Post by Rob Durkee on Nov 19, 2011 23:47:21 GMT -5
By ROCKIN' ROBIN
Lee Pockriss, who co-wrote two monster early 1960's #1 hits, died Monday (November 14, 2011) at his Bridgewater, Connecticut home after a long illness. According to his wife, Sonja, and writer Dennis McLellan of the Los Angeles Times, Pockriss was 87.
While Pockriss' career also included writing for movies, TV shows and Broadway plays, he was most famous for co-writing the #1 hits "Johnny Angel" (Shelley Fabares, 1962) and "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" (Brian Hyland, 1960). "Bikini" was the #5 song on Cash Box Magazine's year-end 1960 rankings while "Johnny Angel" was #11 for 1962 with the same publication.
Pockriss particularly took pride in co-writing "Bikini," a song whose roots came when he visited his song-writing partner, Paul Vance, on a Long Island beach visit in the summer of 1960. Vance recalled how his then-two-year-old daughter, Paula, looked "cute as a button" in her new bikini that was white with yellow polka dots. When Paula walked out of the locker-room and saw the reaction of two boys seeing her in that swim suit, she quickly retreated back to the locker-room. When she got the nerve to again exit the locker-room, she eventually made it onto the beach and into the ocean, only to see the bikini slip off and into the waves.
Vance composed the lyrics in about 25 minutes during a car ride home. He had only one problem. No melody. He called two songwriters who turned him down. "One said he didn't have the time and the other said 'no way.' He didn't think it was the song for him, thank God," recalled Vance. Then, he called Pockriss. "I sang the lyric on the phone and by the time he got to my office a couple of hours later, he had 90 per cent of the song written. Lee was a wonderful songwriter. Right up there with the best of them," added Vance.
Sonja, Lee's wife, remembered, "Lee always said 'Itsy' enabled us to live in the lifestyle we lived. It's a song that just never dies."
"Bikini" was a top 10 hit in many countries and would be translated into Japanese, Hebrew and Swahili. The song would be featured in three movies: "One, Two, Three," "Revenge Of The Nerds II" and "Sister Act 2."
Brian Hyland would only make two cents a record for "Bikini" but it was enough to kickstart a career that also included hits like "Sealed With A Kiss" and "Gypsy Woman."
Pockriss and Vance together wrote about 100 songs, including Perry Como's "Catch A Falling Star," which became the Record Industry Association of America's (RCAA) first gold record in 1958. The Vance-Pockriss combo also wrote the hit songs "Leader Of The Laundromat" (Detergents), "Tracy" (the Cuff Links) and "Playground In My Mind" (Clint Holmes). Pockriss teamed up with Hal David to write "My Heart Is An Open Book" for Carl Dobkins, Jr. and with Bob Hilliard on two songs: "In My Little Corner Of The World" for Anita Bryant and "Seven Little Girls Sitting In The Back Seat" for Paul Evans.
Pockriss was born January 20, 1924 in Brooklyn. After serving in the Army in World War II, he earned a bachelor's degree from Brooklyn College and a master's from NYU. Over his career, he also wrote music for TV shows starring Jack Parr and Milton Berle as well as the trend-setting kids' TV show, "Sesame Street."
Paul Vance died on September 26, 2006. He was 68.
Lee Pockriss, who co-wrote two monster early 1960's #1 hits, died Monday (November 14, 2011) at his Bridgewater, Connecticut home after a long illness. According to his wife, Sonja, and writer Dennis McLellan of the Los Angeles Times, Pockriss was 87.
While Pockriss' career also included writing for movies, TV shows and Broadway plays, he was most famous for co-writing the #1 hits "Johnny Angel" (Shelley Fabares, 1962) and "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" (Brian Hyland, 1960). "Bikini" was the #5 song on Cash Box Magazine's year-end 1960 rankings while "Johnny Angel" was #11 for 1962 with the same publication.
Pockriss particularly took pride in co-writing "Bikini," a song whose roots came when he visited his song-writing partner, Paul Vance, on a Long Island beach visit in the summer of 1960. Vance recalled how his then-two-year-old daughter, Paula, looked "cute as a button" in her new bikini that was white with yellow polka dots. When Paula walked out of the locker-room and saw the reaction of two boys seeing her in that swim suit, she quickly retreated back to the locker-room. When she got the nerve to again exit the locker-room, she eventually made it onto the beach and into the ocean, only to see the bikini slip off and into the waves.
Vance composed the lyrics in about 25 minutes during a car ride home. He had only one problem. No melody. He called two songwriters who turned him down. "One said he didn't have the time and the other said 'no way.' He didn't think it was the song for him, thank God," recalled Vance. Then, he called Pockriss. "I sang the lyric on the phone and by the time he got to my office a couple of hours later, he had 90 per cent of the song written. Lee was a wonderful songwriter. Right up there with the best of them," added Vance.
Sonja, Lee's wife, remembered, "Lee always said 'Itsy' enabled us to live in the lifestyle we lived. It's a song that just never dies."
"Bikini" was a top 10 hit in many countries and would be translated into Japanese, Hebrew and Swahili. The song would be featured in three movies: "One, Two, Three," "Revenge Of The Nerds II" and "Sister Act 2."
Brian Hyland would only make two cents a record for "Bikini" but it was enough to kickstart a career that also included hits like "Sealed With A Kiss" and "Gypsy Woman."
Pockriss and Vance together wrote about 100 songs, including Perry Como's "Catch A Falling Star," which became the Record Industry Association of America's (RCAA) first gold record in 1958. The Vance-Pockriss combo also wrote the hit songs "Leader Of The Laundromat" (Detergents), "Tracy" (the Cuff Links) and "Playground In My Mind" (Clint Holmes). Pockriss teamed up with Hal David to write "My Heart Is An Open Book" for Carl Dobkins, Jr. and with Bob Hilliard on two songs: "In My Little Corner Of The World" for Anita Bryant and "Seven Little Girls Sitting In The Back Seat" for Paul Evans.
Pockriss was born January 20, 1924 in Brooklyn. After serving in the Army in World War II, he earned a bachelor's degree from Brooklyn College and a master's from NYU. Over his career, he also wrote music for TV shows starring Jack Parr and Milton Berle as well as the trend-setting kids' TV show, "Sesame Street."
Paul Vance died on September 26, 2006. He was 68.
