 DISK
A
From "After Class"
A-1. I TOLD THEM
ALL ABOUT YOU - YOU DEAR (MEDLEY): Affectionately referred to as
"The Whipoorwill Song," the foundation for this number was taught to
us by rote one January afternoon in 1974 by the "Citations" quartet,
who served on the Music Team of our beloved Thoroughbred Chorus.
The Citations had borrowed the piece from the "Four Harmonizers." Changes
were then "woodshedded" by the BSU, and our trademark "bell chords"
were inserted during a Don Clause interpretation session. Later,
the tag was added by Ed Waesche. a-BSU, et al. I TOLD THEM
ALL ABOUT YOU: m/w-Cliff Friend, p-Remick Music Corp. YOU DEAR:
m-Sammy Fain, w-Ralph Freed, p-EMI Feist
A-2. I'VE FOUND MY SWEETHEART
SALLY: Ed Waesche had to change some of this song's lyrics
from "I thank the Shepherd of all those who roam for bringing her
back to me," in order not to violate Society contest rules prohibiting
religious music. m-Lew Pollack, w-Jack Yellen a-EW, p-Warner Brothers
A-3. WHEN IT'S DARKNESS
ON THE DELTA: It was traditional for every quartet in the
Louisville "Thoroughbreds" to sing a rendition of this "Elastic 4"
lead solo. We copied it from the "Club House 4" and the "Citations,"
and inserted our own "woodshedded" tag. m-Jerry Livingston/Al
J. Newburg, w-Marty Symes, a-Elastic 4, p-Anne Rachel Music Corp/Music
Sales Corp/Hallmark Music Corp.
A-4. MEET ME IN ROSETIME
ROSE: This tune was added in 1977 to expand the originality
of our competition song repertoire. m-Jean Schwartz, w-William
Jones, a-Greg Lyne/EW, p-Shapiro Bernstein
A-5. MIDNIGHT ROSE:
After winning the International Quartet Championship, each time we
finished this tune, just before the applause would start, one of our
"Thoroughbreds", the late Charlie Hawley would boom, "That's the one
that did it!" Thanks, Charlie. m-Sidney D. Mitchell, w-Lew
Pollack, a-EW, p-M. Witmark & Sons
A-6. GIRLS MEDLEY:
In 1972, we had sung with our "Thoroughbreds" in their annual chorus
show, the theme for which was "Girls, Girls, Girls." The show
opener was a medley of songs based on girls' names. In 1978, we asked
Ed Waesche to use the same theme for a contest arrangement, using
girl tunes with similar driving tempos. He wrote an original
introduction, which set up a thread of comedy to tie the messages
of three songs together into a story. Then, in his fine tag, Ed referred
back to the introduction both musically and lyrically, and mentioned
the three girls' names again, as well. Ed's innovative and synergistic
method of combining different songs to create a totally new piece
became a "formula" for barbershop quartet medleys, which continues
to be used by many arrangers of barbershop harmony. a-EW.
MARGIE: m-C. Conrad, w-J.R. Robinson/B.Davis, Edwin H. Morris
Co. NO NO NORA: m-Kahn, w-Fiorita, Erdman, p-Songwriters
Guild/EMI Feist MA BLUSHIN ROSIE: m-John A. Stromberg,
w-Edgar Smith, p-Witmark & Sons
A-7. THE AUCTIONEER:
When the "Thoroughbreds" chose a show theme, the chapter quartets
were assigned songs which fit the theme. In 1974, the theme
was "A Song For All Seasons," and the BSU was asked to celebrate the
"harvest" month of September with this novel "Nighthawks" tongue twister.
It remains one of our most popular show songs. m-Leroy Van Dyke,
w-Buddy Black, a-Greg Backwell, p-Milene Music Inc.
A-8. EYES MEDLEY:
Inspired by the "Oriole 4" and the "4-Do-Matics, we borrowed two songs
from a top ten Society album, and put them together with a simple
woodshedded key change. Made a great "opener" for several years.
JEEPERS CREEPERS: m-Harry Warren, w-Johnny Mercer, a-Oriole 4,
p-M. Witmark & Sons THEM THERE EYES: m-M. Pinkard, w-W. Tracey/D.Tauber,
a-4-Do-Matics, p-Bourne Co.
A-9. IT WAS JUST ONE
OF THOSE THINGS: In 1976, we happened to sing on several
shows with the 1974 Sweet Adelines International Queens of Harmony,
"4th Edition." We admired these great ladies and their work.
They graciously shared their superb Joni Bescos arrangement with us.
m/w-Cole Porter, a-Joni Bescos, p-Harms Inc.
A-10. THIS LITTLE PIGGY:
We originally sang an arrangement written by the famous director of
the Island Hills Sweet Adelines Chorus, George Avener. But when
we sang it on an afterglow in Chicago in 1977, "Soundtracks" bass,
Don Bagley, suggested we have it rearranged to make it appropriate
for Society contests. Our friend, Ed Waesche, was kind enough
to accommodate us. Thanks, George, Don and Ed. m-Walter Pegeas,
w-John Houston, a-EW, p-Debbie Anne Music Inc.
A-11. PLEASE DON'T TALK
ABOUT ME WHEN I'M GONE: Inspired by the "Renegades," we
thought the contest audience in 1976 might be ready for another rendition
of this gem. m-Sam Stept, m-Sidney Clare, p-Remick Music Corp./Bourne
Co.
A-12. IT'S NOT WHERE
YOU START/ROSE COLORED GLASSES MEDLEY: The first song in
this medley was taken from the Broadway show, "See-Saw," and its message
fit so well with a tune we had heard sung by the "Citations," that
we couldn't resist putting them together. Notice, we borrowed the
same key change we had used to marry JEEPERS CREEPERS and THEM THERE
EYES. IT'S NOT WHERE YOU START: m-Cy Coleman, w-Dorothy
Fields, a-Chari Pernert, p-Songwriters Guild LOOKING AT THE WORLD
THROUGH ROSE COLORED GLASSES: m-Tommy Malie, w-Jimmy Steiger,
a-Renee Craig, p-Warner Bros. Music Corp.
From "The Older,
The Better"
A-13. HI NEIGHBOR:
Inspired by the "Citations" version of this "Buffalo Bills" barbershop
hit, we unknowingly sang our first Walter Latzko arrangement.
m/w-Jack Owens, a-WL, p-Owens-Kemp Music Co.
A-14. THE OLD SONGS
MEDLEY: We tied three Society "Polecat" songs together with
Ed Waesche's adaptation of a 1970's Anne Murray pop hit, to illustrate
the timelessness of this theme. We borrowed Ed Gentry's beautiful
tag for the otherwise traditional SWEET ADELINE, and parody lyrics
from the "4 Preps" for the second chorus of IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME.
THE OLD SONGS: m/w-G. O'Hara, a-SPEBSQSA, INC., p-Boston Music
Co. EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN: m-P. Allen, w-Carole Bayer
Sager, a-EW, p-Warner Brothers YOU'RE THE FLOWER OF MY HEART, SWEET
ADELINE: w/m-Harry Armstrong, a-Traditional, Ed Gentry, p-Witmark
& Sons IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME (PARODY): m-George Evans,
w-Ren Shields, a-EW, p-Edward B. Marks Music.
A-15. BIFF THE FRIENDLY
PURPLE BEAR: The "Club House 4" performed this piece for
a short time before they retired, and quickly offered it to their
favorite kids quartet (us), because they knew its value. Accompanied
by THE LITTLE BOY, hummed lightly in the background, there was never
a dry eye in the house. a-Club House 4 BIFF THE FRIENDLY
PURPLE BEAR, w-Dick Feller, p-Sony-ATV Songs THE LITTLE BOY, w/m-Al
Stillman, p-Edwin H. Morris Co.
A-16. JAVA JIVE:
We first heard this song at a Society Mid-Winter convention in 1978,
by a Florida quartet which included our friend Todd Wilson, who later
became an International Champion tenor with "Acoustix."
Like good barbershoppers, we woodshedded our own acapella arrangement,
based on the "Manhattan Transfer's" rendition of the great "Ink Spots"
hit. This was our first real experience with adaptation of a
"swing" tune to the barbershop style. It became a popular BSU
show number, and is still one of our favorite songs to sing. m-Ben
Oakland, w-Milton Drake, a-BSU, et al, p-Sony Tunes Inc./Advanced
Music Corp.
A-17. THE CHORDBUSTERS'
MARCH: Inspired by the "Suntones" version of the "Chordbusters"
quartet theme song, we made a few subtle changes to leave our mark
on this rousing barbershop number. m/w/a/p-W.A. Wyatt
A-18. I'M CONFESSIN'
THAT I LOVE YOU: Through this tenor solo, also inspired
by a recorded version by the great "Suntones," our audience discovered
that Allen had a great feel for a love song, and an appealing lead
vocal quality. m-Al J. Newburg/Doc Daugherty, w-Ellis Reynolds,
a-Suntones, p-Bourne Co.
A-19. SIXTEEN TONS:
Our rendition of the country tune made famous by Tennessee Ernie Ford
showcases our bass, Rick. m/w-Merle Travis, a-John Hohl, p-American
Music Inc.
A-20. HERE'S TO THE
WINNERS: Frank Sinatra's rendition of this song was popular
just as we finished our year as the current International Champion.
We thought its message was suitable to wish success to all the competitors
in the upcoming quartet contest. As luck would have it, Renee
Craig had already written a fine Sweet Adeline arrangement of it.
m/w-Joe Raposo, a-Renee Craig, p-Sergeant Music Co./Jonica Music
Co.
A-21. MY HONEY'S LOVIN'
ARMS: Inspired by the version recorded on their famous "Barbershop
With Banjo" album, we added some "bum-bums" to Don Gray's arrangement
to emulate the style of the great "Buffalo Bills."
m-Joseph Meyer, w-Herman Ruby, a-Don Gray, p-Warner Brothers
A-22. THE BLUEGRASS
GOSPEL MEDLEY: To give thanks to the Man Upstairs, this
piece was often sung by the BSU as an encore. It was inspired
by the Christian faith passed on to us by our families. a-EW
HOW GREAT THOU ART: w/m-Stuart K. Hine, p-Manna Music
IN THE BY AND BY: Public Domain I'LL FLY AWAY: Public
Domain WHEN THE ROLL IS CALLED UP YONDER: Public Domain
From "The Music
Man"
A-23. THE WELLS
FARGO WAGON: This song, along with the next eleven "cuts,"
marked a turning point in the BSU's career, since all twelve songs came
from the same Broadway show, Meredith Willson's THE MUSIC MAN.
"WELLS FARGO," as we called it, was one of the more popular show tunes
in our package, due to its lively tempo and entertaining lyric.
m/w-MW, a-WL, p-FMC
A-24. IOWA STUBBORN:
Our first experience with overdubbing," this obscure show song pokes
fun at a stereotypical Iowan attitude. Over the years, we have
taken some ribbing from Iowans in return, since we pronounced the
Iowa town of "Keokuk" incorrectly on the recording. Sorry!
m/w-MW, a-WL, p-FMC
A-25. YA GOT TROUBLE:
This lead solo was patterned after Robert Preston's great performance
in the musical film version of THE MUSIC MAN. Though the lyrics
came a mile a minute, Kenny wasn't afraid to try it. After all,
we learned "THE AUCTIONEER," didn't we? w/m-MW, a-WL, p-FMC
A-26. GOOD NIGHT MY
SOMEONE: A well known love ballad from the show, the simplicity
of this tune is the source of its charm. We particularly enjoyed
singing the penultimate chord, which suspends the baritone on a "ninth."
m/w-MW, a-WL, p-FMC
A-27. MARIAN THE LIBRARIAN:
Always a fun song to sing, this tune features Rick on a bass
counter-melody, which makes the other three of us wonder if he ever
breathes. m/w-MW, a-WL, p-FMC
DISK
B
B-01. PICK-A-LITTLE-TALK-LITTLE
AND GOOD NIGHT LADIES: The overdubbing on this medley was
a great challenge, but we feel it enhanced the recording. Though the
punch lines in the declamatory segment might seem dated, we owed
it to the late Mr. Willson to include them. m/w-MW, a-WL, p-FMC
B-02. SHIPOOPI:
Sung in the film by comic actor Buddy Hackett, this piece was a serious
tongue twister. It was even more difficult than "YA GOT TROUBLE"
because friend Walter properly arranged it using monophony (all four
voices singing the same lyric at the same time) throughout the song.
m/w-MW, a-WL, p-FMC
B-03. THE SADDER BUT
WISER GIRL: One of our favorite songs from the show, this
tune, as well as its lyric, conveyed a risque message, which appealed
to the audience. We were surprised when so many audiences expressed
understanding of the vague reference to a character from the
classic book, THE SCARLET LETTER, by laughing at the lyric, "I hope
and pray for Hester to win just one more "A." m/w-MW, a-WL, p-FMC
B-04. THE BUFFALO BILLS
MUSIC MAN MEDLEY: Each song in this medley was sung by the
show's original quartet, as a separate work. Walter's musical
transitions tied them together beautifully so that we could show proper
respect to the "Bills." a-WL SINCERE: w/m-MW, p-FMC
IT'S YOU: w/m-MW, p-FMC LIDA ROSE: w/m-MW, p-FMC
B-05. GARY INDIANA:
Arranged as a baritone solo, this song gave us an opportunity
to demonstrate Dan's delivery of "tongue-in-cheek" comedy. Dressed
as Mr. Willson's lisping character, "Winthrop," he got loads of laughs
with the cute lyric. w/m-MW, a-WL, p-FMC
B-06. TILL THERE WAS
YOU: The show's famous love song, which was sung by Shirley
Jones and Robert Preston in the film version, and later covered by
the Beatles, was a perfect vehicle to showcase our tenor's special
gift as a soloist. During Allen's performance, mothers would
often put their hands over their babies' mouths. Well, not really,
but it sure got quiet! w/m-MW, a-WL, p-FMC
B-07. YA GOT TROUBLE
(REPRISE): More "trouble in River City", similar to the
first time, but different enough to be confusing. As in the
Broadway Show, the "reprise" leads into the MUSIC MAN theme song.
SEVENTY-SIX TROMBONES deserved more voices than we had to offer, so
through the miracle of recording technology, we were able to add the
other seventy-two. This subsequently made live performances
of this song rather difficult. a-WL YA GOT TROUBLE (REPRISE):
w/m-MW, p-FMC SEVENTY-SIX TROMBONES: w/m-MW, p-FMC
From "Jukebox Saturday
Night"
B-08.
JUKEBOX SATURDAY NIGHT MEDLEY: This
number, along with the next eight cuts, combined two elements we had
learned to love; the "theme" album concept and the music of the 1940's.
Inspired by the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra
and Benny Goodman, this piece crashed through the barbershop "purist"
barriers, and all of a sudden, barbershop quartet singing was not only
fun; it was "cool." a-WL JUKEBOX SATURDAY NIGHT: w/m-Paul
McGrane/Al Stillman, p-Mutual Music Society TUXEDO JUNCTION: m-Julian
Dash/William Johnson, w-Buddy Feyne/Erskine Hawkins, p-Lewis Music Publishing
I'LL NEVER SMILE AGAIN: w/m-Ruth Lowe, p-MCA Music Publishing/A
Div. SING, SING, SING: w/m-Louis Prima, p-EMI Robbins Catalog
Inc.
B-9. STARDUST: Practically
the theme song of the 1940's, most swing bands played an instrumental
version of this classic pop song. Our rendition was inspired
by that of the legendary Nat King Cole. The beautiful chording
by Walter Latzko reflects his awe of this song's special beauty. m-Hoagy
Carmichael, w-Mitchell Parrish, a-WL, p-PSO Ltd./Everbright Music
Co./EMI Mills Music Inc.
B-10. MINNIE THE MOOCHER:
The late Cab Calloway's "sing-along" classic, as he had performed
it most recently in the first "Blues Brothers" film, is a natural
for barbershop audiences, because they require little encouragement
to sing along. Walter's great tag was perfect for the studio
cut, and "Grandma's Boy" Jay Giallombardo contributed a "fanfare"
tag for the live performances. m/w-Cab Calloway/Clarence
Gaskill/Irving Mills, a-WL, et al, p-EMI Mills Music Inc.
B-11. SUGAR MEDLEY:
The sheet music was immediately available for the first two songs
selected for this medley, but the third one, My Sugar Is So Refined,
was nowhere to be found. Walter pulled some strings with the
CBS Radio Library in New York, to get a copy. The result proved
worth the effort, when we ultimately received his fine arrangement.
Some of our rhythmic interpretation was based on performances by the
late Nat King Cole, one of our favorite pop performers. a-WL
WHEN MY SUGAR WALKS DOWN THE STREET: w/m- Irving Mills/Jimmy
McHugh/Gene Austin, p-EMI Music Inc./Songwriters Guild WHEN
I TAKE MY SUGAR TO TEA: w/m-Pierre Connor/Irving Kahal/Sammy
Fain, p-Famous Music Corp./The New Irving Kahal Music
MY SUGAR IS SO REFINED:
w/m-Sidney Lippman/Sylvia Dee, p-Aria Music
B-12.
ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE: This
popular tune was recorded by many artists, and most couples danced
to instrumental versions of it in the 1940's. Our love song
specialist, Allen, interprets the beautiful lyric of Walter and Marjorie
Latzko's favorite song. m-Jerome Kern, w-Oscar Hammerstein II,
a-WL, p-Polygram International
B-13. PEG O' MY HEART:
Ed Waesche's arrangement of the old standard includes a refreshing
segment, in which the melody moves easily through all four voice parts,
before coming back to the lead. m-Fred Fisher, w-Alfred Bryan,
a-EW, p-Leo Feist
B-14. I GOT RHYTHM:
Our first exposure to the late George Gershwin's work was challenging,
yet rewarding, and our enjoyment of the experience would later lead
to similar challenges. Walter's inclusion of the unique verse
makes this a real "Oh Yeah" song; the kind where, as we start the
chorus, the audience says, "Oh Yeah." m-GG, w-IG, a-WL, p-Warner
Bros. Music Corp.
B-15. I CAN DREAM CAN'T
I: Our rendition of this 1940's standard actually was inspired
by the cover version recorded by Karen Carpenter. Ed's masterful
arrangement changes the mood from eerie to wistful to earnest.
m-Sammy Fain, w-Irving Kahal, a-EW, p-The New Irving Kahal Music/Fain
Music Co.
B-16. MILLS BROTHERS
MEDLEY: The great "Mills Brothers," who sang some barbershop
harmony in the early days of their career, lent impact to this medley
of some of their well known songs. Our tribute was appreciated
so much by audiences, that we closed our performances with this selection
for many years, proving the timeless appeal of their music. a-EW
LAZY RIVER: m-Hoagy Carmichael, w-Sidney Arodin, p-Peer International
Corp. PAPER DOLL: w/m-J.S. Black, p-TVT Music Inc./MCA Music GLOW
WORM: w/m-Paul Lincke, p-EMI Mills Music Inc. CAB DRIVER: w/m-C. Parks,
p-Greenwood Music, OPUS ONE: w/m-Sy Oliver/William Count Basie, p-Embassy
Music
From "Here To Stay"
B-17. SLAP THAT
BASS: This first cut of the twelve Gershwin tunes we selected
for our tribute to the great composer was originally performed by song
and dance man Fred Astaire in the musical film, SHALL WE DANCE.
It proved to be a fresh, lighthearted piece, which our contemporary
audiences enjoyed immensely, in spite of the fact that the song was
unfamiliar to them. m-GG, w-IG, a-WL, p-Gershwin Publishing
Corp.
B-18. A FOGGY DAY: Inspired
by Frank Sinatra's recording, this song is a must for a Gershwin tribute.
Walter's introduction does not give away the title, and his eerie
duet makes appropriate use of "parallel fifths," which are repeated
in the tag; unheard of in barbershop music, until now. m-GG,
w-IG, a-WL, p-Gershwin Publishing Corp.
B-19. LIZA: Our
primary inspiration for the interpretation of this song was provided
by contemporary performer Michael Feinstein, whose father was a barbershopper
from Columbus, Ohio. Michael served as musical secretary to
Ira Gershwin for several years, and went on to record tribute albums
to many great American songwriters. He graciously shared with
us that Gershwin's LIZA had been the inspiration for the name bestowed
upon the daughter of Judy Garland and Vincent Minelli, who grew up
to become Michael's good friend, Liza Minelli. Although originally
introduced by Al Jolson, the song had also been performed in the barbershop
style by the Thoroughbred Chorus in 1962, when its membership included
the fathers of seven-year-old Allen and six-year-olds Kenny and Danny.
We knew Ed Waesche wouldn't mind when we included some of Bill Benner's
"Thoroughbred" tag at the end of Ed's fine arrangement. m-GG, w-Gus
Kahn/IG, a-EW, p-Warner Bros. Music.
B-20. I'VE GOT A CRUSH
ON YOU: Linda Ronstadt's "WHAT'S NEW" album included a cut
of this song which we greatly admired. Although the lyric is
slightly different when men sing it, the charm of the piece communicates
similar mood with Allen on the solo. Also, "How glad the many
millions" rhymes better with "Annabelles and Lillians," than with
"Toms and Dicks and Williams," don't you think? m-GG, w-IG,
a-WL, p-Warner Bros. Music Corp.
B-21.
THEY ALL LAUGHED: Another Fred Astaire performance inspired
us to choose this song, and we were tickled with Walter's new introduction,
using "laugh" words like "hardy-har" and "yuck." This number
has a great message for grownups, but kids really seem to enjoy it.
m-GG, w-IG, a-WL, p-Ira Gershwin Music
B-22. SWANEE:
"Jolie's" big song was a must for our recording project, but we
couldn't begin to imitate his unique style. Ed's barbershop
arrangement included an original second verse lyric, which our coach,
Don Clause, liked a lot. Don switched it with the first verse,
and asked us to sing it "very freely," in order to disguise the song
until the first chorus. This collaboration made it sort of a
"hit" for us too, but no one will ever take the place of the late
Al Jolson as "the world's greatest entertainer." m-GG, w-Ralph
Hermann/Irving Caesar, a-EW, p-Irving Caesar Music Corp.
DISK
C
C-1. PORGY AND
BESS OVERTURE: This was our most ambitious project ever, for several
reasons. In order to do justice to Gershwin's classic American
opera, we would have to sing longer without stopping than we ever had
before. Also, the work was only a mild success, at best, for Gershwin
and principal lyricist Du Bose Heyward when it debuted originally.
The largely white audiences of the 1930's seemed uncomfortable with
the rare African-American cast, setting and tragic storyline.
We must admit that contemporary audiences still seem somewhat uneasy
with the theme, but "PORGY AND BESS" was a labor of love, both for Gershwin
and for the BSU. We recognized Gershwin's empathy with the
characters, and we believe acceptance of his fine work will continue
to expand with ever-evolving social attitudes. Our arranger Ed
Waesche had asked our other favorite arranger, Walter Latzko, to arrange
this for Ed's own quartet, "The New Yorkers," showing his great
respect for both Walter and Mr. Gershwin. We couldn't resist.
m-GG, a-WL SUMMERTIME: w-Du Bose Heyward, p-Ira Gershwin Music.
I GOT PLENTY O' NUTTIN': w-Du Bose Heyward/IG, p-George Gershwin Music/Du
Bose & Dorothy Heyward Music BESS YOU IS MY WOMAN: w-Du Bose Heyward,
p-Ira Gershwin Music/Du Bose & Dorothy Heyward Music IT AIN'T NECESSARILY
SO: w-Du Bose Heyward and IG, p-Ira Gershwin Music/Warner Bros. Music
THERE'S A BOAT DAT'S LEAVIN SOON FOR NEW YORK: w-Du Bose Heyward/IG,
p-Ira Gershwin Music/George Gershwin Music/Du Bose and Dorothy Heyward/Warner
Bros. Music Corp.
C-2.
LOVE IS HERE TO STAY: It is widely known that this was
the last song ever written by George Gershwin before his untimely
death in 1937, and that long-time collaborator, Ira Gershwin, wrote
the lyric after George's death as a tribute to his brother.
Our inspiration for this rendition, including the replacement of the
lyric with an "oo" at the start of the second chorus, was the Gene
Kelley performance in the 1950's musical film, “AMERICAN IN PARIS”.
m-GG, w-IG, a-EW, p-George Gershwin Music/Ira Gershwin Music/Warner
Bros. Music Corp.
C-3. AS TIME GOES BY:
This Latzko arrangement was originally recorded by the great "Buffalo
Bills," and later was the title song of a "Suntones" album.
In our attempt to make our mark on this classic pop song from the
film “Casablanca,” our recording engineer, Bobby Ernspiker, provided
the interpretive inspiration to make our rendition emotional, yet
different from those of our two hero quartets. w/m-Herman
Hupfeld, a-WL, p-Harms Inc.
C-4. CONEY ISLAND BABY:
This Barbershop Quartet Society "Polecat" arrangement served the
BSU well in our early show days. The challenge was to sing it
with enthusiasm, so that our performance was fun for barbershop audiences,
even though they already knew each chord by heart. We edited
this cut from our first album in 1978, because we wanted to feature
more "original" arrangements. But, when listening to the archives
with this project in mind, it brought back some fond memories.
Hope you like it. m/w-Les Applegate, a/p-SPEBSQSA, INC.
C-5. LOLLIPOPS AND ROSES:
This particular cut is the only remaining piece of the BSU's first
recording session in 1975. We thought you might enjoy hearing
the boyish sound we made in those days, singing one of the great pop
tunes first adapted to the style by the great "Suntones." w/m-Anthony
Velona, p-MCA/On Backstreet Music Inc.
C-6. IN MY BRAND NEW
AUTOMOBILE: This live recording of our first performance
in International Competition, at the 1976 Convention in San Francisco,
CA. was graciously provided by the SPEBSQSA, INC. The song and
the arrangement were written by Al Rehkop, the great tenor of two
International Champion quartets, the "Autotowners" and the "Gentlemen's
Agreement." w/m/a-Al Rehkop, p-SPEBSQSA, INC.
C-7. RIVER OF NO RETURN:
Baritone Dan has always been too modest about his solo voice (that
was Dan on SUMMERTIME), but our audience loves to hear him.
We captured this live BSU performance of another "Suntones"
classic from a live package show in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1986, and
included it here against his wishes (ha ha). By the way, we
still haven't met anyone who can define "way-la-ree." m-Lionel
Newman, w-Ken Darby, a-Gene Cokeroft, p-Beverly Newman
C-8. HOW YA GONNA KEEP
'EM DOWN ON THE FARM: Our attraction to this song had to do with
its familiarity to barbershop audiences, its driving tempo, and its
risque message. The live cut was taken from our performance
on an "Association of International Champions" show, held at the International
Convention in Hartford, Connecticut in 1987. m-Walter Donaldson,
w-Sam Lewis/Joe Young, a-EW, p-Mills Music
C-9. EERIE CANAL:
Our inspiration for singing this traditional tune came from Ken and
Allen's elementary school music teacher, Ms. Faye Cornish, who introduced
her young pupils to a wide variety of American folk, pop and show
songs. The purpose this folk song originally served was to accompany
the drudgery of the barge workers of the 1800's, so its charm was
in its repetitiveness. Walter Latzko's challenge was to render
the song musically interesting by differentiating the harmony of each
succeeding verse in his arrangement. As usual, we were pleased
with his work. This live cut came from the 1988 AIC show, in
San Antonio, Texas. w/m-Traditional, a-WL, p-Public Domain
C-10. LULU'S BACK IN
TOWN: Our introduction to this tune was provided by a cameo instrumental
performance by the great Michael Feinstein on an episode of the 1980's
television drama, "Thirty-Something." Michael's solid left hand
demonstrated to us the strength of the song's rhythm. The live
cut included came from a "Thoroughbred Chorus" annual show in Louisville,
in 1990. m-Harry Warren, w-Al Dubin, a-EW, p-Witmark & Sons
C-11. 1987 BIRMINGHAM:
The BSU recorded many of our road shows, so that we could listen to
our performances in a never-ending effort to improve ourselves as
ensemble singers and performers. This live recording of a complete
BSU package show has been included so that you might enjoy as we have,
the process of building rapport with the audience at a typical BSU
concert. We are pleased to make you part of the audience in
attendance at an annual show of the Birmingham, Alabama Chapter of
the Society For The Preservation And Encouragement Of Barbershop Quartet
Singing In America, Inc. We acknowledge, but make no apologies
for, the limitations of the recording equipment, nor for any performance
error you may detect. All the songs presented in this "live"
segment appear elsewhere in this recording. We're not really
sure what you'll think, "but it tastes a little bit like peppermint!"
C-12.
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A PLACE FOR YOU: As we began work
on this compilation, our tenor, Allen, felt it would be appropriate
to write an original song, which expresses our feelings about the
Barbershop Quartet Society, the "Association of International Champions,"
the "Louisville Thoroughbred Chorus," and about our most beloved singing
fraternity, this old quartet of ours, this "Bluegrass Student Union."
Upon singing Al's song, we found that his message might also give
you pause to think about the people who help you to make the music
in your life. Twenty-three years after our first recording session
with Bob Ernspiker, he was there again to capture this cut on March
8, 1998. With this finale song of "LEGACY," we wish you
good friends and good singing. w/m-Allen Hatton, a-WL, Larry
Wright, Tom Gentil, EW, Gary Dodge, p-Bluegrass Productions, c-1998.
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