THE OVERTONES "SMOKE RINGS / HAWAIIAN HAZE" (1959) [featuring VINNIE BELL on guitar]

Here comes another chapter in my attempt to reconstruct Vinnie Bell's path in the recorded music industry before his first single and debut album were released in 1960.

The last time I treated you with "Silently b/w Barracuda", a 1958 single by The Gallahads (...still available here), now it's time to dedicate a post to the mysterious - at least for me - The Overtones and their "Smoke Rings b/w Hawaiian Haze" 7" record released in 1959.

This single features Bell's guitar mastery and also credits him for co-writing one of the two instrumentals on offer.

For a detailed biography of Vinnie Bell, I suggest that you read this other post of mine.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to find any information about The Overtones... I am sure that some kind and gentle soul will come up with something relevant to fill the gap, thanks for your help as usual!

Here's the track list for this 7" single:

01. Smoke Rings (2:19)
02. Hawaiian Haze (3:01)

Both tracks were remastered from vinyl in June 2017 and are available in FLAC lossless format, along with scans of the original item.

Please have a look at the comments section for the download link.



"Smoke Rings b/w Hawaiian Haze" was released by ABC-Paramount with catalogue number 45-10053 sometimes in late September / early October 1959. The copy in my possession comes in a plain white sleeve, but at the time of release it was probably offered in a company sleeve similar to the one that I tried to faithfully reconstruct as the opening image of this post.

Although the record was reviewed in the October 5, 1959, issue of Billboard - and also mentioned in an ABC-Paramount ad on the same magazine a few weeks later - I never happened to see any actual copy of the officially released version, just promotional items like the one I'm offering here... Chances are that this release is extremely rare, or that it never passed the promotional stage.



On Side A we find Vinnie Bell performing the lead part - on what sounds almost unmistakably like a steel guitar - in the smooth "Smoke Rings", a song written in 1932 by Jazz musician Gene Gifford and lyricist Ned Washington. In 1937 the tune became the radio theme song for the Casa Loma Orchestra, a popular American dance band; you can listen to this version here. Strangely enough, the Billboard ad points to «an unusual electronic harmonica solo» which is nowhere to be found...

Side B offers "Hawaiian Haze", a song written by Vinnie Bell (as Vincent Gambella, his birth name) and one Johnny Brown, which was copyrighted on "21 September 1959". In my opinion the flipside is as interesting as the main piece, with Bell probably overdubbing himself on various parts, including the mandolinlike main melody. Nowadays, the term "Hawaiian Haze" indicates a popular strain of Marijuana, I can't help to wonder if it had the same meaning back in the days when this instrumental was recorded...

Vinnie Bell in the early '60s

The following clips offer a complete preview of the remastered single, enjoy!

More information about "Smoke Rings b/w Hawaiian Haze" and Vinnie Bell is available here:

https://www.discogs.com/Overtones-Smoke-Rings-Hawaiian-Haze/release/6884010

http://www.vinniebell.com/

http://www.spaceagepop.com/bell.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinnie_Bell

http://www.danguitars.com/VINCENT_BELL.html

https://www.discogs.com/artist/353572-Vinnie-Bell

If you have any other useful information about this post or if you spot any dead links, please get in touch with me at stereocandies [at] hotmail [dot] com or leave a comment in the box below, thank you!

THE GALLAHADS "SILENTLY / BARRACUDA" (1958) [featuring VINNIE BELL on guitar]

Recently I took care about Vinnie Bell's debut single and album, both released in 1960. Before I proceed with his following solo releases, I think it's worth exploring a few singles released by other groups on which he guested during the previous years.

These records feature Bell's guitar mastery - sometimes also crediting him as a composer - and are important because they present the first recorded evidences of his tricks and effects.

The first post in this mini-series is dedicated to The Gallahads "Silently b/w Barracuda", a single released in 1958, which - as far as I know - is the earliest record featuring Vinnie Bell - credited as Vincent Gambella, his birth name - on guitar.

For a detailed biography of Vinnie Bell, I suggest that you read this other post of mine.

The Gallahads biography is available here on the great White Doo-wop Collector blog.

The Gallahads, circa 1956

Here's the track list for this 7" single:

01. Silently (2:11)
02. Barracuda (2:26)

Both tracks were remastered from vinyl in March 2017 and are available in FLAC lossless format, along with scans of the original item.

Please have a look at the comments section for the download link.



Produced by Lee Schapiro and featuring an orchestra conducted by Billy Mure, "Silently b/w Barracuda" was released by Vik, then a subsidiary of RCA, with catalogue number 4X-0332 sometimes during the summer of 1958. Unfortunately the copy in my possession is housed in a plain white sleeve, but at the time of release it was probably offered in a company sleeve similar to the one that I tried to faithfully reconstruct as the opening image of this post.

In France, the two songs were included on the first side of a four tracks EP entitled "Barracuda", released in 1959 by RCA with catalogue number 75.467. The tracks on the flipside, namely "Steady Man" and "Best Wishes", were both culled from this other single. It is interesting to note that the Bell-driven instrumental track "Barracuda" - which didn't feature any vocals from The Gallahads - was given more prominence than their Doo-wop numbers.



Side A features "Silently", a song composed by Dick Wolf and Billy Mure;this catalog of copyright entries returns a "26 June 1958" as registration date. The song was briefly reviewed in the August 9, 1958, issue of The Cash Box magazine: «The boys work vocally on this end as they present a shuffle beat ballad with Jack Vincent in the lead. Gal chorus accompanies the group's hushed vocal technique.»

Side B offers "Barracuda", which according to the same catalog mentioned above, was written by Marilyn Christina, Arlene Davis and Grace Brown and was copyrighted on "3 July 1958". The center label includes a "Featuring Vincent Gambella" credit but doesn't mention his instrument. The following short review is taken, once again, from The Cash Box magazine; it praises Bell's guitar work but wrongly assigns its merit to the group: «The Gallalads display their instrumental talents on an excellent cha cha item that could take off. Side has a number of fascinating instrumental gimmicks and a wonderful dance beat.»

Vinnie Bell in the early '60s

The following clips offer a complete preview of the remastered single, enjoy!

More information about The Gallahads and Vinnie Bell is available here:

http://whitedoowopcollector.blogspot.com/2009/02/gallahadsthe-morning-mail.html

http://www.rocky-52.net/chanteursg/gallahads.htm

http://doo-wop.blogg.org/the-gallahads-1-a116516180

https://www.discogs.com/artist/3790300-The-Gallahads-2

http://www.vinniebell.com/

http://www.spaceagepop.com/bell.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinnie_Bell

http://www.danguitars.com/VINCENT_BELL.html

https://www.discogs.com/artist/353572-Vinnie-Bell

If you have any other useful information about this post or if you spot any dead links, please get in touch with me at stereocandies [at] hotmail [dot] com or leave a comment in the box below, thank you!

DICK JENSEN AND THE IMPORTS "MR. PITIFUL / YOU DON'T LOVE ME ANYMORE" (1966)

I said they call me Mr. Pitiful, yeah, baby that's my name
Oh, I said they call me Mr. Pitiful, that's how, that's how I got my fame, yeah
Now people just don't understand, oh, I said what makes a man feel so blue
Oh, they call me Mr. Pitiful, 'cause I lost someone like you

They call me Mr. Pitiful, now everybody know
Oh, they call me Mr. Pitiful, yeah, most every place I go
I said nobody seem to understand, yeah, how a man can sing a sad song
When he lost everything, I said everything he had

Oh, how can I explain to you, for somebody has been so blue
I said how can I tell you my friend, when things just don't seem to end, tell me

Call me Mr. Pitiful, baby, that's, that's my name
Oh, call me Mr. Pitiful, that's how, that's how I got my fame
Oh, I said people don't understand, yeah, what makes a man feel so blue
Yeah, they call me Mr. Pitiful, 'cause I love someone like you

They call me Mr. Pitiful, c'mon now, everybody know, yeah
Oh, they call me Mr. Pitiful, most every place I go, yeah, yeah
Nobody seem to understand, oh, I said how a man can sing a sad song
When he lost everything...

[From the lyrics of "Mr. Pitiful"]



This is the last in a series of three 7" singles that Dick Jensen recorded for Loma Records in 1965-1966. Active during the 1964-1968 period, Loma was a Los Angeles based subsidiary of Warner Brothers for Soul, Blues, Rhythm & Blues, etc. Attempting to cash in on the success of labels like Motown and Stax, it focused on releasing 45 RPM records aimed at the younger generations.

Credited to "Dick Jensen and The Imports" and bearing catalogue number 2055, "Mr. Pitiful / You Don't Love Me Anymore" was released in August 1966 in a Warner Bros. company sleeve; apparently this was available only as a promotional item. Although I'm not 100% sure about this, I never saw a copy for sale clearly advertised as a proper release and having the "official" Loma yellow labels instead of the promo white labels.





Both tracks on this single were produced by Lenny Waronker and arranged by James Carmichael.

On Side A we find a stunning version of "Mr. Pitiful", a track written by Otis Redding and Steve Cropper (...guitarist of Booker T. & the M.G.'s...). The song originally appeared on Redding's second album, "The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads", released in March 1965. This song was written as a sort of joke in response to the fact that, since the majority of the songs in Redding's early repertoire had a slow tempo, several disc jockeys labelled him "Mr. Pitiful".

Side B offers "You Don't Love Me Anymore", a very simple rhythm'n'blues piece written by T. Raye which probably is a pseudonym for Don Raye, but who knows...

Here's the track list for this 7" single:

01. Mr. Pitiful (2:27)

02. You Don't Love Me Anymore (2:33)

Both tracks were remastered from vinyl in January 2012 and are available in FLAC lossless format or high-quality 320 Kbps MP3 files, both formats include scans of the original item in PDF format. Please have a look at the comments for the download links.

More information about Loma Records and Dick Jensen is available here:

http://www.lomarecords.com/

http://archives.starbulletin.com/2006/06/22/news/story02.html

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Jun/22/il/FP606220304.html

http://www.oahuislandnews.com/May05/Home.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Jensen

I'm currently compiling a Dick Jensen biography, the first part of this work-in-progress covers the period 1942-1972 and is available here.

I'm also trying to compile a Dick Jensen exhaustive discography, my work-in-progress is available here.

Last but not least, I'm also trying to build a collection of Dick Jensen pictures and memorabilia, my work-in-progress is available here.

All my posts dedicated to Dick Jensen on this blog are available here.

I will post more Dick Jensen stuff in the next months, if you have any other useful information about him and his releases or if you spot any dead links, just get in touch with me at stereocandies [at] hotmail [dot] com or leave a comment in the box below, thank you!

DICK JENSEN AND THE IMPORTS "BACK IN CIRCULATION / UNCLE JOHN'S GOOD TIME BAND" (1966)

Here's the second 7" - in a series of three - that Dick Jensen recorded for Loma Records in 1965-1966. Active during the 1964-1968 period, Loma was a Los Angeles based subsidiary of Warner Brothers for Soul, Blues, Rhythm & Blues, etc. Attempting to cash in on the success of labels like Motown and Stax, it focused on releasing 45 RPM records aimed at the younger generations.

Credited to "Dick Jensen and The Imports" and bearing catalogue number 2029, "Back In Circulation / Uncle John's Good Time Band" was released in February 1966, once again in a Warner Bros. company sleeve. The item pictured in this page is a promotional copy and has white labels, you can see images of the "official" release - with yellow labels - on the sparkling Loma Records website.





Side A offers "Back In Circulation", a song written by Mac Rebennac in the old days when he was still a session man and hadn't yet adopted the persona of Dr. John "The Night Tripper", for whom he is better known nowadays. It is believed that Mac was one of the musicians involved in the session. "Back In Circulation" is a strong number with a nice horns arrangement and a rough edge that gives it a live feel.

Russ Regan (...probaly this guy, but I am not 100% sure...) produced both the tracks on this release and also penned "Uncle John's Goodtime Band", the number that fills the second half of the single. Infused with an Early Jazz atmosphere, the track offers a different angle on the mid-60s Dick Jensen.

Here's the track list for this 7" single:

01. Back In Circulation (2:02)

02. Uncle John's Good Time Band (2:20)

Both tracks were remastered from vinyl in December 2011 and are available in FLAC lossless format or high-quality 320 Kbps MP3 files, both formats include scans of the original item in PDF format. Please have a look at the comments for the download links.

More information about Loma Records and Dick Jensen is available here:

http://www.lomarecords.com/

http://archives.starbulletin.com/2006/06/22/news/story02.html

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Jun/22/il/FP606220304.html

http://www.oahuislandnews.com/May05/Home.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Jensen

I'm currently compiling a Dick Jensen biography, the first part of this work-in-progress covers the period 1942-1972 and is available here.

I'm also trying to compile a Dick Jensen exhaustive discography, my work-in-progress is available here.

Last but not least, I'm also trying to build a collection of Dick Jensen pictures and memorabilia, my work-in-progress is available here.

All my posts dedicated to Dick Jensen on this blog are available here.

I will post more Dick Jensen stuff in the next weeks, if you have any other useful information about him and his releases or if you spot any dead links, just get in touch with me at stereocandies [at] hotmail [dot] com or leave a comment in the box below, thank you!

DICK JENSEN AND THE IMPORTS "TOM DOOLEY / SINCE I FELL FOR YOU" (1965)

This is the first in a series of three 7" singles that Dick Jensen recorded for Loma Records in 1965-1966. Active during the 1964-1968 period, Loma was a Los Angeles based subsidiary of Warner Brothers for Soul, Blues, Rhythm & Blues, etc. Attempting to cash in on the success of labels like Motown and Stax, it focused on releasing 45 RPM records aimed at the younger generations.

Credited to "Dick Jensen and The Imports" and bearing catalogue number 2021, "Tom Dooley / Since I Fell For You" was released in November 1965 in a Warner Bros. company sleeve; apparently this was available only as a promotional item. Although I'm not 100% sure about this, I never saw a copy for sale clearly advertised as a proper release and having the "official" Loma yellow labels instead of the promo white labels.

Side A offers "Tom Dooley", which, although credited to Russ Regan (...I'm not sure if he's the same guy, but probably yes...), is a R&B stomp take on an old North Carolina folk song best known in the version brought to success by The Kingston Trio in 1958.

Side B features "Since I Fell For You", a Blues ballad written by Buddy Johnson in 1945 which has become a Jazz and Pop standard. On this song it seems that Jensen's input is limited to a few vocalisms only...





Here's the track list for this 7" single:

01. Tom Dooley (2:40)

02. Since I Fell For You (2:38)

Both tracks were remastered from vinyl in November 2011 and are available in FLAC lossless format or high-quality 320 Kbps MP3 files, both formats include scans of the original item in PDF format. Please have a look at the comments for the download links.

More information about Loma Records and Dick Jensen is available here:

http://www.lomarecords.com/

http://archives.starbulletin.com/2006/06/22/news/story02.html

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Jun/22/il/FP606220304.html

http://www.oahuislandnews.com/May05/Home.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Jensen

I'm currently compiling a Dick Jensen biography, the first part of this work-in-progress covers the period 1942-1972 and is available here.

I'm also trying to compile a Dick Jensen exhaustive discography, my work-in-progress is available here.

Last but not least, I'm also trying to build a collection of Dick Jensen pictures and memorabilia, my work-in-progress is available here.

All my posts dedicated to Dick Jensen on this blog are available here.

I will post more Dick Jensen stuff in the next weeks, if you have any other useful information about him and his releases or if you spot any dead links, just get in touch with me at stereocandies [at] hotmail [dot] com or leave a comment in the box below, thank you!