BIRMINGHAM RECORD COLLECTORS
DEDICATED TO THE COLLECTING OF MUSIC, ITS PRESERVATION AND LASTING FRIENDSHIP
THIS MONTH’S MEETING WILL BE THE SECOND SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8TH 2:00 PM
HOMEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY 1721 OXMOOR RD BIRMINGHAM, AL 35209
NEXT MEETING, JANUARY 12TH 2:00 PM THE SECOND SUNDAY
THIS MONTH’S MEETING
It’s December and you know what that means. Time for our annual ‘Dirty Santa’ game and ‘Free For All’. Bring a wrapped gift and join in the fun. There is no telling what you will go home with! But if you just want to come and enjoy the food, fun and fellowship without a gift, that is fine. Just be there and partake of Chili, chips and snacks.
If you have some vinyl, CD’s, DVD’s, etc you want to get rid of, bring those and let everyone go through them and take what they want. This is our ‘Free For All’. If you have some of these items that you have but are selling, bring them also.
SINGERS AND SONGWRITERS
Listening to music ever since I can remember I never really wondered about who wrote the songs I was enjoying but then after collecting vinyl for many years I learned to check out the composer, producer, label info, etc. It has amazed me who some of the writers of these songs are. Many names pop up over and over on many records that I have and didn’t even know or cared who wrote them. But now I do look. Maybe some of the following info will make you look a little more often at the writers’ names or educate you on some familiar names you did not know wrote so much stuff.
Let’s start with John D. Loudermilk. Born in 1934, John D. was there when R&R was a new and exciting sound. It all started for Loudermilk listening to gospel music in church. There was also music running in the family. His cousins were Ira and Charlie Loudermilk, known as The Louvin Brothers. They were C/W stars, Grand Ole Opry members, Country Music Hall Of Fame members and #4 on the Rolling Stone magazine’s list of Greatest Duos. John D. learned to play the guitar at an early age and when in his teens he wrote a poem that he set to music. The song was ‘A Rose And A Baby Ruth’ (click the title to listen). He was allowed to sing the song on a local TV station where he worked and George Hamilton IV would record the song and it would go to #6 on the pop charts. I guess the itch got hold of John D. and away he went.
He had used the pseudonym, Johnny Dee when he wrote ‘A Rose And A Baby Ruth’ and also for his next song, ‘Sittin’ In The Balcony’ (click the title to listen). Eddie Cochran would record that song and it would go to #18 on the pop charts. OK, are you still with me? These 2 songs were songs released in the late 50’s and even now on oldies stations and did you even know it was John D. Loudemilk that wrote them? First you have to know why I chose Loudermilk as part of this article. John D. had a few pop charted songs as a solo artists that I remember hearing on the radio growing up so I find it interesting that he was the one who wrote so many other songs that would hit the charts.
First let me list the hits he had. And you need to know John D. wrote all these songs. As Johnny Dee he also recorded ‘Sittin’ In The Balcony’ taking his version to #38 in 1957. ‘Language Of Love’ went to #32 in 1961, ‘Thou Shall Not Steal’ went to #73 in 1962, and ‘Road Hog’ went to #65 in 1962. ‘Callin’ Doctor Casey’ went to #83 in 1962. By the way, do you remember the weekly TV series Ben Casey? Now for some of the songs he wrote or co-wrote you may not know that he did. How about ‘Abilene’ the hit by George Hamilton IV. ‘Break My Mind’ (click the title to listen) did not chart high for anyone but I think this song is under appreciated. It never did anything on the pop charts and only to #67 on the C/W charts sung by George Hamilton IV but it was recorded by over 85 artists. ‘Ebony Eyes’ sung by the Everly Brothers was a big hit for them. The Newbeats had a hit with ‘Everything’s Alright’. How about this one, ‘Indian Reservation’ a hit for Don Fardon and Paul Revere & The Raiders. Sue Thompson had 8 hits with John D. Loudermilk songs. The most notable would be ‘Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)’, ‘Norman’ and ‘Paper Tiger’. Are you noticing the wide range of music styles John D. wrote. ‘Talk Back Trembling Lips’ was a hit for Johnny Tillotson. The Casinos hit the Top 10 with ‘Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye’ (click the title to listen). One of his own solo hits, ‘Thou Shall Not Steal’ went to #13 for Dick & Dee Dee. With over 115 versions of the next song, it is one that I bet most people would never think John D. wrote it. ‘Tobacco Road’ (click the title to listen) came to attention of the public when the Nashville Teens, an English group took it to #14 in 1964 in the midst of the British Invasion. ‘Top Forty, News, Weather And Sports’ (click the title to listen) was a #81 hit for Mark Dinning in 1961. ‘Torture’ hit the Top 20 for Kris Jensen in 1962. ‘Weep No More My Baby’ (click the title to listen) by Brenda Lee was another under appreciated song that John D. wrote. It was the flip side of ‘Sweet Nothin’s’ so I guess that song kept people from flipping it over. But do it. Let me end by mentioning these two. ‘Turn Me On’ (click the title to listen) was first recorded in 1961 by Mark Dinning and as of 2022, some 61 years later people are still recording it. From 1967 until 2000 the song was not noticed but since 2000 over 20 artists have recorded it with Norah Jones version being the most notable. It was even performed by Shelby Dressel on her appearance on American Idol. The last song I mention is ‘Waterloo’. It was a #1 C/W hit for Stonewall Jackson and it went to #59 on the pop charts. I mention this one last because he co-wrote it with Marijohn Wilkin. I would bet 99.9 % of you do not know that name. Let me tell you a little about her.
Marijohn Wilkin was a songwriter that was well-known in the C/W world but not so much in the pop world but her songs are well-known. With Kris Kristofferson she wrote ‘One Day At A Time’ a song recorded by over 200 artists and reaching #1 on different style charts. She co-wrote ‘My Long Black Veil’, one of C/W most recorded songs. Remember ‘Cut Across Shorty’? She was a co-writer of that one also. She was referred to as ‘The Den Mother Of Music Row’ and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 1975. I mainly mention her because she had a son who 99.9% of you will know. There was a #4 pop hit song in 1964 called ‘G.T.O.’ by Ronny & The Daytonas. Now I have your attention. Ronny was John ‘Bucky’ Wilkin, the son of Marijohn Wilkin. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree. As a side note let me mention that John ‘Bucky’ Wilkin aka Ronny Daytona passed away on April 6, 2024.
It is just fun for me to see a song that doesn’t seem to fit the songwriter. I will end this singer/songwriter discussion by mentioning a few songs and the writers that may surprise you. How about:
‘Just Dropped In (To See What My Condition My Condition Was In)’ – written by Mickey Newbury. Newbury is known more for folk and C/W style songs so this one is interesting. But let me say it was first recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis in 1967 on his Soul My Way LP. The song was first titled ‘Just Dropped In’. The longer title above was first used when Kenny Rogers & the First edition recorded it also in 1967. Jerry Lee Lewis’ version – ‘Just Dropped In’ (click the title to listen) .
‘In The Ghetto’ – Mac Davis. Big hit for Elvis. Over 225 cover versions.
‘The Door Is Still Open To My Heart’ – Chuck Willis. Written as a group harmony/doo wop song by the great R&B stylist Chuck Willis. Dean Martin had a #6 pop hit with it.
‘Sooie, Sookie’ – Don Covay & Steve Cropper. Soulful song that Steppenwolf made into a guitar rock song.
See Ya,
Charlie