HAVING A
#1 RECORD IS AN
AMAZING EXPERIENCE
IT'S QUITE A VIEW FROM THAT LOFTY POSITION
For a glorious moment you're on top of the world
looking down on the rest as they attempt to claw
their way to the top
looking down on the rest as they attempt to claw
their way to the top
HOPING TO KNOCK YOU OFF!
As we continue to examine the fate of the various stars of the '63 Caravan of Stars tour following the arrival of The Beatles in 1964; we come to three acts who had the good fortune of hitting #1 their first time out of the gate.
Their first record releases shot to #1 on the 1963
Billboard Chart and went on to become million sellers
Billboard Chart and went on to become million sellers
T h e n T h e B e a t l e s a r r i v e d . .
and within a year they found themselves
looking up from the bottom - never to rise again . .
* * * * * * *
looking up from the bottom - never to rise again . .
* * * * * * *
P A U L & P A U L A
The story of Paul & Paula is truly one of good fortune, perfect timing and opportunity.
Ray Hildebrand and Jill Jackson were two Texas kids attending Howard Payne College in Brownwood, Texas.
Ray Hildebrand and Jill Jackson were two Texas kids attending Howard Payne College in Brownwood, Texas.
The year was 1962.
A local disc jockey put out a call for listeners to come down and sing their songs on air to aid the American Cancer Society.
Hildebrand and Jackson answered the call and sang a song that Hildebrand had written called 'Hey Paula.'
The response to the song was such that they were encouraged to have it recorded, and in October of '62 the duo drove to Forth Worth in hopes of auditioning with Major Bill Smith, owner of LeCam Records, whose most recent success was the million seller 'Hey Baby' by Bruce Channel
A local disc jockey put out a call for listeners to come down and sing their songs on air to aid the American Cancer Society.
Hildebrand and Jackson answered the call and sang a song that Hildebrand had written called 'Hey Paula.'
The response to the song was such that they were encouraged to have it recorded, and in October of '62 the duo drove to Forth Worth in hopes of auditioning with Major Bill Smith, owner of LeCam Records, whose most recent success was the million seller 'Hey Baby' by Bruce Channel
Arriving unannounced at the studio which was in the basement of radio station KFJZ, the duo waited around and got lucky. There was a recording session taking place and one of the artists scheduled didn't show, so Smith decided to give Ray and Jill a shot.
A few adjustments were made to the song, and it was run through several times before the final take . . took.
Originally released on Smith's Le Cam label under the names Jill & Ray; the recording was eventually aquired by Shelby Singleton of Mercury Records along with Jill and Ray's recording contract.
Mercury released the single on their newly aquired Philips label, but not before insisting on a name change to Paul & Paula.
Singleton thought that a couple named Ray and Jill singing about Paul and Paula didn't make sense.
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| PAUL & PAULA WITH DICK CLARK ON AMERICAN BANDSTAND |
By December 'Hey Paula' was breaking nationally, and in January of '63 Paul and Paula made their first appearance on Dick Clark's American Bandstand.
By February of '63 'Hey Paula' was #1 on the Billboard Pop Charts AND #1 on the R&B charts.
The record rose to #8 in the UK
http://youtu.be/W-TWbfHVbKY
'Hey Paula' would prove to be an enormous international hit in the U.S., Europe and Japan; eventually selling two million copies globally.
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| France |
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| Japan |
 |
| Italy |
 |
| England |
Here are some interesting cover versions:
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| 'Hey Paula' by Jean Pierre & Nathalie |
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| 'Hey Paula' by Elaine & Derek |
Suddenly they were touring the UK
And cavorting with the (soon to be) enemy . .
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| Paul & Paula meet The Beatles (1963 UK Tour) |
The follow-up release for Paul & Paula was another Ray Hildebrand composition called 'Young Lovers,' which
rose to #6 Pop - #14 R&B in the spring of '63.
#9 in the UK
http://youtu.be/7FmoYiZj4N4
By June of '63 their third release, 'First Quarrel,' topped out at #27
To listen to 'First Quarrel' click here:
http://youtu.be/t-pz4QWt_sU
In a matter of a few months these two kids from Texas were on top of the music world which, of course, meant lots of traveling
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| Paul & Paula in Australia |
 | |
| In Hawaii with The Cascades ('Rhythm of the Rain') |
And lots of Coke . . . (a Cola)
They released an album
In the fall of 1963 Paul & Paula signed on to
Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars tour
A Christmas Album was released
Almost exactly one year after 'Hey Paula' rose to #1
The Beatles arrived in America in February of '64.
Paul & Paula were still in great demand, despite that fact that
none of their single releases after 'First Quarrel' managed to
make the Top 40.
half of the famous duo.
By Hildebrand's own admission he was immature and absolutely unprepared for the incredible national attention and its concomitant pressure and demands.
It was while on a Dick Clark tour that Ray Hildebrand (Paul) reached his breaking point. Homesick, confused, and missing his girlfriend; he left in the middle of the tour and headed back to Texas.
Furious and abandoned; Jill Jackson (Paula) finished
out the tour with none other than Mr. Dick Clark himself
standing in for Hildebrand.
Jackson relocated to Los Angeles and sought out a
replacement 'Paul' in order to continue touring while Hildebrand remained in Texas - working for Major Bill Smith as
an A & R man.
The two continued to record as Paul and Paula; with Hildebrand laying down his voice tracks in Texas, and Jackson recording
her's in Los Angeles, but they would never again place another
song in the Top Ten.
Here's a clip of from
an Australian T.V. appearance in 1964
featuring the new 'Paul' stand-in:
http://youtu.be/kWWxfHjwqIM
 | ||||
| PAUL & PAULA ON AUSTRALIAN T.V. (1964) |
Their last album was released in 1964
Paul & Paula offically disbanded in 1965. Jill Jackson
married their manager and would set out on a solo career.
Ray Hildebrand recorded Christian music.
Here's a brief summary of Hildebrand's career following the
break up of Paul & Paula:
In July of 1967, Ray and his wife Judy and their 3 year old daughter Heidi, moved from Ft. Worth, Texas to Kansas City to go to work for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The timing of this move, coincided with a new solo music career with Word Records out of Waco, Texas in Contemporary Christian Music with songs such as Turn It Over To Jesus and Say I Do.
While traveling for the FCA and doing music concerts with his new music career, Ray became one of the pioneers/founders of Contemporary Christian Music. Besides three albums,Word Records also released several 45 RPM’s on Ray such as: Little Black Book, Heaven Help Us All, and Common Ground.
Ray also recorded for Metro Media Records with a song entitled Mr. Ballonman in the early seventies.
In 1983, Ray teamed up with Paul Land from Raytown, MO for 26 years. They became Land & Hildebrand traveling all over the world commonly called The Christian Smothers Brothers. Ray has retired from Land and Hildebrand but still performs as a solo act & with both Paul and Paula and Paul Land on special occasions.
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| RAY HILDEBRAND & JILL JACKSON (Paul & Paula) at a recent appearance |
Here's a recent clip of Paul & Paula discussing
how 'Hey Paula' came to be.
http://youtu.be/kLxo4G3iVMk
Here's a great clip of the same appearance where
Hildebrand & Jackson sing 'Hey Paula'
http://youtu.be/5Ku4wb62ogk
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
T H E E S S E X
The Essex were the most unlikely of popular music stars.
The group consisted of four enlisted Marines
stationed at Camp Lejuene, North Carolina.
The lead singer was Anita Humes.
After a period of singing together on
base, they each
secured a 3-day pass in order to travel to New York
where
they cut a demo record and were signed to Roulette Records.
The result was the million seller, "Easier Said Than Done,"
which hit #1 in July of 1963.
TO LISTEN TO 'EASIER SAID THAN DONE' CLICK HERE:
"A Walkin' Miracle," released in September of '63 peaked at #12.
Roulette Records released the single as
THE ESSEX Featuring Anita Humes
In the fall of 1963 The Essex signed on to the Dick Clark
Caravan of Stars tour.
In November of 1963, 'SHE’S GOT EVERYTHING' failed to make the Top 40 when it stalled at #56.
http://youtu.be/4C1tMZIdSHM
By the time The Beatles arrived in America
in February, 1964 The Essex' run of hits was over.
Their military commitments made touring difficult and eventually Anita Humes launched out on an unsuccessful solo career.
In November of 1964 Anita Humes appeared on the
popular television show To Tell The Truth.
http://youtu.be/W75nYx_Lk9Y
Anita Humes would enlist in The Army and travel as part of the Third Army Showmobile which traversed the country providing entertainment 'for soldiers by soldiers.'
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| Anita Humes traveling with the 3rd Army Showmobile (1965) |
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
D A L E & G R A C E
Dale & Grace were a duo consisting of Dale Houston
and Grace Broussard.
Houston had come to the attention of record exec
Sam Montel (Montel Records) who signed him to
his label as a songwriter in 1960.
In 1963 Montel suggested that Houston team up with Grace Broussard and record as a male/female duo (probably in
response to the huge success of Paul & Paula in early '63).
Houston and Broussard met and worked on a few songs at
Montel's house. When they began singing a song called
"I'm Leaving It All Up To You," which had been recorded in
1957 by Don & Dewey; Montel insisted that they record it.
 |
| DON & DEWEY |
TO LISTEN TO DON & DEWEY'S RECORDING OF "I'M LEAVING IT ALL UP TO YOU" CLICK HERE:
http://youtu.be/jG_7FXZCgYc
The record immediately began to climb the charts regionally, and broke nationally in the fall of '63.
Dale & Grace made their first American Bandstand appearance
on November 2, 1963, and joined the Caravan of Stars tour.
November of 1963 was an overwhelming month in the lives of
Dale Houston and Grace Broussard.
On top of appearing on American Bandstand and joining the
Caravan of Stars tour; the two had Thanksgiving dinner at
Dick Clark's house.
"I'm Leaving It Up To You" hit the #1 spot the
week of Kennedy's assassination; and, as I mentioned in a
previous post; the Caravan of Stars tour pulled into
Dallas the day of the assassination.
As usual; there was a mad rush to follow-up such a huge, #1 hit.
'Stop, And Think It Over!' was the result, and it was
basically "I'm Leaving It Up To You" with different lyrics.
It peaked at #8 in January, 1964.
It was only a matter of weeks before The Beatles arrived in
New York, and Dale & Grace would never again place a
record in the Top 10.
http://youtu.be/mL9FhToy-ao
In April of 1964 Montel released Dale & Grace's third single,
'The Loneliest Night.'
Once again; basically "I'm Leaving It Up To You" with different lyrics; it stalled at #65 on the Billboard Chart.
http://youtu.be/3X-FHqZsP9U
On August 1, 1964 Dale & Grace appeared again on American Bandstand singing their latest release, 'Darling It's Wonderful.' (You can watch it by clicking on the link above)
After they sang the song, Dick Clark took a moment to speak with the two of them. This conversation gives a great deal of background information about a few life-changing events that had recently taken place in their lives.
A few months before this Bandstand appearance,
Dale & Grace had been spending the weekend with fellow
Caravan of Stars veteran, Bobby Vee in Fargo, North Dakota.
They had been touring non-stop for months and the stress
was taking its toll on the two of them.
Their producer, Sam Montel (owner of Montel Records)
received a call from Bobby Vee.
Montel recalls the situation:
"He (Bobby Vee) said I'd better come up. Dale was sick, bleeding internally.
He and Grace were arguing a lot, and Bobby said they weren't speaking to each other."
Montel immediately flew to Fargo and found Dale in serious condition. Once Dale was hospitalized Grace explained to Montel that she was homesick. She missed her family, her dogs and her home on the bayou.
"I had an agreement with Dale & Grace that at any time they wanted to shut it down, all they had to do was call me. They had my word."
Sam Montel
It was as if Sam Montel were singing these now famous
lyrics back to Dale & Grace. He would leave it up to them . . .
Initially they attempted the same solution Paul & Paula had tried
when their troubles began. They recorded their parts separately, and then the two tracks were overdubbed later, but the idea was soon abandoned.
Both Dale Houston and Grace Broussard recorded solo
tracks for Montel, but with no success.
Dale & Grace disbanded in 1965.
Houston and Broussard would eventually come back
together in the 1990's.
Here's a great clip of the two of them performing in1997:
http://youtu.be/snqAEwTzgEE
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
S O . .
Is it fair to say that the arrival of The Beatles on American soil in February of 1964 destroyed the careers of Paul & Paula,
The Essex, and Dale & Grace?
Well, let's look at the facts . .
There is absolutely no denying that The Beatles' arrival on
February 7, 1964 changed everything . . . overnight.
BUT . .
There's also no denying that none of Paul & Paula's four
singles released in the six months prior to The Beatles' arrival
made it into the Top 40.
Not to mention their internal struggles between themselves that called into question whether they would be able to continue
on as a duo.
Had America grown weary of the Paul & Paula
sound by February of '64?
As for The Essex; each consecutive single they released charted lower than the previous one, and their latest release, as of February, 1964, had failed to reach the Top 40.
This, coupled with fact that their ability to tour and promote their records was severely hampered by each member of the group being active military.
Were the days of The Essex' hit-making potential over
by the time The Beatles arrived?
And what of Dale & Grace?
Of the three groups profiled here, Dale & Grace were the only
ones with a record in the Top 40 when The Beatles arrived;
in fact - they'd 'duked it out' with The Beatles on the charts
in January of '64.
'Stop, And Think It Over!' rose to #8 while sharing the Billboard Charts with 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' and 'She Loves You.'
Like Paul & Paula; there were issues within this duo as well. Illness, squabbles, and profound homesickness plagued the
'King & Queen of '63' in 1964.
There is also the fact that every record they released sounded glaringly similar to their first.
Was America growing tired of re-worked, warmed over versions of "I'm Leaving It Up To You"?
These are questions that even these brilliant men and their high-powered IBM computer couldn't answer for certain in
1964; but one thing IS certain - all these recording stars would
have stood a far better chance of continued success without
this to contend with:
Montel recalls the situation:
"He (Bobby Vee) said I'd better come up. Dale was sick, bleeding internally.
He and Grace were arguing a lot, and Bobby said they weren't speaking to each other."
Montel immediately flew to Fargo and found Dale in serious condition. Once Dale was hospitalized Grace explained to Montel that she was homesick. She missed her family, her dogs and her home on the bayou.
"I had an agreement with Dale & Grace that at any time they wanted to shut it down, all they had to do was call me. They had my word."
Sam Montel
It was as if Sam Montel were singing these now famous
lyrics back to Dale & Grace. He would leave it up to them . . .
Initially they attempted the same solution Paul & Paula had tried
when their troubles began. They recorded their parts separately, and then the two tracks were overdubbed later, but the idea was soon abandoned.
Both Dale Houston and Grace Broussard recorded solo
tracks for Montel, but with no success.
Dale & Grace disbanded in 1965.
Houston and Broussard would eventually come back
together in the 1990's.
Here's a great clip of the two of them performing in1997:
http://youtu.be/snqAEwTzgEE
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
S O . .
 | |||||
| THE BEATLES ARRIVE IN NEW YORK FEBRUARY 7, 1964 |
Is it fair to say that the arrival of The Beatles on American soil in February of 1964 destroyed the careers of Paul & Paula,
Well, let's look at the facts . .
There is absolutely no denying that The Beatles' arrival on
February 7, 1964 changed everything . . . overnight.
BUT . .
There's also no denying that none of Paul & Paula's four
singles released in the six months prior to The Beatles' arrival
made it into the Top 40.
Not to mention their internal struggles between themselves that called into question whether they would be able to continue
on as a duo.
Had America grown weary of the Paul & Paula
sound by February of '64?
As for The Essex; each consecutive single they released charted lower than the previous one, and their latest release, as of February, 1964, had failed to reach the Top 40.
This, coupled with fact that their ability to tour and promote their records was severely hampered by each member of the group being active military.
Were the days of The Essex' hit-making potential over
by the time The Beatles arrived?
And what of Dale & Grace?
Of the three groups profiled here, Dale & Grace were the only
ones with a record in the Top 40 when The Beatles arrived;
in fact - they'd 'duked it out' with The Beatles on the charts
in January of '64.
'Stop, And Think It Over!' rose to #8 while sharing the Billboard Charts with 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' and 'She Loves You.'
Like Paul & Paula; there were issues within this duo as well. Illness, squabbles, and profound homesickness plagued the
'King & Queen of '63' in 1964.
There is also the fact that every record they released sounded glaringly similar to their first.
Was America growing tired of re-worked, warmed over versions of "I'm Leaving It Up To You"?
 |
| IBM'S S/360 circa 1964 |
1964; but one thing IS certain - all these recording stars would
have stood a far better chance of continued success without
this to contend with:
