How Mike Clifford met Patience & Prudence

Mike’s dad was in a band in the 40’s and his roommate was the bands piano player, Mark McIntyre. Twenty or so years later, Mark, now a producer for Liberty records. records several hits with his 11 and 14 year old daughters. Mark asks his old pal’s son to sing with them. You can find the Liberty duets with Mike on the Best Of Patience & Prudence CD. Mark also had Mike record a demo of a song he wrote, but decided to use Jimmie Rodgers instead. Tucumcari, hit #32 for Jimmie, but Mike remembers fondly he recorded it FIRST.

We were proud to World Premiere cuts from Mike’s new CD with Sandy Zacky read about it at our website.  While you’re there, tune in and listen for Mike’s songs on “the Honor Roll of Hits” 24/7 at TUNEDEX MEMORIES!

 

Timi Yuro helped Phil Spector create “the Wall of Sound”

Frank Kramer (host of TEENAGE MEMORIES) and I talk about music quite a lot. One song we both share a fondness for is “What’s A Matter Baby” by Timi Yuro. Frank has read many times over the years that Phil Spector was involved in the production of this song. Frank has the original 45 and Clyde Otis is listed as the producer. When he asked me, I had no idea, but one of the reasons I’ve always liked the song was that wonderful string arrangement. Together with the help of the Internet, we found the answer from the liner notes of the Box Set called “The Brill Building Sound”.

“Timi Yuro had been recording for Liberty since 1959; she enjoyed a huge hit with ‘Hurt’ in 1961 but had been unable to follow it up. Then, with this song half-finished, Liberty’s East Coast A&R chief Clyde Otis abruptly resigned. At this exact moment, Phil Spector was trying desperately to raise funds to get his Philles label established; somewhat disingenously, he accepted Otis’ job (and a year’s salary in advance), which allowed him to make ‘Uptown,’ the Crystals’ hit Philles needed. Spector did little during his brief tenure at Liberty to justify the cash he’d received, but he did turn this unfinished track into a minor masterpiece (even though the record bears Otis’ production credit).”

You’ll hear lots of Timi Yuro 24/7 at TUNEDEX MEMORIES!

 

The Roses – provided backup vocals for Buddy Holly

A trio of native Texans, David Bigham, Robert Linville and Ray Rush, The Roses began their career by backing Roy Orbison on his Sun recordings. They met Norman Petty and replaced the Picks as the backing group for Buddy Holly and The Crickets. They can be heard on “Fools Paradise”, Think It Over”, and “It’s So Easy”. In addition to doing backing vocals for well over 100 recordings, they also released 45’s as The Roses. The Roses were inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in December 2000.  Listen for the Roses singing with and without Buddy Holly on TUNEDEX MEMORIES!