 1953 rendition of "Hound Dog." Presley's version hit No. 1 in 1956."

We're linking to the Daily News article, one of many, put out by Associated Press."

Christine here : If you believe what the psychic Sylvia Browne has to say about heaven, there's a rock and roll concert going on over there where all the greats get to play together, so maybe Jerry gets to work with Elvis again! (And where Elvis gets to perform at the biggest arena ever!)

UPDATE MARCH 16 2012 We're adding the official Leiber -Stoller Site to our links list.

THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF WES BRYAN - MY LIFE IN MUSIC BLOG : THANKS GOOGLE!

Christine here: Wes called me the other day, the anniversary of Elvis Presley's death. We reminisced. Elvis was one of the big inspirations for us to start this blog. In fact we dedicated it to him. When I first met Wes Bryan, it was in a local library where he liked to meet with some of his friends. I knew Wes and his friends liked to talk old Hollywood. One day I realized that when he said anything about Elvis there was almost a reverent hush. Wes had a lot of fun with Elvis.

Blogging was an endeavor that was new to us. We have learned so much in the process! We couldn't do it without Google Blogger, which remains at no charge to us. Google recently bought YouTube, another site with thousands of contributor posted music videos that have become a resource for music historians all over the world. When we link to a site or a video we like to think we are sending our readers to more information and experience.

One of the thrills for Wes is that this blog has attracted not only new friends like Arne in Sweden, but so many old friends have found this way to reconnect. We say hello to all of you and thank you again for your contributions to the success of Wes Bryan - My Life in Music.

(380) 1964 ELVIS' GREAT YEAR : VIVA LAS VEGAS CAME OUT

I've said that Viva Las Vegas remains one of my favorite movies. Elvis was working on it in 1963, which is when he met Ann-Margret, but it came out in 1964. (It's my favorite Elvis movie.) It was very popular, so while the Beatles were "invading" America, Elvis was having a great year too. Was he worried about the Beatles' chart toppers effecting his success? No. But he was aware.
When Elvis was in Germany he had all the top hits sent over to him. Back in the states he loaded his juke box with his favorites. It was part of the business to know who was who and what was what. At the house he often played demos for me and Johnny Rivers, wanting our opinions; which ones should he record?

(379) BILLBOARD AD FOR 5th ANNIVERSARY OF ELVIS PRESLEY'S DEATH

Friends, we're linking here to the page in BILLBOARD MAGAZINE in which a few of us ran an ad in remembrance of ELVIS PRESLEY on the 5th anniversary of his death.

The ad was in the Aug 21, 1982 edition and we continued to place these ads, gaining more contributors, for both his birthday and these remembrances.

If you go back to my earliest posts - the very beginning of this blog in 2007 - you can read a bit more about what I have to say about Elvis, who was a friend of mine from 1957 on and one of the best friends a man could have.

Use the search feature of this blog to bring up some of my memories of this great man, and a great friend.

(378) ABOUT THE TIME I MET ELVIS IN 1957 : WES BRYAN

The Brooding James Dean type? So the photograph says. That's me, Wes Bryan, in New York about the time I was signed to a contract with United Artists to act and also to sing about 1957. It was about the time that I met Elvis Presley while on a UA tour of the deep south, which included Memphis.

I was optimistic about life and worked hard. Traveling, meeting people, and performing around the country brought me out of my shyness and into my confidence about my abilities.

(377) 1964 THE BEATLES TOUR AMERICA : CAPITOL RECORDS : STILL RECORDING "OLD TIME" ROCK AND ROLL

Christine here : The Beatles had been in the United States before, in 1963, and they lead a lot of British groups in what's been called "THE BRITISH INVASION" to success in America.

The Beatles got signed to Capitol Records, which had an association with EMI. Capitol put out the"Meet The Beatles" album, the first of four for that year. The Beatles were all over and up the charts. In Great Britain they put out an album called "Beatles For Sale." It was released as "Beatles IV" in the US.

The "Beatles For Sale" album was a tribute album to the early rock and rollers that the Beatles loved. It featured songs like Carol Perkins' "Honey Don't" with Ringo Starr singing, Carl Perkin's "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby," with George Harrison singing, Buddy Holly's "Words of Love," sung by Paul McCartney and harmonies with John Lennon. While Paul and John were writing original songs and would become two of the most prolific and famous songwriters of the Twentieth century, they covered these songs that were already considered "oldies" too.

The Beatles were on the Ed Sullivan Show in February of 1964 and toured the country. By August of 1964 they were featured guests at a charity event in Los Angeles arranged by Capitol records ; old Hollywood stars brought their teenagers. Back in England they went on the popular rock and roll "Ready Steady Go" television show, which was a project of Dave Clark of the group Dave Clark Five.

I had several friends over the years who were major Beatles fans and I became one too, turned on to the group listening to their records. I still love these early albums. They had such energy! There was so much excitement!

The Beatles very much part of my introduction to Rock and Roll and my lifelong love of music.

(376) FRED NEIL : STUDIO MUSICIAN : CAPITOL RECORDS ARTIST

FRED NEIL : What a voice! And a great person!
Freddy was six foot two, a freckled face, red hair. I met him in Saint Petersberg, Florida in December of 1957. He paled around with me and Ersel Hickey in New York and became a real good friend. He was a lot of fun - very comical - a prankster.

One time as I was walking across Broadway with some business people, I heard a loud voice, someone yelling for me with some profanity thrown in. I turned around and there he was, laughing at me. Freddy was turned loose in a big city.

Fred had a couple records on Capitol Records but his claim to fame was the song "Everybody's Talking," the movie Midnight Cowboy's theme song.

NICK VENET WAS THE PRODUCER ON THIS HIT.

Fred signed a contract with Southern Music. a division of Hill and Range, and became a big writer.

I wrote a song for Buddy Knox called "Bye Bye Helloa" and Freddy played all the instruments on the demo. It was recorded in a little studio in the Brill building. Freddy also worked in the studio with Bobby Darin.

(375) NICK VENET - PRODUCER AT CAPITOL HAD HIS OWN ROCKABILLY ORIGINS

CAPITOL RECORDS music producer Nick Venet had a rockabilly past of his own. This one is from 1957.
If you'll click on the title above you will go to a National Public Radio interview of Nick, who among many others, worked with Bobby Darin and Glen Campbell. This interview includes a Nick Venet produced version of Bobby Darin singing Dream Lover and is mostly about Bobby. Nick and Bobby went back to the Brill Building in New York, where Bobby was doing demos for other artists. There was a group of people who hung out in the restaurants nearby. I was one of them.

Nick Venet on Bobby Darin's career : "Being a songwriter was more realistic"

P.J. PROBY PROMOTIONAL VIDEO CIRCA 2011 !

Friends, we felt real lucky to have received this P.J. PROBY Promotional Video in our very own e-mail from P.J.'s manager Manja, who is in Holland. P.J. has just finished with the Elvis themed show and other venues are calling. There aren't many left of our generation who are as active in entertainment.



We're so Excited for P.J.!  This video shows his range - which has always been incredible - his talent and energy. Hey P.J. I want a silver suit too!

HELLO TO NEW FRIENDS USING TRANSLATORS IN FARSI AND ARABIC and A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR RECENT READERSHIP

Christine Trzyna here: Sleuth that I am (it must be all those NANCY DREW books I read in the fifth grade along with the English Classics!) I recently discovered that our blog is being translated in some languages we don't have translator flags for including Farsi and Arabic. We are a bit in awe that there are people in the Arabic and Farsi speaking countries interested in early American rock and roll and the cover tune era!

We appreciate our friends; the old friends as well as the new ones we're making!

You know we don't write for statistics but we do find our readership interesting. In the last 30 days the United States takes the lead as we tend to expect. Coming in second place are readers from Germany. Readers from France and the United Kingdom are almost tied. As are Canada and the Ukraine! We had a dozen or so readers from Australia and Poland. This week Latvia and India checked in! Welcome to you all!

UPDATE MAY 23 2012 - WE'VE INSTALLED THE NEW GOOGLE TRANSLATOR TO HELP YOU READ THIS BLOG! GIVE IT A TRY!

(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.

(373) GLEN CAMPBELL : ALZHEIMERS : LAST TOUR AND ALBUM

We're linking here to a recent LA Times Blog article about Glen Campbell, who has announced that, at 75, he has Alzheimer's but will go on one last tour.

And to what we believe to be his own site which has some excellent photos including of his latest album: http://surfdog.com/glencampbellshow/index.html

Glen was blessed with amazing musical talent, has had a long and winding road of a career and is known for his dozens of hit records, but his journey in life was not and is not easy going.

GLEN CAMPBELL : A AND W ROOTBEER 1966

Yes, Glen even worked on commercial jingles and promotions for products like rootbeer. But besides the interest here in Glen Campbell, let's just say in posting this that there has never been any shame attached to an honest day's work.

And for all of you who love music (and you have to love music to be in the business) there is no shame in background singing, jingle writing, or any of the behind the scenes work, like songwriting or music production; not everyone can become a star or have a public career that goes on for years. I feel lucky to have participated as much as I have! Wes

(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.

(371) CAPITOL RECORDS : A GREAT BIG RECORD LABEL

Throughout this blog we've posted on many of the smaller or regional record labels.

These labels were extrememly important to my generation of rockabilly and early rock and roll artists, as was the personality DJ who still was able to pick his or her favorites and give them a spin on the radio, often making stars out of artists. Many of these smaller labels had near no budget for promotion but the great big labels, such as Capitol Records did and so being signed by them usually meant that you'd have a publicity machine behind your efforts.

(YOU CAN USE THE SEARCH FEATURE OF THIS GOOGLE BLOGGER TO look up "personality DJ's" such as Cliff Gleaves, or Wolfman Jack!)

By 1964 Capitol had The Beatles of Great Britain and The Beach Boys of Los Angeles, California. They also had Glen Campbell, who was starting to move forward in his entertainment career after years of performing in small venues. (But let's hold a bit on the Glen Campbell story, which has been in the media lately.)

We're linking to the present day Capitol Records site where we noticed that BRIAN WILSON of the Beach Boys and RINGO STAR of the Beatles are still signed artists with this label!

OLD GOLDEN HOLLYWOOD

Probably the 1930's. A bit before my time in Hollywood, which began in the late 1950's when the Capitol Records building towered over the record business. Looks like Vine Street to me.

Used under terms and conditions with thanks from Dover Publishing

CAPITOL RECORDS : MISSING ROYALTIES : ARE YOU AN ARTIST WHO FORGOT TO CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS AT THE OFFICE?

ARE YOU A "MISSING IN ACTION" SONG WRITER OR MUSIC PRODUCER WHO HAS BEEN MISSING SOME ROYALTY CHECKS?

CAPITOL RECORDS MAY BE LOOKING FOR YOU TO PAY YOU WHAT THEY OWE!

Linking here to a small database of people who left town and forgot their pay!

WES HERE : I looked at a number of these and recognized a few names!

Liberty Records was sold to United Artists and then UA sold them to EMI which owns Capitol Records.

CAPITOL RECORDS and THE PLAZA HOTEL

From Our Archives

Capitol Records and the Knickerbocker Hotel in Hollywood circa 1960, credited to photographer Roy Hankey, through Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection Database. We've been looking through free image collections for a good photo of the Capitol building which looked a bit like a stack of records.

Besides Capitol records, we also see the Plaza Hotel- where I had tea with actress and James Dean's great friend Christine White, the Huntington-Hartford, and the Broadway Department store.

UPDATE July 2011. We're linking to a Hollywood/ Capitol Records Memory Site by Nori Muster. This site includes "The Capitol Tower Turned fifty in 2006. Read correspondence, remembrance, and images from the grand opening, including the 1956 press release, information sheet, tour guide script, and Tower booklet." and more!

(370) BUDDY KNOX and WES BRYAN SINGER-SONGWRITERS COMPOSE ALL BY MYSELF RECORDED ON LIBERTY RECORDS

Here are two variations of the LIBERTY RECORDS labels for the song Buddy Knox recorded with the Johnny Mann Singers as background, that he and I wrote called "All By Myself." It sold well enough to get a Gold Record and went for a second pressing. The song also appeared on an album of his. Glenda Music was Buddy's own publishing company.



This was the promo copy that went to DJ's only. It was played on radio stations.

This was the store copy.

(369) JOHNNY MANN SINGERS : BACKGROUND SINGERS OF IMPORTANCE

Like the Ray Charles Singers, the Johnny Mann Singers have recorded for years and sometimes the two groups recorded the same songs, popular music that appealed to three generations. The Johnny Mann Singers covered some of the songs Elvis recorded and songs recorded by the Beatles too. My friend Buddy Knox had them for his whole album that the song he and I wrote, "All By Myself", was on. Snuffy Garret was the producer on that album Buddy Knox on Liberty Records.



In this video the Johnny Mann singers record commercial music for KEARTH 101, a popular radio station in Los Angeles with a rock and oldies format.

FOURTH OF JULY 2011

BEACH BOYS 1964 ON BRITAINS READY STEADY GO SHOW!