Wayne Shanklin
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Wayne Shanklin (1916–1970) was an American music performer, composer, arranger and producer. He was also the husband of pop singer Miss Toni Fisher.
Shanklin wrote several hit songs including "Primrose Lane" (1959), recorded by Jerry Wallace and "Jezebel," recorded by Frankie Laine in 1951 and covered (as an instrumental) by Australian teenage guitar prodigy Rob E.G. in 1963.
Shanklin's best known composition is the song "Chanson D'Amour (Song of Love)." It was first recorded in 1958 in two competing versions by Art and Dotty Todd and The Fontane Sisters, both of which were successful. It was later covered by The Lettermen in the 1960s and was revived with great success by vocal jazz quartet The Manhattan Transfer in 1976.
Shanklin founded the independent record label Signet Records in Los Angeles in 1959. One of its early successes was a song written by Shanklin as a vehicle for his wife. "The Big Hurt[1]" (1959) became a US Top 5 hit in early 1960 and is also claimed to be the first commercial use of the production technique known as "flanging." Shanklin also wrote Fisher's 1962 single "West of the Wall," which dealt with the partition of East and West Germany and the erection of the Berlin Wall.
Shanklin also contributed music to a number of films. His song "Kiss Me Quick" was featured in the 1957 Randolph Scott western Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend and he composed the original music for the 1961 film Angel Baby which starred George Hamilton and Mercedes McCambridge.
Shanklin's songs have also been used on the music soundtracks of two recent films; "Primrose Lane" was used on the soundtrack of Primary Colors (1998) and "Chanson D'Amour" featured on the soundtrack of Stanley Kubrick's final film, Eyes Wide Shut (1999).
