The Hollywood Argyles

The Hollywood Argyles were an American musical ensemble, assembled for studio recordings by the producer and songwriter Kim Fowley and his friend and fellow musician Gary Paxton. They had a US number one hit record, "Alley Oop" (Lute Records 5905)[1][2] in 1960.

"Alley Oop"

According to Paxton – who, at the time, was half of Skip & Flip – "Alley Oop" was written by Dallas Frazier as a country tune:

"As for the name, Kim Fowley and I were living in a $15-a-week room in Hollywood.... Since I was still under contract (to Brent Records) as 'Flip,'[3] I couldn't put my name on 'Alley Oop.' Seeing that the studio was on the corner of Hollywood Blvd. And Argyle Street, I decided on Hollywood Argyles... Richard Podolor's studio American Recording Company in the Hollywood Palladium building is where the song was recorded... Other than myself, there were no actual Hollywood Argyles. Everyone else on the track was either a friend or a studio musician who I paid $25 apiece for the session. When 'Alley Oop' suddenly took off and people wanted to book us for concerts, there was no such group." [4]

The "Alley Oop" session was produced by Kim Fowley; Sandy Nelson was the percussionist.[4] Sandy Nelson recalled that "all the participants were hopelessly drunk on cider by the time they recorded the song...."[5]

According to some reports, the lead vocalist on the track "Alley Oop" is Norm Davis. He was paid a one-time fee of $25 for his work on the single. He is currently a poet in Rochester, New York.[6]

Gary Paxton recalls it a bit differently on his website.[7]

"Alley Oop" was the first song played on WLS-AM Radio in Chicago on May 2, 1960, when it changed format from farm programming to rock and roll.

Other versions

According to Jerry Osborne, two other groups, Dante and the Evergreens (Madison 130, US #15) and the Dyna-Sores (Rendezvous 120, US#59),[8] had a version of "Alley Oop" on the charts at the same time.[4][9]

Later activities

Frazier is perhaps best known for writing the song "There Goes My Everything," a hit song for Jack Greene in 1966 and Engelbert Humperdinck in 1967. Frazier also wrote and recorded "Elvira" which became a 1981 country hit for the Oak Ridge Boys.[10][11]

Paxton later formed Garpax Records[9][12] and became a gospel artist.[13]

Fowley soon produced the Murmaids' 1963 hit "Popsicles and Icicles" (US #3).[14] He also helped bring together the Runaways in 1975,[14] as well as the Orchids (not the Glaswegians, but another American all-girl band).[15][16]

Discography

— * Note: some songs are covers of Four Young Men (e.g. Crest 1076)[17]

References

  1. ↑ flickr.com photo of 45
  2. ↑ kavelinmusic.com, Lute Records
  3. ↑ rockabilly.nl
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Ask “Mr. Music” - Jerry Osborne
  5. ↑ Charlie Gillett, The Sound of the City: the rise of rock and roll. Da Capo Press, 1996, pp. 104-5
  6. ↑ "Rochester Poet Scores Top Forty Hit"
  7. ↑ Gary Paxton
  8. ↑ Mitch Rosalsky, Encyclopedia of Rhythm & Blues and Doo-Wop Vocal Groups. Rowman & Littlefield, 2002, p. 74 ISBN 081084592X
    "Jimmy Norman teamed up with H.B. Barnum and Ty Terrell (Robins). This group was the Dyna-Sores and they recorded on Rendezvous 120."
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Joel Whitburn, The Billboard book of top 40 hits. Billboard Books, 2004. 8th edition, p 281.
  10. ↑ Paul Kingsbury, The encyclopedia of country music. Sourcebooks, Inc., 2004, p.182
  11. ↑ Dallas Frazier
  12. ↑ Garpax discography (partial?)
  13. ↑ Gary S. Paxton. "Testimony - Partial - Less Than - (About Two Per-Cent of It)". Garyspaxton.net. Retrieved 2008-07-28.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 spectropop.com, Interview with Kim Foley
  15. ↑ lostinthegrooves.com
    The 1980 album The Orchids was released on MCA Records as MCA-3235. Lead vocalist: Jan King.
  16. ↑ see also myspace.com/theorchids1979
  17. ↑ Four Young Men

External links