Richard Barrett (musician)

Richard Barrett (July 14, 1933 – August 3, 2006), also known as Richie Barrett, was an American singer, record producer, and songwriter. He was born in Philadelphia, and died of pancreatic cancer in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania.

Biography

Barrett was one of the first successful independent black record producers, and was influential in shaping the New York rhythm and blues sound. Barrett discovered or promoted Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, The Chantels, Little Anthony & the Imperials, The Valentines, and The Three Degrees. He managed the Chantels in the 1950s, and later managed the Three Degrees from the early 1960s until the early 1980s, producing many of their albums, and conducting the orchestra at their live shows. As an artist, he was most famous for co-writing (with Leiber and Stoller) and recording, as Richie Barrett, the song "Some Other Guy".

Barrett sang lead for The Valentines from 1954 to 1957. Ronnie Bright, who later joined The Cadillacs and The Coasters, sang bass. Barrett co-wrote two songs with Carl Hogan (also from The Valentines). One was "Be Sure My Love," which was recorded by The Dubs on Gone Records in 1958; and another, "So Much," was recorded by Little Anthony & The Imperials on End Records in 1958, and also recorded by The Attributes. On the Chantels' single "Maybe" (1958), Barrett played piano, bass, and drums. He also produced several of The Chantels' records.

Barrett's first single was a cover of The Fleetwoods' "Come Softly to Me", which used The Chantels as backing vocalists. He recorded "Some Other Guy" in 1962, which was modeled on Ray Charles' "What'd I Say" and was assured immortality, if not a hit single, following cover versions performed by The Beatles and other Liverpool groups of the time, including The Searchers and The Big Three. A clip of the Beatles performing the song at The Cavern was shown on a regional television programme screened by Granada TV in the north-west of England in August or September 1962 shortly after the band had signed with Parlophone, and this low-quality footage has been included on many videos and DVDs since that time.

There was also a record by Richard T. Barrett called "Try To Be Happy" b/w "Your Gentle Heart", released on Maarc Records #1542, in 1962. This may be a different singer.

In 1998, Ben Vereen portrayed Richard Barrett in the film about Frankie Lymon called Why Do Fools Fall In Love.

Discography

Singles by the Valentines

• "Summer Love"/"For You" (Bruce) (1954) (unreleased) (as The Dreamers)
• "Tonight Kathleen"/"Summer Love" (Old Town #1009) (1954)
• "Lily Maebelle"/"Falling for You" (Rama #171) (1955)
• "I Love You Darling"/"Hand Me Down Love" (Rama #181) (1955)
• "Christmas Prayer"/"Kiss Me" (Rama #186) (1955)
• "C'est la vie"/"C'est la vie" (Rama #194) (1956) (with The Wrens but not credited)
• "Why"/"The Woo Woo Train" (Rama #196) (1956)
• "Twenty Minutes Before the Hour"/"I'll Never Let You Go" (Rama #201) (1956)
• "Nature's Creation"/"My Story of Love" (Rama #208) (1956)
• "Don't Say Goodnight"/"I Cried Oh, Oh" (Rama #228) (1957)

Solo singles

• "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"/"Remember Me" (MGM #12616) (1958) (as Dickie Barrett)
• "Body and Soul"/"The Party" (MGM #12659) (1958)
• "Lovely One"/"The Snake and the Bookworm" (20th Fox #150) (1959)
• "Come Softly to Me"/"Walking Through Dreamland" (Gone #5056) (1959) (with The Chantels)
• "Summer's Love"/"All Is Forgiven" (Gone #5060) (1959) (with The Chantels)
• "Lovable"/"Only One Way" (Metro #20006) (1959)
• "Dream On"/"I Am Yours" (Seville #104) (1960) (as Richard Barrett and The Sevilles)
• "Some Other Guy"/"Tricky Dicky" (Atlantic #2142) (1962) (as Richie Barrett)
• "Summer's Love"/"Let Me Down Easy" (Crackerjack #4012) (1963) (as Richie Barrett)
• "I Will Love You"/"I Will Love You" (Instrumental) (Swan #4228) (as Richie Barrett)

References

External links

• Daily News "New York R&B legend gets few valentines"
• Answers Richard Barrett
• Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks - The Valentines
• Find A Grave Memorial