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Home , Belford Hendricks, Brook Benton, Clyde Otis, Dear Lonely Hearts, Hotel Happiness, Kiddio

CHAPTER 2

Clyde Otis, Dave Dreyer and

In January 1959, ’s first hit stormed the charts, capturing the hearts of millions. The long-awaited success had finally arrived. It really had been just a matter of time, and it was the song ‘It’s Just A Matter Of Time’ which catapulted the young African-American singer up into the stratosphere. It was co-written by Brook, and Belford C. Hendricks, the , arranger and bandleader who would be responsible for a whole string of Benton hits in the ensuing years. Hendricks had already co-writt en Nat ‘King’ Cole’s hit, ‘Looking Back’, with Benton and Otis, and he and his orchestra had accompanied Cole on various occasions. He had also arranged such popular records as ‘’, ‘Ramblin’ Rose’ and ‘When You’re Smiling’. The collaboration between Clyde Otis and Brook Benton has already been mentioned. But how did it actually come about? After cutting ‘The Wall’, his last recording for Epic, Brook requested a meeting with Otis, who had already written a number of successful songs. They were finally introduced to one other through ’s manager, Bill Cook. Brook showed Otis some of his songs. Clyde laughed at them, and thought them amateurish. Hurt, but not discouraged, Brook offered to bring more of his songs. Although Otis wasn’t very impressed, he agreed, as he was sure he would never see Brook again. But Brook’s songs kept getting better and better, and he was eventually able to sell some of them to him. Otis then introduced Brook to publisher Dave Dreyer, who felt that they should work together. This partnership yielded well over 150 compositions. Brook describes his collaboration with Dave Dreyer as the first big step towards his desired goal. He repeatedly attributes a large part of his success to his former manager, the publisher and composer of big hits like ‘Me And My Shadow’, ‘Back In Your Own Back Yard’ and ‘Cecilia’. 33 It was Dave Dreyer who was initially responsible for bringing about the extremely productive collaboration between Brook Benton and Clyde Otis. Their first hit together (co-written with Belford

33 Long Island Press , 12 August 1962.

37 Chapter 2: Clyde Otis, Dave Dreyer and Mercury Records

Clyde Otis (left) and Brook Benton in the studio, early ‘60s.

Hendricks) was Nat Cole’s ‘Looking Back’. One success led to another. Eventually, Otis became the leading A&R man at Mercury Records, and Benton was signed to the label as a recording artist. 34 ‘It’s Just A Matter Of Time’ was his first hit for the label, and was followed by many others up to 1961. (In this context, it should be noted that some of the recordings released from 1959 onwards had actually been made years earlier – namely in 1955 (‘It’s Just A Matter Of Time’, ‘Hurtin’ Inside’) and 1956 (‘So Close’, ‘How Many Times’, ‘So Many Ways’, ‘Endlessly’).35 Now let us give Brook Benton a chance to speak. In an interview broadcast in early October 1986 on various US radio stations, the singer recollected how he had cut a demo of one particular song, ‘It’s Just A Matter Of Time’, which became his first big success: ‘I wasn’t sure that they were gonna allow me to record this song as an artist, so I used two renditions. One demonstration record I made with the low notes, and the other one I used my voice ordinarily. The publisher, who was my manager, said he wouldn’t let anyone hear

34 ‘Brook Benton Bulletin’, Hit Parader, September 1961. 35 The exact details and recording and release dates of these records, insofar as they are known, appear in the Discography .

38 Chapter 2: Clyde Otis, Dave Dreyer and Mercury Records this song. And that’s what he did. Atlantic called me and wanted me to demonstrate some things, and I demonstrated that low-note rendition – in person of course. But, doing this, I got into very big differences with Clyde.’ The ‘low notes’ mentioned by Brook would become one of the trademarks of his vocal art. 36 At the end of 1957, a vocal group called the Diamonds had a No. 4 pop hit with ‘The Stroll’. Clyde Otis and were credited on the label as the song’s . At a concert in 2000, their lead singer, Dave Somerville, talked about its genesis and identified Clyde Otis as the writer and the young Brook Benton, who at that time was still waiting for his first hit, as vocal coach. Brook had also made a demo of the number, on which he experimented with low notes for the first time. This mannerism is widely regarded as a legacy of early R&B giant Percy Mayfield. In a 1983 interview for Radio London, Brook cited Louis Jordan, Percy Mayfield and as his early role models. Blind Boy Fuller was the first blues singer that he consciously listened to. However, it was the deep voice of Percy Mayfield that he had especially admired as a youngster and hoped that he too would be able to sing those low notes one day. So, he began working at it and cultivating this style, albeit without consciously trying to copy Mayfield. 37 Benton’s vocal was adopted by the Diamonds, and close listening to their version clearly bears that out. However, it appears that he also contributed his own ideas to the Diamonds’ worldwide hit. Brook continues: ‘Through “The Stroll” Clyde got a position with Mercury Records. Naturally, he took me along and said he could get me to go along. And then I made a choice where I should go: to Atlantic, or go to Mercury with Clyde, and naturally I went with Clyde.’ Here, Clyde Otis, who one of the absolute greats of American popular music, needs to be looked at in greater detail. Born in in 1924, he became the first African-American A&R boss of a major label. He too had struck out to to try to fulfil his musical ambitions. Like his later musical partner and protégé, Brook Benton, Otis worked different jobs during the daytime and composed at night. His ascent finally began in 1958, when he joined Mercury – together with Brook Benton, of course. Otis worked with greats like , , , the Diamonds and others, in the course of which he became the first producer to use string for black vocalists. The overemphasis of the string section by African-American arrangers that some critics find fault with was without a doubt a consequence of the new possibilities opened up by Clyde Otis.

36 Benton’s voice is examined in greater detail in Chapter 4. 37 Now Dig This 212, UK, November 2000.

39 Chapter 2: Clyde Otis, Dave Dreyer and Mercury Records

It is also worthy of mention that Clyde Otis was the first African- American producer to win a Award: he organized and produced sessions for country stars in Nashville. , , , and others recorded his songs. The first phase of his collaboration with Brook Benton ended in 1961 with the latter’s greatest-ever chart triumph, ‘The Boll Weevil Song’. The years that followed turned out to be so successful for Brook Benton that he could scarcely have imagined them in his wildest dreams.

40 OKeh 7052 (1955) OKeh 7055 (1955)

OKeh 7058 (1955) Epic 9199 (1957)

Vik X-0311 (1957) Mercury 71394 (1958)

266 US Releases 78s BILL LANDFORD & THE LANDFORDAIRES Columbia 30186 Touch Me, Jesus / You Ain’t Got Faith (Till You Got Religion) 1/1950 Columbia 30203 Run On For A Long Time / Troubled, Lord I’m Troubled 10/1950

BILL LANDFORD QUARTET RCA Victor 20-5351 Jesus Lover Of My Soul / The Devil Is A Real Bright Boy 6/1953 RCA Victor 20-5459 I Dreamed Of A City Called Heaven / You Ain’t Got Faith 10/1953

CHUCK WILLIS & THE SANDMEN OKeh 7051 Lawdy Miss Mary (reverse without the Sandmen) 2/1955

LINCOLN CHASE & THE SANDMEN Columbia 40475 That’s All I Need / The Message 3/1955

THE SANDMEN OKeh 7052 When I Grow Too Old To Dream / Somebody To Love 4/1955

CHUCK WILLIS & THE SANDMEN OKeh 7055 I Can Tell (reverse without the Sandmen) 5/1955

BROOK BENTON & THE SANDMEN* BROOK BENTON** OKeh 7058 Ooh* / The Kentuckian Song** 8/1955

BROOK BENTON OKeh 7065 Bring Me Love / Some Of My Best Friends 1/1956 Epic 9177 Love Made Me Your Fool / Give Me A Sign 8/1956 Epic 9199 All My Love Belongs To You / The Wall 2/1957 Vik X-0285 [RCA] Come On, Be Nice / I Wanna Do Everything For You 7/1957 Vik X-0311 [RCA] Devoted / A Million Miles From Nowhere 12/1957 Vik X-0325 [RCA] Crinoline Skirt / Because You Love Me 4/1958 Mercury 71394 It’s Just A Matter Of Time / Hurtin’ Inside 1/1959 Mercury 71443 Endlessly / So Close 3/1959 45s BILL LANDFORD QUARTET RCA Victor 47-5351 Jesus Lover Of My Soul / The Devil Is A Real Bright Boy 6/1953 RCA Victor 47-5459 I Dreamed Of A City Called Heaven / You Ain’t Got Faith 10/1953

CHUCK WILLIS & THE SANDMEN OKeh 4-7051 Lawdy Miss Mary (reverse without the Sandmen) 2/1955

LINCOLN CHASE & THE SANDMEN Columbia 4-40475 That’s All I Need / The Message 3/1955

THE SANDMEN OKeh 4-7052 When I Grow Too Old To Dream / Somebody To Love 4/1955

CHUCK WILLIS & THE SANDMEN OKeh 4-7055 I Can Tell (reverse without the Sandmen) 5/1955

267 US Releases

BROOK BENTON & THE SANDMEN* BROOK BENTON** OKeh 4-7058 Ooh* / The Kentuckian Song** 8/1955

BROOK BENTON OKeh 4-7065 Bring Me Love / Some Of My Best Friends 1/1956 Epic 5-9177 Love Made Me Your Fool / Give Me A Sign 8/1956 Epic 5-9199 All My Love Belongs To You / The Wall 2/1957 Vik 4X-0285 [RCA] I Wanna Do Everything For You / Come On, Be Nice 7/1957 Vik 4X-0311 [RCA] A Million Miles From Nowhere / Devoted 12/1957 Vik 4X-0325 [RCA] Crinoline Skirt / Because You Love Me 4/1958 Vik 4X-0336 [RCA] Crazy In Love With You / I’m Coming Back To You 8/1958 Mercury 71394X45 It’s Just A Matter Of Time / Hurtin’ Inside 1/1959 Mercury 71443X45 Endlessly / So Close 3/1959 (also stereo SS-10005X45) RCA Victor 47-7489 Only Your Love / If Only I Had Known 3/1959 Mercury 71478X45 / With All Of My Heart 7/1959 (also stereo SS-10012X45) Mercury 71512X45 So Many Ways / I Want You Forever 9/1959 (also stereo SS-10019X45) Mercury 71554X45 Nothing In The World / This Time Of The Year 12/1959 Mercury 71558X45 This Time Of The Year / How Many Times 12/1959

DINAH WASHINGTON & BROOK BENTON* BROOK BENTON & DINAH WASHINGTON** Mercury 71565X45 Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)* / I Do** 1/1960 (also stereo SS-10025X45)

BROOK BENTON Mercury 71566X45 The Ties That Bind / Hither And Thither And Yon 1/1960 (also stereo SS-10030X45)

DINAH WASHINGTON & BROOK BENTON* BROOK BENTON & DINAH WASHINGTON** Mercury 71629X45 A Rockin’ Good Way (To Mess Around And Fall In Love) * / 5/1960 I Believe ** (also stereo SS-10032X45)

BROOK BENTON Mercury 71652X45 / The Same One 7/1960 (also stereo SS-10037X45) Mercury 71722 Fools Rush In / Someday You’ll Want Me To Want You 10/1960 Mercury 71730 Merry Christmas, Happy New Year / This Time Of The Year 11/1960

ERNESTINE ANDERSON Mercury 71772 A Lover’s Question (reverse without Brook Benton) 1/1961

BROOK BENTON Mercury 71774 Think Twice / For My Baby 1/1961 Mercury 71820 The Boll Weevil Song / Your Eyes 4/1961 Mercury 71859 Frankie And Johnny / It’s Just A House Without You 8/1961 Mercury 71903 Revenge / Really, Really 10/1961 Mercury 71912 Shadrack / The Lost Penny 12/1961 Mercury 71925 Walk On The Wild Side / Somewhere In The Used To Be 1/1962 Mercury 71962 Hit Record / Thanks To The Fool 4/1962 Mercury 72009 Two Tickets To Paradise / It’s Alright (not released) Mercury 72024 Lie To Me / With The Touch Of Your Hand 7/1962 Mercury 72055 / Still Waters Run Deep 11/1962 Mercury 72099 I Got What I Wanted / Dearer Than Life 2/1963 Mercury 72135 My True Confession / Tender Years 5/1963 Mercury 72177 Two Tickets To Paradise / Don’t Hate Me (For Loving You) 8/1963

268 US Releases

RCA Victor 47-5351 (1953, promo) Columbia 4-40475 (1955)

OKeh 4-7058 (1955, promo) Mercury 71443X45 (1959)

Mercury 71565X45 (1960) Mercury SS-10032X45 (1960)

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