17. Big Bands of the 19505
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17. Big Bands of the 19505 he big bands were losing their great popularity in Anthony, meanwhile went into the Navy in 1942 for the early 1950s for many reasons, most of them four years. Teconomic. But there were a number ofbig bands After World War II, Anthony returned to Cleveland, still recording and some were still touring. Two of the formed another band, and signed a contract with Capitol most popular were from Greater Cleveland and one, Records. It was during this period, the late 1940s, that launched in 1952, performed not only for a high school there was a revival of Glenn Miller music. Anthony prom in Cleveland, but also with the Cleveland began playing many of the old Miller tunes, including Orchestra. his own arrangement of "Tuxedo Junction." His band was not playing much jazz, but it did swing at times and Ray Anthony became very popular, making dozens of records and Anthony was born playing countless college proms. For his recording Raymond Antonini in dates, Anthony frequently used top studio jazz Bentleyville, musicians including Conrad Gozzo, Georgie Auld, Pennsylvania January Skeets Herfurt, Mel Lewis and Plas Johnson, who later 20, 1922 and moved played Clevelander Henry Mancini's "Pink Panther to Cleveland with Theme" for the movie soundtrack. Anthony's most his parents and five popular record was the theme song of a popular radio brothers when he and television series Dragnet. was very young. His Leading a band through the 1950s, Anthony helped father, who led a extend the big band era. He eventually settled in band in Cleveland, California and in the 1980s was conducting a mail order gave him trumpet service for big band and jazz records. lessons when he was only five. Shortly Ralph Flanagan after he graduated One of the most from old Audubon popular big bands in Junior High School the country in the and while attending John Adams High School, he was early 1950s - and one leading his own band. He joined the musicians' union of the strangest - was at the age of IS. led by a musician who When he was 16 (in 1938), Ray Anthony went out on was born and grew up the road with the Al Donahue Orchestra. When he was 18, in Northeast Ohio. he was auditioned by the very popular Glenn Miller. It was Ralph Flanagan an on-the-job audition. Anthony recalled he rushed to the was born in Lorain Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City and almost fell off April 7th, 1919. By the bandstand in his excitement about playing with the the time he was in his nation's most popular band. He said the first number they early 20s, he was threw at him was the very popular "Tuxedo Junction," playing piano and which he had never played before. He said he got through arranging for the it in "acceptable style" and joined the Miller band. But, sweet band ofRocky River native Sammy Kaye. After according to George Simon in his book, The Big Bands, serving in the merchant marines during World War II, Anthony never really hit it offespecially well with Miller Flanagan became a studio musician for RCA Victor and left the band six months later. Records in New York and began arranging for such Anthony later played with Jimmy Dorsey and bandleaders as Charlie Barnet, Hal McIntyre, Gene returned to Cleveland to form his own band. Among the Krupa, Boyd Raeburn and Clevelander Blue Baron. musicians in that band was Hank Geer, a saxophonist During the Glenn Miller revival of the late 1940s, who had just graduated from Collinwood High School. RCA Victor re-issued all sorts of old Miller recordings As a high school student, Geer had played with the and airchecks and was looking for new ways to continue Charlie Spivak Orchestra, the house band at the Trianon the momentum of the Miller popularity. Record Ballroom. After high school, Geer spent the summer producer Herb Hendler hired Flanagan to record some touring with Anthony's band. He left just in time to Miller songs for a minor record label. When Hendler enroll at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio where he later went to work for RCA, Flanagan was working as a would lead an outstanding college dance band. staff arranger for the Mitchell Ayers Orchestra which 168 Cleveland Jazz History . was playing on the Perry Como television show. not like being a public figure. "He loved the money," Hendler suggested to his RCA bosses that Flanagan said Woods, "but he hated being a band leader." And the front a Miller-type band and make some new records in ballroom operators, who liked his music, didn't like him. the Miller style. The bosses at RCA apparently Flanagan's band manager, later called the leader "A confused Flanagan with Bill Finegan who had written a mouse of a man," who seemed to do everything he number of excellent arrangements for the Miller possibly could to alienate almost everyone. When his Orchestra. Actually, Flanagan had no connection fans approached the bandstand, he would tum away. whatsoever with the Miller Orchestra, but Hendler When they tugged at his trousers, he kicked at them. figured that by creating a band that sounded something One time in Albuquerque, said Woods, "Flanagan like Miller's, RCA would either create a popular new kicked a girl in the teeth and her boyfriend tried to drag band or at least stimulate the sales ofold Miller records. the bandleader offthe stage." He managed to achieve both objectives. In the fall of1951, the Flanagan band was booked in Flanagan wrote some new arrangements and used a package tour through a series of Michigan cities with musicians from the Perry Como Show to record them in the Mills Brothers. The legendary African-American 1949. RCA Victor mounted a huge promotional singers asked ifthey could ride on the bus with the band, campaign and the records began to sell. Heavy disc but, according to Woods, Flanagan refused to permit the jockey play prompted requests for the band to tour Mills Brothers on his bus. ballrooms in the East and Midwest. Hendler found One time in the mid-1950s, Flanagan attracted the himself in a box because, despite the popular records, amazement of newspapers by taking an early morning there was no Ralph Flanagan Orchestra. It was strictly stroll in the nude along an East Coast beach. a pick-up studio band. So, Hendler hired Bernie Woods, Some of the Lorain native' s biggest problems were the former music editor of Variety, to help form a prompted by his love offlying. He had a pilot's license touring band, manage it, and get booking contracts. and enjoyed flying his own plane when the band was Woods not only got bookings, he also got an agreement touring. One time in Iowa, he spotted the band bus from for commercial radio broadcasts from wherever the band the air and flew in low twice, buzzing the band. When was playing. The ballroom owners were attracted by the he landed the plane at a nearby airport, he was greeted prospect of added publicity. by some not-very-friendly policemen. In March of 1950, with a new, young group of Another time, when he was scheduled to play at the touring musicians, Flanagan set out on the road with his Steel Pier in Atlantic City, Woods went up in Flanagan' s Glenn Miller-sounding band, but Flanagan quickly plane to toss advertising leaflets out the window. As provoked the anger of other big band leaders. He was Flanagan piloted the plane up and down the beach and charging only $1,000 a night during the week and Woods threw leaflets out the window, the plane $1 ,500 on weekends while most ofthe other big bands narrowly missed a steel cable that was attached to an were getting $2,500 a night. Tommy Dorsey openly advertising balloon. accused Flanagan oftrying to undermine the older, more Another time, Flanagan tried to fly into Vandenberg established bands. Air Force Base in California where there was extremely Propelled by the heavy RCA promotion ofthe MilIer style records, Flanagan's ploy worked. Woods, in a 1994 book entitled When the Music Stopped, said the Flanagan band quickly became "the most sought-after band in the country." There is no doubt the band was popular. During its first year and a halfon the road, the band got only one night off per week, played for more than three million people, and grossed about $1.5 million, an unheard offigure for the era. Among the band's most popular songs were "Hot Toddy" and "Shaker Heights Stomp." While the Flanagan Orchestra was playing new songs arranged in the Glenn Miller style, there was little jazz content, but the college kids thought they were dancing to the same kind of music that propelled the early years of the swing era. The biggest problem, according to Woods, was Flanagan. In his book, Woods said Flanagan simply did Ralph Flanagan and his airplane The Big Bands of the 1950s 169 heavy security. He was told by the control tower to veer The early 1950s was an odd time to form a new big off; private planes were not allowed in the military air band. Ballrooms around the country had closed. The space. Woods said the Air Force was set to blast costs ofoperating big bands had skyrocketed and record Flanagan out ofthe sky until the Air Force pilot spotted companies and radio stations were spotlighting singers the band name on the side of his plane.