Post by Rob Durkee on Apr 15, 2011 17:03:13 GMT -5
By ROCKIN' ROBIN
Randy Wood, who founded Dot Records, the label with over 100 charted hits which launched the career of Pat Boone, died at his La Jolla, California home Saturday, April 9, 2011. He was 94. According to his son, John, and writer Valerie Nelson of the Los Angeles Times, Randy Wood died of complications from a fall suffered at his home.
Wood's legacy with Dot Records included at least five #1 hits on the Cash Box pop chart--the instrumentals "Melody Of Love" (Billy Vaughn, 1954) and "Calcutta" (Lawrence Welk, 1961), "Hearts Of Stone" (the Fontane Sisters, 1955) and two of 1957's biggest hits, "Young Love" (Tab Hunter) and "Love Letters In The Sand" (Boone). Among the other prominent Dot Records hits were "Wipeout" (Surfaris), "A Swingin' Safari" (Vaughn) and the doo-wop group the Dell-Vikings' hits, "Come Go With Me" and "Whispering Bells."
Wood launched Dot Records in 1952 about seven years after getting his first experience with the music world. He'd opened a small appliance store in 1945 in Gallatin, Tenn., and sold the records popular at the time. He took matters a step further, though, after his customers kept asking for the hard-to-find records by black artists. He started a mail order business designed to help people find what were then called race records. Plus, he'd play those black artists' records on his late-night show on WLAC/Nashville. By 1950, he'd renamed his store Randy's Record Shop and would sell about a half a million records a month.
Wood named his new label Dot because, as his son John noted, "It was simple and easy to remember."
Wood's first Dot recording act was a group formed at Western Kentucky University that took its name from the school's mascot. The Hilltoppers' lineup included Vaughn, who would break away from the group to have hits on his own plus provide instrumental background for other Dot artists. The Hilltoppers' first release, "Tryin'," reached #4 in 1952. Five years later in 1957, the Hilltoppers would have their biggest hit with "Marianne." The song was so popular that Terry Gilkyson and the Easy Riders had the same song out on a competing label (Columbia). The two versions of "Marianne" reached #2 together in March, 1957. The irony is what song kept "Marianne" out of #1. It was "Young Love," both a hit for Hunter and Sonny James. Dot Records had a third record in the Top 5 at the time with "Don't Forbid Me" by Pat Boone at #4.
Wood and Boone first hooked up in 1955 when "Ain't That A Shame" was released as a cover record of the Fats' Domino version. Wood was starting a trend where he'd take white artists and have them cover songs already done by black artists. It was an immediate success. Pat at first insisted that he sing "Isn't That a Shame" but eventually relented. Boone's version of "Ain't That A Shame" was a #2 hit on the Cash Box pop chart. It was kept out of #1 by "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock" (Bill Haley and His Comets) and "Yellow Rose Of Texas" (Mitch Miller). Boone would record at least six other songs done by black artists. "At My Front Door (Crazy Little Mama)" was first done by the El Dorados. "Two Hearts" was also a hit for the Charms. "Gee Whittakers!" (the Five Keys) and "I'll Be Home" (the Flamingos) were hits in 1956 as were Boone's remakes of two Little Richard songs, "Tutti Fruitt" and "Long Tall Sally."
Starting in the fall of 1956, though, Boone stuck to original material, cranking out hits like "Love Letters In The Sand," "A Wonderful Time Up There" and "Moody River." Sadly, though, the founders of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame have lobbied to keep Boone out of the Rock Hall for recording and covering black artists' hits early in his career.
In retrospect, however, Woods' having his Dot Records recording artists do those cover records was actually welcomed by the black artists, who enjoyed the exposure of their songs. Thus, the Charms and the Jewels didn't mind it when the Fontane Sisters had a #1 hit with "Hearts Of Stone." Likewise, TV star Gale Storm crossed over into mainstream pop stardom by redoing Smiley Lewis' "I Hear You Knocking," Gloria Mann's "Teenage Prayer" and Otis Wiliams and the Charms' "Ivory Tower."
Storm had perhaps one of the most unique Dot Records chart feat on the Cash Box pop chart of June 15, 1957. That's when "Dark Moon" was at #5 along with Bonnie Guitar's version, which was also on Dot Records. That's two versions of the same song on the same record label in the Top 5 in the same week. Special thanks go to oldies expert Ronnie Allen (a/k/a Alan Kaltman) of Allentown, Pa. for catching that unique chart feat.
Randolph Clay Wood was born on March 30, 1917 in Morrison, Tenn. Dot Records would last 25 years. Paramount Pictures bought the label in 1957 and Wood remained its president for another 10 years. ABC bought Dot Records in 1974 and discontinued the label three years later. Randy's Record Shop closed in 1991 but to this day remains an historical site in Tennessee.
Larry Welk, the son of Lawrence Welk, founded Ranwood Records with Wood in 1968. The label would be an outlet for Lawrence Welk and artists associated with the legendary performer. Ranwood Records remains in business today and is located in Santa Monica, California. In a 2005 interview with the Los Angeles Times, the younger Welk noted, "Randy was a true pioneer in the music business. He put in effect a lot of policies in the music business that will outlive him."
Pat Boone, meanwhile, said in various interviews that Wood was "One of the people I owe my career to...He picked out all my early hits...He was just my mentor, my angel."
Randy Wood, who founded Dot Records, the label with over 100 charted hits which launched the career of Pat Boone, died at his La Jolla, California home Saturday, April 9, 2011. He was 94. According to his son, John, and writer Valerie Nelson of the Los Angeles Times, Randy Wood died of complications from a fall suffered at his home.
Wood's legacy with Dot Records included at least five #1 hits on the Cash Box pop chart--the instrumentals "Melody Of Love" (Billy Vaughn, 1954) and "Calcutta" (Lawrence Welk, 1961), "Hearts Of Stone" (the Fontane Sisters, 1955) and two of 1957's biggest hits, "Young Love" (Tab Hunter) and "Love Letters In The Sand" (Boone). Among the other prominent Dot Records hits were "Wipeout" (Surfaris), "A Swingin' Safari" (Vaughn) and the doo-wop group the Dell-Vikings' hits, "Come Go With Me" and "Whispering Bells."
Wood launched Dot Records in 1952 about seven years after getting his first experience with the music world. He'd opened a small appliance store in 1945 in Gallatin, Tenn., and sold the records popular at the time. He took matters a step further, though, after his customers kept asking for the hard-to-find records by black artists. He started a mail order business designed to help people find what were then called race records. Plus, he'd play those black artists' records on his late-night show on WLAC/Nashville. By 1950, he'd renamed his store Randy's Record Shop and would sell about a half a million records a month.
Wood named his new label Dot because, as his son John noted, "It was simple and easy to remember."
Wood's first Dot recording act was a group formed at Western Kentucky University that took its name from the school's mascot. The Hilltoppers' lineup included Vaughn, who would break away from the group to have hits on his own plus provide instrumental background for other Dot artists. The Hilltoppers' first release, "Tryin'," reached #4 in 1952. Five years later in 1957, the Hilltoppers would have their biggest hit with "Marianne." The song was so popular that Terry Gilkyson and the Easy Riders had the same song out on a competing label (Columbia). The two versions of "Marianne" reached #2 together in March, 1957. The irony is what song kept "Marianne" out of #1. It was "Young Love," both a hit for Hunter and Sonny James. Dot Records had a third record in the Top 5 at the time with "Don't Forbid Me" by Pat Boone at #4.
Wood and Boone first hooked up in 1955 when "Ain't That A Shame" was released as a cover record of the Fats' Domino version. Wood was starting a trend where he'd take white artists and have them cover songs already done by black artists. It was an immediate success. Pat at first insisted that he sing "Isn't That a Shame" but eventually relented. Boone's version of "Ain't That A Shame" was a #2 hit on the Cash Box pop chart. It was kept out of #1 by "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock" (Bill Haley and His Comets) and "Yellow Rose Of Texas" (Mitch Miller). Boone would record at least six other songs done by black artists. "At My Front Door (Crazy Little Mama)" was first done by the El Dorados. "Two Hearts" was also a hit for the Charms. "Gee Whittakers!" (the Five Keys) and "I'll Be Home" (the Flamingos) were hits in 1956 as were Boone's remakes of two Little Richard songs, "Tutti Fruitt" and "Long Tall Sally."
Starting in the fall of 1956, though, Boone stuck to original material, cranking out hits like "Love Letters In The Sand," "A Wonderful Time Up There" and "Moody River." Sadly, though, the founders of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame have lobbied to keep Boone out of the Rock Hall for recording and covering black artists' hits early in his career.
In retrospect, however, Woods' having his Dot Records recording artists do those cover records was actually welcomed by the black artists, who enjoyed the exposure of their songs. Thus, the Charms and the Jewels didn't mind it when the Fontane Sisters had a #1 hit with "Hearts Of Stone." Likewise, TV star Gale Storm crossed over into mainstream pop stardom by redoing Smiley Lewis' "I Hear You Knocking," Gloria Mann's "Teenage Prayer" and Otis Wiliams and the Charms' "Ivory Tower."
Storm had perhaps one of the most unique Dot Records chart feat on the Cash Box pop chart of June 15, 1957. That's when "Dark Moon" was at #5 along with Bonnie Guitar's version, which was also on Dot Records. That's two versions of the same song on the same record label in the Top 5 in the same week. Special thanks go to oldies expert Ronnie Allen (a/k/a Alan Kaltman) of Allentown, Pa. for catching that unique chart feat.
Randolph Clay Wood was born on March 30, 1917 in Morrison, Tenn. Dot Records would last 25 years. Paramount Pictures bought the label in 1957 and Wood remained its president for another 10 years. ABC bought Dot Records in 1974 and discontinued the label three years later. Randy's Record Shop closed in 1991 but to this day remains an historical site in Tennessee.
Larry Welk, the son of Lawrence Welk, founded Ranwood Records with Wood in 1968. The label would be an outlet for Lawrence Welk and artists associated with the legendary performer. Ranwood Records remains in business today and is located in Santa Monica, California. In a 2005 interview with the Los Angeles Times, the younger Welk noted, "Randy was a true pioneer in the music business. He put in effect a lot of policies in the music business that will outlive him."
Pat Boone, meanwhile, said in various interviews that Wood was "One of the people I owe my career to...He picked out all my early hits...He was just my mentor, my angel."
