Brian's Music Musings: Party, Sanford Clark, Rockit Radio

Sunday, July 06, 2008

 

Party, Sanford Clark, Rockit Radio

After a small hiatus, I'm back with more updates.
Had a chance to be in the Los Angeles area and meet some great radio and entertainment folks. Billy Vera, Dee Dee of Dick And Dee Dee, Freddy Cannon, Johnny Hayes, and Steve Propes. It had been about 24 or 25 years since I met Steve when he taught a history of rock and roll course in Long Beach. I also bought his first book in the early 1970's and it was my best reference book, and frankly the only book of it's kind. I also did some record shopping and saw some sights. It was all in the name of Rockit Radio and their 10th anniversary. A great milestone indeed.

Continuing with my first and second pressings page, I will be adding the following record you see pictured by Sanford Clark. The Fool, was a huge hit for him, and got up to number 7 in 1956, spending 21 weeks on the Billboard chart. The record started out on a small label based in Phoenix Arizona called MCI records. Once it started selling, Dot records picked it up for national distribution. It came out on the maroon label 78 and 45, then pressed on the black label. The record featured Al Casey on guitar. MCI released around 20 records through 1961, though nothing was as big as The Fool.

Speaking of Rockit Radio, I have a show currently posted on-line and though it is all pre-recorded, it is still a kick to be involved with the fine folks in Ventura, including the founder, Bennie Dingo. If I wore a hat, I would certainly tip it to him.

Comments:
The MCI release clearly shows a 1955 copyright on the label. Given that the Dot issue was clearly from June of 1956, at least six months later(!), it might be safe to speculate that Dot picked it up the original to compete with a new cover of the song by the Gallahads (Jubilee 5252). Sanford Clark won out in the end.

Fred
 
I just found out that Al Casey released his own version of the tune, as "A Fool's Blues", in November of 1956, and also on Dot Records (#15524).

Fred
 
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