Song:Big Man
Album:Capitol Collectors Series
The Four Preps were very successful in the late 50s with what I would describe as anti-Rock 'N' Roll. Big Man was one of their two top five hits. The group was known for their harmonies. Three of the four members went on to very successful careers in the entertainment business. Bruce Belland, Ed Cobb, Marvin Inabnett, Glen Larson and pianist Lincoln Mayorga were all students at Hollywood High School. They were discovered and signed to Capitol Records by producer Nik Venet in 1956. Belland was usually the lead singer. Their first few singles were not successful. But they finally struck gold when 26 Miles reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Big Man did almost as well at #3 but it did better internationally. Belland and Larson wrote Big Man and Mayorga wrote the arrangement. Mayorga was very important to their sound and was known as The Fifth Prep. They had a few lesser hits but became popular as a live act. The 1961 live album The Four Preps On Campus was a top ten album. Brian Wilson has acknowledged The Four Preps as a major influence on The Beach Boys harmonies. This Collectables comp has all their hits. As their career wound down in the mid-60s, Ed Cobb left the group to become a record producer. He produced The Standells hit Dirty Water among other things. Glen Larson is better known as a producer of TV shows like Battlestar Galactica and plenty of others. Lincoln Mayorga has had a long career as a composer and producer. Bruce Belland went on to write plenty of hits for other artists. Then he became a TV scriptwriter and eventually a senior programming exec at NBC. He still leads a version of The Four Preps today. Ed Cobb was performing with him but he died in 1999. Here's The Four Preps performing 26 Miles and Big Man on the 1994 PBS special Magic Moments.
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