Twinn Connexion
Encyclopedia
Twinn Connexion was the singing duo of identical twin brothers Jerry and Jay Hopkins. They were signed with Decca Records
and released a self-titled album in 1968 with songs by Jerry Keller and David Blume. Their musical style consisted of pop harmonies influenced by the soft rock and folk rock styles that were popular during the late 1960s. Jay Hopkins died on September 6, 2001.
Interest in the duo's music was revived when their musical style was recognized as belonging to the subgenre of 1960s pop music now called sunshine pop
. Their songs were featured on several popular sunshine pop compilations. There was soon a demand for the 1968 Twinn Connexion
album, with the rare copies fetching high prices on the collectors' market. A digitally remastered and expanded edition of the 1968 Twinn Connexion album was reissued by the Now Sounds record label on May 18, 2010.
In 2010, Jerry Hopkins released a second album titled Songs from the Heart
, which features remastered versions of Twinn Connexion songs that were never released. The album was offered by Hopkins as a free download on the music website Last.fm
. In September 2010, Songs of the Heart was released in Korea and Japan on the label Big Pink Music.
.
While living in Helena, Jerry and Jay were taken under the wing of drama teacher Doris Marshall, who cast them in several plays. Marshall owned and operated the Old Brewery Theatre, a summer stock playhouse in Helena, and from the age of 12 Jay and Jerry performed in summer plays, musicals, and Saturday night variety shows. While in high school, Jay and Jerry hosted their own television show, Teen Time Varieties on KXLJ-TV. During this time, the twins were continually writing songs and performing at various clubs around the state.
The brothers' first roles at the Old Brewery Theatre were as Horace and Henry in The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker. Years later they played the same roles for Imperial Margarine in a national television commercial as The Imperial Margarine Twins. They used the payment they received from the commercial to pay for a tour of the Midwest with their single Sixth Avenue Stroll.
Jerry and Jay attended the University of Montana, where they got their first taste of Shakespearian roles. Jerry appeared in the role of Prospero in The Tempest and Jay took the title role in King Lear. These were full productions mounted at MSU in Missoula.
Jerry became assistant stage manager and actor in John Arden's Sergeant Musgrave's Dance and assistant to the costume designer, Ann Roth. He was also assistant stage manager for Norman Mailer's The Deer Park where he received his equity card. Jay got a job as an assistant stage manager of The Mad Show with music by Mary Rogers. After the shows came down each night, Jerry and Jay would meet at the Champagne Gallery on MacDougal Street where they would perform. Bill Downer, an executive from Northern Publishing, discovered them in New York City.
In 1965, Jerry got a costume job at the famous Green Mansions in the Adirondacks, the birthplace of the Group Theatre. It was there that he met Bob Cessna
. The two became close companions and that fall Bob, Jerry and Jay formed Twinn Connexion with Bob acting as their manager.
with Thomas Z. Shepard
as producer of the song, Your Porch Swing Squeaks. It was this demo that gave Twinn Connexion their start in recording. The next singles they recorded were for Decca, which took them on a tour of the Midwest.
The release of Twinn Connexion's self-titled album took place on October 4, 1968. It was celebrated with a party at the New York City Playboy Club
. Jerry and Jay's sister Patty was one of the bunnies at the Club. The party was a star-studded event with Cousin Brucie, Monte Rock, Carolyn Hester
, Hugh Marlowe
and 50 gorgeous bunnies in full regalia.
Twinn Connexion appeared in many publications including Eye, 16, Teen World, Teen Life, Spec and After Dark. There were also television appearances on Come Alive in Pittsburgh, The Bob Braun Show in Cincinnati, Swingin' Time in Detroit and the biggest rock show of all, Upbeat out of Cleveland. Upbeat called them back for a second spot.
Decca also produced a film of Twinn Connexion seen in the United States, Vietnam and Korea. Twinn Connexion was on the charts in the Midwest. Sixth Avenue Stroll was number one in Mexico City Radio Universal and Decca Orfeon issued a second pressing, Caminando Por La Sexto Avenida, for Mexico and South America. Twinn Connexion was nominated for a Naras (Grammy) in 1969 for their version of The Cyrkle
's hit Turn Down Day.
On September 6, 2001, Jay died suddenly of heart failure. In his apartment, Jerry discovered tracks of vocals of music they had been working on, songs that were recorded but never released. He decided to remaster the tracks and release a second Twinn Connexion album, Songs from the Heart.
.
Tony Coulter Show at WFMU-FM in Jersey City debuted the first track released on Songs from the Heart, Letter from Dad and Mom. James Addyman at Down in the Grooves on BBC, Leeds debuted the same track.
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
and released a self-titled album in 1968 with songs by Jerry Keller and David Blume. Their musical style consisted of pop harmonies influenced by the soft rock and folk rock styles that were popular during the late 1960s. Jay Hopkins died on September 6, 2001.
Interest in the duo's music was revived when their musical style was recognized as belonging to the subgenre of 1960s pop music now called sunshine pop
Sunshine pop
Sunshine pop is a subgenre of pop music originating in the United States, mainly the state of California, in the mid-1960s. Sunshine pop, by nature, is cheerful and upbeat music which is characterised by warm sounds, prominent vocal harmonies, as well as sophisticated productions...
. Their songs were featured on several popular sunshine pop compilations. There was soon a demand for the 1968 Twinn Connexion
Twinn Connexion (album)
Twinn Connexion is the 1968 self-titled debut album by identical twin brothers Jerry and Jay Hopkins, who recorded under the name Twinn Connexion.The album was released by Decca Records on October 4, 1968 with songs by Jerry Keller and David Blume...
album, with the rare copies fetching high prices on the collectors' market. A digitally remastered and expanded edition of the 1968 Twinn Connexion album was reissued by the Now Sounds record label on May 18, 2010.
In 2010, Jerry Hopkins released a second album titled Songs from the Heart
Songs from the Heart (Twinn Connexion album)
Songs from the Heart is the second album by the singing duo Twinn Connexion. It features remastered versions of Twinn Connexion songs that were never released.The album was offered by Hopkins as a free download on the music website Last.fm...
, which features remastered versions of Twinn Connexion songs that were never released. The album was offered by Hopkins as a free download on the music website Last.fm
Last.fm
Last.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. It has claimed 30 million active users in March 2009. On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for UK£140m ....
. In September 2010, Songs of the Heart was released in Korea and Japan on the label Big Pink Music.
Growing Up
Born on January 15, 1941, identical twin brothers Jerry and Jay Hopkins grew up in Helena, MontanaHelena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
.
While living in Helena, Jerry and Jay were taken under the wing of drama teacher Doris Marshall, who cast them in several plays. Marshall owned and operated the Old Brewery Theatre, a summer stock playhouse in Helena, and from the age of 12 Jay and Jerry performed in summer plays, musicals, and Saturday night variety shows. While in high school, Jay and Jerry hosted their own television show, Teen Time Varieties on KXLJ-TV. During this time, the twins were continually writing songs and performing at various clubs around the state.
The brothers' first roles at the Old Brewery Theatre were as Horace and Henry in The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker. Years later they played the same roles for Imperial Margarine in a national television commercial as The Imperial Margarine Twins. They used the payment they received from the commercial to pay for a tour of the Midwest with their single Sixth Avenue Stroll.
Jerry and Jay attended the University of Montana, where they got their first taste of Shakespearian roles. Jerry appeared in the role of Prospero in The Tempest and Jay took the title role in King Lear. These were full productions mounted at MSU in Missoula.
Move to New York City
In January 1963, Jerry and Jay arrived in New York with about $100 between them. They found a room on West 76th Street for $16 a week and soon had work as waiters at a coffee house on Bleecker Street.Jerry became assistant stage manager and actor in John Arden's Sergeant Musgrave's Dance and assistant to the costume designer, Ann Roth. He was also assistant stage manager for Norman Mailer's The Deer Park where he received his equity card. Jay got a job as an assistant stage manager of The Mad Show with music by Mary Rogers. After the shows came down each night, Jerry and Jay would meet at the Champagne Gallery on MacDougal Street where they would perform. Bill Downer, an executive from Northern Publishing, discovered them in New York City.
In 1965, Jerry got a costume job at the famous Green Mansions in the Adirondacks, the birthplace of the Group Theatre. It was there that he met Bob Cessna
Bob Cessna
Bob Cessna was an American actor, scriptwriter and playwright who appeared on Broadway in many roles. He wrote several several off Broadway and off off Broadway plays...
. The two became close companions and that fall Bob, Jerry and Jay formed Twinn Connexion with Bob acting as their manager.
Recording career
Twinn Connexion's first recording was a single at Columbia RecordsColumbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
with Thomas Z. Shepard
Thomas Z. Shepard
Thomas Z. Shepard is a prolific record producer who is best known for his recordings of Broadway musicals, including the works of Stephen Sondheim...
as producer of the song, Your Porch Swing Squeaks. It was this demo that gave Twinn Connexion their start in recording. The next singles they recorded were for Decca, which took them on a tour of the Midwest.
The release of Twinn Connexion's self-titled album took place on October 4, 1968. It was celebrated with a party at the New York City Playboy Club
Playboy Club
The Playboy Club initially was a chain of nightclubs and resorts owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises. The first club opened at 116 E. Walton Street in downtown Chicago, Illinois, United States, on February 29, 1960. Each club generally featured a Living Room, a Playmate Bar, a Dining Room...
. Jerry and Jay's sister Patty was one of the bunnies at the Club. The party was a star-studded event with Cousin Brucie, Monte Rock, Carolyn Hester
Carolyn Hester
Carolyn Hester is an American folk singer and songwriter. She was a figure in the early 1960s folk music revival.-Biography:...
, Hugh Marlowe
Hugh Marlowe
Hugh Marlowe was an American film, television, stage and radio actor.Marlowe was born Hugh Herbert Hipple in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and began his stage career in the 1930s at the Pasadena Playhouse in California. Marlowe was usually a secondary lead or supporting actor in the films he...
and 50 gorgeous bunnies in full regalia.
Twinn Connexion appeared in many publications including Eye, 16, Teen World, Teen Life, Spec and After Dark. There were also television appearances on Come Alive in Pittsburgh, The Bob Braun Show in Cincinnati, Swingin' Time in Detroit and the biggest rock show of all, Upbeat out of Cleveland. Upbeat called them back for a second spot.
Decca also produced a film of Twinn Connexion seen in the United States, Vietnam and Korea. Twinn Connexion was on the charts in the Midwest. Sixth Avenue Stroll was number one in Mexico City Radio Universal and Decca Orfeon issued a second pressing, Caminando Por La Sexto Avenida, for Mexico and South America. Twinn Connexion was nominated for a Naras (Grammy) in 1969 for their version of The Cyrkle
The Cyrkle
The Cyrkle was a short-lived American rock and roll band active in the mid-1960s. The group charted two Top 40 hits, "Red Rubber Ball," and "Turn Down Day"...
's hit Turn Down Day.
Life After Music
When Decca was sold and promotion of Twinn Connexion was cut back, Jay got involved with stock trading on Wall Street and Jerry went back to art school, graduating from SUNY in 1976. Jerry is now a recognized painter in Woodstock, New York.On September 6, 2001, Jay died suddenly of heart failure. In his apartment, Jerry discovered tracks of vocals of music they had been working on, songs that were recorded but never released. He decided to remaster the tracks and release a second Twinn Connexion album, Songs from the Heart.
Sunshine Pop Revival
Twinn Connexion, the original album, was re-issued in 2003 by Hugo Montes Productions. Twinn Connexion tracks can be found on several sunshine pop compilations including Morning Glory Daze, MCA Universal Soft Rock Collection and the Get Easy Sunshine Pop Collection MCA Universal. Tracks can also be found online at Last.fmLast.fm
Last.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. It has claimed 30 million active users in March 2009. On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for UK£140m ....
.
Tony Coulter Show at WFMU-FM in Jersey City debuted the first track released on Songs from the Heart, Letter from Dad and Mom. James Addyman at Down in the Grooves on BBC, Leeds debuted the same track.
Albums
- Twinn ConnexionTwinn Connexion (album)Twinn Connexion is the 1968 self-titled debut album by identical twin brothers Jerry and Jay Hopkins, who recorded under the name Twinn Connexion.The album was released by Decca Records on October 4, 1968 with songs by Jerry Keller and David Blume...
(Decca 1968) - Twinn Connexion Expanded ReissueTwinn Connexion (album)Twinn Connexion is the 1968 self-titled debut album by identical twin brothers Jerry and Jay Hopkins, who recorded under the name Twinn Connexion.The album was released by Decca Records on October 4, 1968 with songs by Jerry Keller and David Blume...
(Now Sounds 2010) - Songs from the HeartSongs from the Heart (Twinn Connexion album)Songs from the Heart is the second album by the singing duo Twinn Connexion. It features remastered versions of Twinn Connexion songs that were never released.The album was offered by Hopkins as a free download on the music website Last.fm...
(Big Pink 2010)