Artist:Dick & Dee Dee
Song:Turn Around
Album:The Best of Dick & Dee Dee
The pop duo Dick & Dee Dee had success in the early 60s before the British Invasion wiped them out. This 1963 cover of the folk song Turn Around was a top 30 hit. According to a site that I use, it was their fourth biggest hit. But I have a good video clip and it was the best song that was played this morning. Richard Gosling and Mary Sperling met while they were students at Paul Revere Junior High in Los Angeles. They attended different high schools but reconnected after graduation at See's Candy Store in Los Angeles. Mary was attending college and working part time at the store. Gosling was looking for a job and he started working at the store. When they discovered a common interest in music, they began writing songs together. They were never romantically involved. They signed with the very small Lama label owned by The Wilder Brothers and producer Don Ralke. They were called Dick & Dee Dee on the 1961 single The Mountain's High which they wrote together. When The Mountain's High started getting radio airplay in California, Lama leased it to Liberty Records to get national distribution. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961. This would turn out to be Dick & Dee Dee's biggest hit. Mary quit college and Dick & Dee Dee went on tour. Liberty released the 1961 album Tell Me-The Mountain's High. When Dick & Dee Dee were unhappy with Liberty's promotional efforts, Ralke got them out of their Liberty contract and got them a new record deal with Warner Bros. The 1963 single Young and in Love was a top 20 hit and Turn Around was a top 30 hit. It was from the album Turn Around and was produced by Ralke. Turn Around was was written by folksinger Malvina Reynolds and musicologist. Alan Greene. When Harry Belafonte recorded Turn Around in 1959, he made changes and got a songwriting credit. The Kingston Trio recorded it in 1963 and it was covered by many artists after Dick & Dee Dee recorded it. Dick & Dee Dee recorded four albums for Warners and appeared on The Dick Van Dyke Show and were regulars on the TV show Shindig. This comp from Varese has all their hits. Mary married Dick Clark's producer Bill Lee. So they continued to appear on Clark's TV shows. But the British Invasion killed lots of musical acts and Dick & Dee Dee were no different. They split up in 1969 after recording a couple of albums for Dot Records. Gosling continued to write songs and he revived Dick & Dee Dee with his wife in the 80s. He died in 2003. Mary got married a second time and retired. After writing her 2006 autobiography, she revived Dick & Dee Dee with actor Michael Dunn and they performed for a couple of years. Here's Dick & Dee Dee performing Turn Around on the Dr. Pepper Celebrity Party 1963.
No comments:
Post a Comment