Forefathers, Early Ihfluences and Nonperformers
FOREFATHERS, EARLY IHFLUENCES AND NONPERFORMERS When rock and roll itself was still a dream with music that would still be the freshest productions o f top-drawer materialfrom Doc \ baby, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller sound on the airwaves years later. ’ ’ Pomus andMort Shuman, Gerry Goffin and were among its youthful prodigies. More Robins sides followed on Spark, Carole King, and Barry Mann and Cynthia Beginning with their 1952 including “Framed” and “Smokey Joe’s Weil: “This Magic Moment,” “Save the Last breakthrough, a catchy blues romp Cafe. ’ ’ Atlantic Records soon signed Leiber and DanceforMe," “Up on the Roof,” “On called ‘ ‘K. C. Loving, ’ ’ Leiber and Stoller to one o f the industry’sfirst independent Broadway.” (Phil Spector, a young assistant of Stoller rapidly grew into one o f the most production deals. Their first Atlantic successes Leiber and Stoller, also worked on many o f prolific and creative teams in the were with the Coasters, a groupfeaturing two these records.) I m usic’s history. former members o f the Robins. In 1957, the first Red Bird Records was Leiber and Stoller’s Coasters smash appeared, ‘ ‘Searchin’, ’ ’ final and most successful attempt at running H ad they done nothing more than backed with ‘ ‘Young Blood’ ’; it both broke the their own record label. Their unerring ear for turn out a stream o fsongsfor Elvis Presley - group and established Leiber and Stoller as talent brought newcomers like Ellie Greenwich, 2“LoveMe,” “JailhouseRock,” “TreatMe maJor producers. In a sea o f doo-wop sound- Jeff Barry, Shadow Morton and Richard Perry Nice, ’ ’ ‘ 'You' re So Square (Baby 1 Don’t alikes, Coasters hits like “CharlieBrown,” into theRedBird nest.
[Show full text]