top
top
top
top
|
 Photo
Images665 l to r - John Wayne, Troy Cory, Troy Cory
Jr., Troy and Rene Hall at Record Session, Troy,
Sylvester Levay, Ambros Seelos, Josie Cory, Troy
and Melvin Belli. Permission to use for News Media
and PR purposes)
• • During my Celebrity Scene cover story interview with TVI iPublisher / entertainer, Troy Cory, he had a lot to talk about regarding and some of the historical aspects of Walt Disney's contributions to telecommunications and the help he had given to many songsters that helped launch their careers to Hollywood stardum. • • Troy Cory cautiously detailed a little about his early song writing days in Hollywood, and how he first met Sonny Bono, and hit song writers/record producers, Bob Roberts, and Bob and Dick Sherman, of Disney Studio fame. Of course, "Mary Poppins", came after their hit singles: "Tall Paul", "There's No Fool Like A Young Fool", and "Jo-Jo The Dog Faced Boy", says Troy. • • "At that time, between June 1957 and June, 1958", recording studios were fighting to being unionised, and ASCAP had competition, BMI was established for the new breed of song writer. I was still in my first year as a serious recording artist with was collaborating with song writers Sonny Bono, Tip Tobin, Dorothy Swafford, and guitarist arranger, Rene Hall in the production of my first record album for Art Rupe's Specialty Records. • • Lucky for me, I was signed by Specialty, as their first "vanilla ice" performer, under the guidance of both Rene Hall and Sonny Bono, who were known for their excellence in producing the Sam Cooke, "I'll Come Running Back To You", and most of Larry Williams sessions. I'll never forget the attention and Art Rupe gave me as a young singer, it was the fastest learning curve experience I've ever experience in my life. • • In just a short period of time, I saw how hit songs were written and made by the greatest black singers of all time, Larry Williams, Little Richard and Sam Cooke, lyrics and all, I also was made to understand, that if the artist wrote te song, -- be ready to share the publishing and writers credit with others. • • The witty lyrics and instrument gimmicks of "Short Fat Fanny" "You Bug Me Baby", "Boney Moronie", "Short Fat Fanny", "Peaches And Cream", were more or less created on the spot in the studio, it seemed everyone in the studio was a lyricists. Getting the hit sound became a team effort, each taking a turn in supplying inputs. • • The day I met Bob Roberts was at a recording studio on Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, I was working with Sonny and Rene, trying to perfect a singing style with my voice that would go along with the mixed soul / rock-a-billy band, Sonny had put together, to back me up. • • After a few takes, our team hopelessly conceded, that the sound would not fit my Crosby stylings into the Fabian, Ricky Nelson sound Sonny was attempting to get. • • During the break, Sonny introduced me to song writer, Bob Roberts, who said he had just the song I needed to give me the hit sound we needed, and to postpone the session. Handing me the address of his music publisher-partner Bob Sherman's office, he left saying, "see ya later." • • After recording two songs, we postponed the record session, and walked across the street to meet what the two Bob's, Bob Roberts and Bob Sherman at the Sherman Publishing office, located on the 2nd or 3rd floor of the Sunset and Gower Building. "The rest is history" said Troy, "Bob and Dick Sherman explains as to what happen after that in their book, "Walt's Time", 1954-1958, on pages 126 through 131, pictured above. • • I was on my own," writes Robert. . . these were the salad days. With our college years behind us and Dick off in the Army, we quite naturally went our separate ways . . . but most of all, I did a lot of song writing, with a talented fellow named Bob Roberts . . . It was an exciting road to travel, filled with twists and turns -- one of which, fortuitously, would at last reunite me with my brother Dick . . . so early in 1958, (we) set up a publishing house in a little hole-in-the-wall office . . . (we) -- planned to publish anything commercial he or other writers came up with. • • As Dick, states, "in the late 1950s, many pop hits were boys singing about girls of all shapes and sizes, from "Skinny Minnie" to Larry Williams; "Boney Moronie", "Short Fat Fanny", and Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally", "Good Golly Miss Molly" and "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey", -- Dick was thinking it might be fun to turn the fad on its head and write a song a girl could sing about a boy . . . thus it was Dick -- who came up with the song title. "Tall Paul." • • "This is where I must have come in", says Troy, "I must have arrived at Sherman's office about the same time Dick did. I found Richard, and the man I just met at the studio, Bob Roberts working on a song called "Chalk On The Sidewalk." Dick was mentioning his idea for "Tall Paul." We were all talking about gimick catchy titles, especially the I had worked on with Sonny during the productions of Larry Williams Specialty Record sessions, "Skinny Minnie" and "Short Fat Fanny" "You Bug Me Baby", "Boney Moronie", "Short Fat Fanny", and Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally", "Good Golly Miss Molly" and "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey". This was the real thing, they were hashing out lyrics and tunes, in the Roberts style, sing lyrics as fast as the words were fed to them. By December of 1958, "Tall Paul" hit the charts with the 15-year-old Mouseketeer, Annette Funicello. • • "Taking the cliche from Sherman's book," 'it was a true case of serendipity', "Tall Paul" became the first smash hit out of the Sunset-Gower office," says Troy -- and the first of 36 songs written for Annette. "It was the little ditty gimick titles - that came out of the office, that did it", says Troy. • • "As for 'Tall Paul,' -- and 'Chalk on the sidewalk' combo," says Troy, "as the story goes, before 'Tall Paul" became a hit by the Disney Mouseketeer, Bob Roberts, became discouraged with the three-way partnership and walked out. • • "After the break-up" says Troy, "I worked very close with the three former partners, as well as with Ralph Freed, collaborating with them on: "There's No Fool Like A Young Fool", "Torture", Rinky Roo Rah", "Little Pink Toe", "Tender Are The Ties", "Suzy McGregor for Warner Bros., Bingo, Mercury Records and Cinema Prize. • • During this same period of time, some of the Sherman/Roberts hit tunes include: "Money Mad Man", Three Hundred and Sixty-Five Days", "Jo-Jo The Dog Faced Boy", and "Beach Time". • • Richard Sherman, on stage at a recent October, Magic Castle celebrity event remarked, "that Troy was still around during the time our Johnny Burnett hit, "You're Sixteen" -- became number one. • • Several years later, after being part of the Sunset/Gower song writer / recording artist scenario laid out by Bob Roberts, I saw the Shermans rise to fame and fortune with Disney, and was always part of the Bob Roberts musical scenario with his wife Sharon. Bob died with a song in his heart. CLICK HERE FOR MORE FILM CREDITS FOR ROBERT SHERMAN 4. Bylines / Troy Cory - Pete Allman Interview More Articles • Converging News 432005 / TeleCom BuyOuts, Spinoffs and Asset Seizure Boom Respectfully
Submitted
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Explorer |
45+110+565=720 / |
