The Hollywood Argyles
Encyclopedia
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) in 1960.
– "Alley Oop" was written by Dallas Frazier
as a country tune:
The "Alley Oop" session was produced by Kim Fowley; Sandy Nelson
was the percussionist. Sandy Nelson recalled that "all the participants were hopelessly drunk on cider by the time they recorded the song...."
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
.
Gary Paxton recalls it a bit differently on his website.
"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
.
130) (US #15)) and the Dyna-Sores (Rendezvous
120) (US#59)) had a version of "Alley Oop" on the charts at the same time.
in 1966 and Engelbert Humperdinck
in 1967. Frazier also wrote and recorded "Elvira" which became a 1981 country hit for the Oak Ridge Boys
Paxton later formed Garpax Records
and became a gospel
artist.
Fowley soon produced The Murmaids
' 1963 hit "Popsicles and Icicles" (US #3). He also helped bring together The Runaways
in 1975, as well as The Orchids (not the Glaswegians, but another American all-girl band)
— * Note: some songs are covers of Four Young Men (e.g. Crest 1076)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musical ensemble
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, assembled for studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
recordings by the producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
Kim Fowley
Kim Fowley
Kim Vincent Fowley is an American record producer, impresario, songwriter, musician, film maker, and radio actor. He is best known for his role behind a string of novelty and cult rock pop singles in the 1960s, and for managing The Runaways in the 1970s...
and his friend and fellow musician Gary Paxton. They had a US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
number one hit record
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
, "Alley Oop
Alley Oop (song)
"Alley Oop" is a song written by Dallas Frazier. The song, heavily inspired by the V. T. Hamlin-created comic strip of the same name, was first recorded by Frazier as a country tune in 1957.-The Hollywood Argyles:...
" (Lute Records 5905) in 1960.
"Alley Oop"
According to Paxton – who, at the time, was half of Skip & FlipSkip & Flip
Skip & Flip was a U.S. pop duo, consisting of Skip Battin and Flip aka Gary S...
– "Alley Oop" was written by Dallas Frazier
Dallas Frazier
Dallas Frazier is an American country musician and songwriter who had success in the 1950s and 60s.-Biography:Frazier was born in Spiro, Oklahoma but was raised in Bakersfield, California...
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,' 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."
The "Alley Oop" session was produced by Kim Fowley; Sandy Nelson
Sandy Nelson
Sandy Nelson is an American drummer. Nelson, one of the best-known rock drummers of the early 1960s, had several solo instrumental Top 40 hits and was a session drummer on many other well-known hits, and released over 30 albums.-Career:His first recording, with a band called The Renegades Sandy...
was the percussionist. Sandy Nelson recalled that "all the participants were hopelessly drunk on cider by the time they recorded the song...."
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
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
.
Gary Paxton recalls it a bit differently on his website.
"Alley Oop" was the first song played on WLS
WLS (AM)
WLS is a Chicago clear-channel AM station on 890 kHz. It uses C-QUAM AM stereo and transmits with 50,000 watts from transmitter and towers on the south edge of Tinley Park, Illinois....
-AM Radio in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
on May 2, 1960, when it changed format from farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
programming to rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
.
Other versions
According to Jerry Osborne, two other groups (Dante and the Evergreens (MadisonMadison Records
Madison Records was a United States-based record label. It was also sold in the United Kingdom through the F.W. Woolworth dime store chain. It was a subsidiary of Grey Gull Records, produced from 1926 through 1931...
130) (US #15)) and the Dyna-Sores (Rendezvous
Rendezvous Records
Rendezvous Records was a record label established in 1958 in Los Angeles, California. Its biggest successes were with "Bumble Boogie" and "Nut Rocker", recorded by members of its house band going under the name B...
120) (US#59)) had a version of "Alley Oop" on the charts at the same time.
Later activities
Frazier is perhaps best known for writing the song "There Goes My Everything," a hit song for Jack GreeneJack Greene
Jack Greene is an American country musician nicknamed the "Jolly Green Giant" and well known for his 1966 hit "There Goes My Everything."-Early career:...
in 1966 and Engelbert Humperdinck
Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)
Engelbert Humperdinck is a British pop singer, best known for his hits including "Release Me " and "After the Lovin'" as well as "The Last Waltz" .-Early life:...
in 1967. Frazier also wrote and recorded "Elvira" which became a 1981 country hit for the Oak Ridge Boys
Paxton later formed Garpax Records
Garpax Records
Garpax Records was an American record label established by Gary S. Paxton which first issued the song "Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett in 1962. It was distributed by London Records. The label lasted from 1962 to 1965....
and became a gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
artist.
Fowley soon produced The Murmaids
The Murmaids
The Murmaids were a one-hit wonder all-female vocal trio composed of sisters Carol and Terry Fischer; and Sally Gordon from Los Angeles, California who, in January 1964 reached #3 with "Popsicles and Icicles".-Background:...
' 1963 hit "Popsicles and Icicles" (US #3). He also helped bring together The Runaways
The Runaways
The Runaways were an American all-girl rock band that recorded and performed in the second half of the 1970s. The band released four studio albums and one live set during its run. Among its best known songs: "Cherry Bomb", "Queens of Noise", "Neon Angels On the Road to Ruin", "California Paradise"...
in 1975, as well as The Orchids (not the Glaswegians, but another American all-girl band)
Discography
- "Alley-Oop" / "Sho Know A Lot About Love" (1960, Lute 5905)
- "Gun Totin' Critter Named Jack"* / "The Bug Eyed Man" (1960, Lute 5908)
- "Hully Gully" / "So Fine" (1960, Lute 6002)
- "You've Been Torturing Me"* / "The Grubble" (1961, Paxley 752; credit: Gary Paxton And The Hollywood Argyles)
- "Long-Hair-Unsquare Dude Called Jack" / "Ole" (1965, Chatahoochie 691)
- "Alley Oop '66" / "Do the Funky Foot" (1966, Kammy 105)
— * Note: some songs are covers of Four Young Men (e.g. Crest 1076)
External links
- rockabilly.nl - Hollywood Argyles