Forgotten Hits
LAST KISS: The Incredible, Convaluted Story Behind This #1 Classic Hit!
It has been said that a great song transcends all time barriers. This has certainly been the case with the rock and roll classic teen tragedy tuneLAST KISS, a hit in the '60's, the '70's and the '90's.
The song was written by WAYNE COCHRAN, a legendary bar-circuit R&B lounge singer who tore up his audiences everywhere he performed in the 1960's and early '70's. Despite this recognition (and a tremendous following), he never had a hit record of his own and, despite three different recording attempts for three different record labels, was never even able to hit the charts with his own composition, LAST KISS ... yet watched it climb up the charts for J. FRANK WILSON AND THE CAVALIERS in the 1960's, WEDNESDAY in the 1970's and PEARL JAM in the 1990's.
Blue-eyed soul singer COCHRAN first recorded LAST KISS in 1961 for the Gala label. (It was released again a year later on Galico Records.) He then re-recorded it in 1964 when THE CAVALIERS' version started to take off, this time for the KING label. (Ironically, in 1973, when WEDNESDAY's version started to climb the charts, VIRGO RECORDS quickly re-released the J. FRANK WILSON 1964-hit version, too, trying to cash-in on the song's new-found audience and success!) Originally, the J. FRANK WILSON single was released in 1964 on the tiny Le Cam record label (an alternate take) just before it was re-recorded for Josie (the #1 hit we all know and love), which was then re-issued by Virgo (who, by the '70's, owned all the Josie masters). In between, the even-smaller Tamara label re-issued the Le Cam alternate take version! And in 1969, a re-worked version (released as LAST KISS '69) hit the shelves on the Charay label. (How's THAT for overkill?!?!?!? Have we lost you yet?!?!?) I'd LOVE to hear a version of the 1969 remake!!!
The legend goes that COCHRAN read about a fatal car accident in Barnesville, GA, involving a young girl named Jeanette Clark. In fact, on this particular stretch of Highway 341, where COCHRAN lived at the time, he witnessed MANY accidents ... and had already started to write a song about a tragic collision. This specific accident, however, inspired him to finally finish the song. The small local Gala Record label picked up the track and COCHRAN loaded copies in the trunk of his car, selling them at personal appearances, hoping the record would catch on. Despite sounding a LOT like what would eventually become the J. FRANK WILSON version, it didn't.
However, legendary record executive MAJOR BILL SMITH (from Ft. Worth, TX) heard the song and believed it could be a hit. (We've covered MAJOR BILL before in FORGOTTEN HITS ... by this time, he had already produced #1 records for BRUCE CHANNEL with HEY BABY and for PAUL & PAULA with HEY PAULA.)
SMITH was working with a local San Angelo, Texas group called THE CAVALIERS. He called in lead vocalist JOHN FRANK WILSON from Lufkin, TX, and they cut the track for Le Cam Records. Feeling he could get a better recording, SMITH then took the band to Josie Records and had them re-record the song. The rest, as they say, is history. The new version went all the way to #1 on the National Charts.
FACT OR FICTION DEPT: While first researching this special LAST KISS series back in 2002, we happened to come across this little tidbit on a LAST KISS posting board:
MR. COCHRAN DIDN'T WRITE LAST KISS ... THIS SONG WAS WRITTEN BY A YOUNG ARTIST NAMED CHUCK DOWNS .... HE PLAYED DRUMS FOR THE CHAMPS .... HE WROTE THAT SONG, BECAUSE HIS GIRLFRIEND WAS KILLED IN THE CAR WRECK MENTIONED IN THE SONG ... CHUCK SPORTS THE TERRIBLE SCARS OF THAT NIGHT .... THE SONG WAS A TRIBUTE TO HIS LADY .... BEING NEW TO THE BUSINESS, CHUCK ALLOWED MR. COCHRAN TO REVIEW THE MUSIC, AND HE COPYWRITED IT OUT FROM UNDER MR. DOWNS ..... CHUCK TRIED FOR YEARS TO GET SOMETHING DONE THROUGH THE COURTS, TO NO AVAIL .... NOT ONLY DID CHUCK LOSE HIS GIRL, BUT HE LOST THE TRIBUTE AS WELL TO PEOPLE WHO COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT WHO REALLY DID THE WORK .... I KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE, BECAUSE I'VE SEEN THE ORIGIONAL SHEET MUSIC DONE IN PENCIL WITH ALL THE ERASING YOU'LD EXPECT TO FIND ..... CHUCK STILL WRITES, AND IS CURRENTLY LIVING IN MISSOURI ..... JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU HOW CUT THROAT THAT INDUSTRY IS .......
WAYNE COCHRAN has always received the credit for writing this classic tune of teenage tragedy. If CHUCK DOWNS REALLY wrote this song and was REALLY a member of THE CHAMPS (and we cannot find ANY such listing in any of our reference books to this effect, but THE CHAMPS changed personnel SO many times over the years that anything's possible ... you may remember a special series we did on THE CHAMPS, stating that the band is probably more famous for who was NOT in the band at the time of their hit recordings than for anything else ... some of the various band members who passed through their lineup over the years include JIM SEALS and DASH CROFTS as well as GLEN CAMPBELL), then it would seem to us that with as much attention as THE CHAMPS have received over the past 45 years, MR. DOWNS would have had some legal grounds (and notoriety and therefore, some publicity surrounding him) to prove this claim. In the meantime, we'll let the record stand, showing WAYNE COCHRAN as the writer. (P.S. In all the years since thisarticle first ran, I've never seen ANYnew evidence to support the CHUCK DOWNS story and COCHRAN's name remains on the songwriting credit.)
MORE ON WAYNE:WAYNE COCHRAN may be one of the most famous musical performers to never have had a hit record. It didn't seem that a weekend went by here in Chicago in the mid-to-late '60's where WAYNE COCHRAN AND THE C-C RIDERS weren't playing at some big club or show lounge here in the Windy City. It sounds like their greatest audiences were in Georgia and Florida (where JACKIE GLEASON used to actually have him perform on his television program from time to time.)
For any discrepancies that may exist regarding WAYNE COCHRAN's involvement with the writing of the song THE LAST KISS, there is NO denying the fact that J. FRANK WILSON AND THE CAVALIERS had the monster hit recorded version. However, depending on which reference book you happen to check, you CAN come up with entirely different lists of the band member roster for this San Angelo, Texas outfit.
JOEL WHITBURN's TOP POP SINGLES book, circa 1993(as well as the "official online biography page" for THE CAVALIERS) lists PHIL TRUNZO, JERRY GRAHAM, BOBBY WOODS and GEORGE CROYLE as the key members of the band at the time of this landmark recording. THE BILLBOARD BOOK OF ONE-HIT WONDERS changes CROYLE's first name to GENE. THE BILLBOARD BOOK OF #2 HITS cites SID HOLMES, LEWIS ELLIOTT, JOHN MAYBERRY, ROLAND ATKINSON, GENE CROYLE and MIKE HODGES as the make-up of THE CAVALIERS. In WHITBURN's 2006 revision, the band members have been updated to include SID HOLMES, LEWIS ELLIOTT and RAY SMITH!!!The only point that everyone seems to agree on is that JOHN FRANK WILSON (J. FRANK) joined the band as lead singer after a stint in the Air Force.
Taken under the wing of SONLEY ROUSH, they received a recording opportunity that resulted in the song being issued on Le Cam Records in early 1964. It was apparently THIS record that MAJOR BILL SMITH heard and at this point, he stepped in to secure them a better deal with Josie Records, where they re-recorded LAST KISS. By then, inner-termoil between band members was already forcing a change of personnel. In fact, at one point, even J. FRANK WILSON was ousted and replaced by new lead vocalist JOHN MAYBERRY!
The original HIT version of LAST KISS went all the way to #1 on the Cash Box Chart in the Fall of 1964. Modeled after other successful teen tragedy songs of the early rock era like TEEN ANGEL, PATCHES, TELL LAURA I LOVE HER, ENDLESS SLEEP and EBONY EYES, it piqued an interest in the young listeners of the day and became a HUGE hit (if not the prototype for other teenage tragedies to follow ... just a year later, DICKEY LEE was back on the charts with the haunting LAURIE, one of our very first featured FORGOTTEN HITS and, to this day, an oft-requested favorite.) Of all the aforementioned tunes, LAST KISS seems to be the one with "legs," crossing over from generation to generation, and still appealing to the youth of the day. (Witness the top of the charts showing by PEARL JAM's resurrection of this tune just a few years ago.)
NOTE: All of this CAVALIERS personnel informationbecame a lotmore relevant when this series waslater accompanied byour exclusive interview with ARNIE KARR, who performed as the musical directorwith the then-current incarnation of this legendary band. Apparently, not a single original member is on board and there has been some controversy of late as to just who owns the rights to the CAVALIERS' name!
ISN'T IT IRONIC DEPT: J. FRANK WILSON and SONLEY ROUSH were both injured in a serious car accident together a few years after LAST KISS rode its way up to the top of the charts. (Some reports state that ROUSH was killed in the accident.) WILSON died in 1991 after a long illness.
We first featured the WEDNESDAY version of LAST KISS in our CHICAGOLAND #1's feature a few years ago. As we told you then, there is very little information available on this group, other than that they are from Canada and featured PAUL ANDREW-SMITH, JOHN DUFEK, RANDY BEGG and (on lead vocals) MIKE O'NEIL. The WEDNESDAY version topped the charts in Canada (and even won the band a Juno Award.)
This version also went all the way to #1 here in Chicago and got significant enough airplay nationally to force Virgo Records to re-release the original J. FRANK WILSON AND THE CAVALIERS version. WEDNESDAY's take peaked at #34 on the Billboard Chart and a follow-up teen tragedy effort, TEEN ANGEL, went to #73 in Cash Box. The quickly re-released J. FRANK WILSON version made it to #74 in Cash Box in early 1974.
Proving again that a great song transcends time, this allowed the WAYNE COCHRAN classic to enjoy a fourth decade of popularity. (In fact, after spending 21 weeks on the chart, it nearly carried over to the year 2000, which would have been a FIFTH decade!!!)
Led by EDDIE VEDDER, PEARL JAM had been an extremely popular album band in the '90's, hitting the #1 or #2 spot on Billboard's Album Chart with every studio release between 1992 and 2000. (VS., VITALOGY and NO CODE all hit #1; TEN, YIELD and BINAURAL each peaked at #2.) In 2000, they started a series of live CDs which showcased their entire tour ... a different CD from each city where they performed! It was unheard of at the time and between October, 2000 and April, 2001, 14 different variations of essentially the same album hit the charts, with live concert performances from POLAND, ITALY, ENGLAND, GERMANY as well as NEW YORK, INDIANA, FLORIDA and LAS VEGAS all represented. (In all, over 70 different versions of this concert were released!!!) For the record, I feel it's important to point out that I overcame my "compulsive / completeist" nature and didn't buy ANY of them!!!
It's the PEARL JAM version of LAST KISS that our kids now know and love and will remember as the "definitive" take on this teen-tragedy classic. Ironically, the B-Side of the re-released hit CD Single was another oldie ... SOLDIER OF LOVE, a song written by ARTHUR ALEXANDER, which was previously featured in FORGOTTEN HITS after we ran a review of aMARSHALL CRENSHAW concert a few years back!
As we muddle through the mayhem and the magnitude [too funny!] of those who claim recognition [were "original / semi-original / sorta kinda were there etc, of this 1-hit wonder ...] may I submit an article from MY hometown paper written in July 1999.. ? [The San Angelo Standard Times]
Rock 'n' roll comes full circle with re-release of `Last Kiss'
By ALLYSON REYNOLDS DIXON
Staff Writer
The atmosphere was electric as Alton Baird and Carroll Smith watched what was taking place in City Auditorium. "Rockabilly'' music, gyrating performers and hundreds of screaming teen-age girls were all part of the scene that evening as Elvis Presley made his mark on San Angelo. Even more than enabling the town to proclaim ``Elvis played here,'' Presley's appearance in the mid-1950s prompted the formation of a band that has become legendary on the local music scene and moved again recently to the forefront of the national stage - The Cavaliers. "Originally, the band started because (Baird and Smith) heard Elvis Presley when he came to San Angelo ... and all the girls were screaming, and we thought, `Well, maybe we could do that,''' said Sid Holmes, one of the original members of The Cavaliers. ``He filled up that auditorium, and there were probably 1,500, 2,000 girls, you know, when Elvis came to town." Although Holmes wasn't at the concert, the event prompted Baird and Smith to start tinkering with rock 'n' roll. Soon, they met up with Holmes, and the three formed a group that - over the years, and in various forms - has seen a No. 2 record, great heartache and such fun. With Pearl Jam's recent release of The Cavaliers' 1964 hit ``Last Kiss,'' group members are reliving it all again. "The Cigarette Boys"
It's a tough beginning when a group doesn't have much talent or even a name. But the three San Angelo guys were determined to make a name for themselves and have girls screaming for them. And whatever they lacked in talent, they made up for in determination and charisma, Holmes said. Baird was the only one who had much music background. His dad bought him a guitar when he was about 5 or 6, Baird said, and he worked to learn whatever songs he could. "It was kinda' something I always did around the house,'' Baird said of playing music. "Mostly, it was country. And then when rock came on ... It was different. I'd mostly been in country bands, but rock was a new event. Yeah, it did take off." "Out of that original band, Alton had a pretty good voice, and he had the looks," Holmes said. "And Alton was kind of cocky - kind of like Elvis. He had a confidence. And Carroll was pretty good on bass. I didn't have any talent at all, really. I just kind of copied Elvis' guitar player. Whatever he did, I did. And I guess when you work at something pretty hard, you develop it somewhat."
Several months after Elvis played at the City Auditorium, the three guys took to the same stage to compete in a citywide talent show. They didn't have a name. They were just three guys who wanted to be a band. And they won. But the announcer didn't know "who" had won. He asked for the group's name, and Baird, who lives near Miles, somehow came up with The Cavaliers. "At the time, there was a new cigarette that was pretty popular, and the announcer called us "The Cigarette Boys,"' Holmes recalled, chuckling. "I've always remembered that." From City Auditorium, the boys hit the road, traveling to towns all over West Texas - Big Lake, Rankin, Sanderson, Marfa and Fort Davis. "We played in Ballinger to 900 kids,'' Holmes said. "Nine hundred kids paid - real high prices, probably 50 cents - to see us. Today, to go to something like that, it'd probably cost you 30 bucks." They were living their dream. "I looked on the map the other day, and I thought, We drove that far?! laughed Holmes, who lives in Fort Worth. "It was fun. ... That's really some nostalgia. Those
girls would scream just like Alton was Elvis - and he was pretty good-looking."
Once The Cavaliers arrived in a town, band manager Frank White, who went on to teach at Lake View High School, would climb in the back of a truck. The group would drive up and down the streets of the little towns, and White would announce over a PA system, "Hey, all y'all driving by. There's going to be a big rock 'n' roll show tonight at the Princess Theater. One night only!" Invariably, the sheriff would show up, Holmes said.
"What are y'all doing?" he would ask. "Getting' customers, man," the group members would reply. "We've got to get gas money for the next town." "And he'd always let us go on and do the show," Holmes said. Becoming a hit. It wasn't too long, though, before Uncle Sam came calling on The Cavaliers and disturbed the group's makeup. "I got drafted and had to leave, so the other guys kept going," Baird said. "The band and the name kept going - and I kept going, too, just with Uncle Sam." Just a couple of years after Baird was drafted into the service, Lufkin native J. Frank Wilson got out. Like Baird, Wilson had always had a love for music. He'd been in the church choir and the school's glee club. And when he got out of the Air Force in the early '60s, Wilson seemed like a natural fit for The Cavaliers, who were being booked into a number of West Texas clubs by a Midland agent named Sonley Roush.
Wilson honed his singing talents with The Cavaliers, performing in such clubs as the Rock 'n Roll Club in Midland, The Blue Note in Big Spring and the Dixie Club in San Angelo. When the Bobcats won a district championship, The Cavaliers were on hand to play at the big football banquet. They were hot. And they were going nowhere - other than small West Texas towns - fast. Eventually, Wilson left the group and returned home to Lufkin.
During this time, Georgia singer/songwriter Wayne Cochran wrote and recorded a song called "Last Kiss," which was inspired by a fatal car accident in Barnesville, Ga. Initially, the song didn't do well, so Cochran wrote a new arrangement and recorded it again. This time, it received quite a bit more airplay, including on West Texas stations. Roush heard the song, liked the arrangement and thought that, with Wilson and The Cavaliers, it could be a big hit. So they located Wilson, reinstated him into the band and cut a record in a building that is now the Thrifty Nickel. The studio was owned by Ron Newdoll, and was much nicer than where The Cavaliers were headquartered. The group had rented an "office" on North Chadbourne for $35 a month. It had a chair and a phone, and from there, The Cavaliers would book their gigs and plot their course. "When Ron Newdoll started building that studio, we were envious," Holmes recalled. "That was what we wanted, but we couldn't afford it." Eventually, Holmes left the group to "go to work." He left behind his guitar, though, and 17-year-old Gene "Buddy" Croyle took his place. With several other new faces in place, Wilson and The Cavaliers recorded "Last Kiss" in 1964. Soon after, it was a Top 10 hit and landed them a spot on "Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars." Soon after the tour ended, conflicts with Roush prompted most of The Cavaliers to return home, Holmes said. Only Wilson and Croyle remained, and new band members were put into place.
"Our boys had left," Holmes said. "The Cavaliers had come home." In the meantime, the song stalled at No. 3 on the Cashbox charts. And then, on Oct. 23, 1964, tragedy struck. Driving the new band to a gig at the Candy Cane, a teen club in Ohio, Roush fell asleep at the wheel. The car drifted into the path of an oncoming truck and was struck head-on. Roush was killed, and Wilson suffered cuts and a broken leg. The press went wild, and the accident pushed ``Last Kiss'' further up the charts. It went to No. 1 on Cashbox and No. 2 on Billboard. The "Last Kiss" ' album, also recorded at Newdoll's studio, peaked at No. 29 on Cashbox and No. 52 on Billboard. Despite Roush's death, Wilson forged on with the rest of the "Last Kiss" obligations, including a gig on "American Bandstand." Holmes heard about the engagement and went to buy a tape recorder. He sat in his living-room floor and taped Dick Clark's interview with Wilson, which will be included on an upcoming Cavaliers compilation called "The Cavaliers: The Rockabilly Years."
Although Wilson tried for a number of years to get another hit, he finally returned to Lufkin, where his mom still lives. Suffering from a number of health problems and the after-effects of alcoholism, Wilson died on Oct. 4, 1991.
Pearl Jam? A few weeks ago, "Last Kiss" hit the West Texas airwaves again - not with Wilson singing lead, but Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam. Vedder found an old 45 rpm copy of "Last Kiss" in a Seattle antique mall and liked it. Pearl Jam recorded a copy on vinyl as a Christmas gift for fan-club members. Eventually, radio stations started getting requests for the song, and Epic Records was forced to release it both as a single and on a compilation CD that will benefit several organizations. Proceeds from the single itself will go to CARE, which is working with refugees in Kosovo.
"I'd heard Pearl Jam a couple of times (before)," Holmes said. "I liked that they were different - that they were one band trying to cut the prices of tickets instead of going up. That's cool. "And I'd heard some of their songs, and I liked it OK." When his sister called, though, to say Pearl Jam had recorded "Last Kiss," Holmes wasn't sure what to think. "When I listened for the first time, I expected an arrangement like Wayne Cochran's, the setup that The Cavaliers copied," he said. "But all they do is hit a couple of tom-tom licks and start singing. (Vedder) strains a little bit, but he sells it. And toward the end, I guess, he's getting into it." If nothing else, Pearl Jam's rendition, which has sent "Last Kiss" up the charts again, has brought renewed interest in the San Angelo group and offered the opportunity for credit to be given where it was due. Newspapers across Texas have featured stories on the group, and Holmes recently received a call from The Wall Street Journal. Group members are doing phone interviews and recalling memories from way back. "It was back in the heyday of rock 'n' roll when we started," Baird said. "And also hot-rod cars, ducktail haircuts. All that was coming into prominence when we started. It was a turning point in the world, and people were looking for something different."
Especially three boys from San Angelo.
The Real J. Frank Wilson "Last Kiss" Story
The recording of "Last Kiss" by J. Frank Wilson (vocalist), Sonley Roush (producer) and Ronald Newdoll (recording engineer) was done without prior written consent (see contract below) and was illegal in all aspects according to contract laws of the United States. The signing of J. Frank Wilson to yet; another contract during the years 1963-1966 by record producer Major Bill Smith was invalid. Josie Records did not have the legal right to exploit the "Last Kiss" recordings in 1964. Ron Newdoll and Major Bill Smith did not have the legal right collecting royalties and then suing Josie Records collecting additional royalties. Roulette Records (Morris Levy) did not have the legal rights obtaining the master tapes when Josie Records went bankrupt in 1970. In 1998 Ron Newdoll did not have the legal right to release the J. Frank Wilson "Last Kiss Sessions" CD. All of the above translates into Rhino Records (Time/Warner Co.), after obtaining the master tapes from Roulette Records (Morris Levy had received a 10 year prison sentence), not having the legal rights of licensing and exploiting the master tapes of "Last Kiss." For the record Mr. Sid Holmes did not authorize, by written consent or otherwise, any recordings to be made by Mr. J. Frank Wilson during 1964 nor any period between 1963 and 1966. Here's the contract ...
I. The Artist, JOHN FRANK WILSON does employ SID HOLMES JR. to act individually or collectively as his sole and exclusive manager and representative for Artist with respect to the services, appearance and endeavors in all matters and things in any and every capacity which artist enjoys as an entertainer, including but not limited to Artist's singing, personal appearances, endorsement of products, playing musical instruments, arranging musical renditions, making recordings on tape or records, making personal appearances whether such personal appearances involve merely interview of Artist or performance by Artist.
II. The term of this agreement shall be for a period of three years beginning January 22, 1963 and ending January 22, 1966.
III. Artist, John Frank Wilson, agrees not to engage any person, firm or corporation to perform any or all of the services to be performed by Agent, Sid Holmes Jr., except by and with written consent of Agent. Artist will not permit anyone other than Agent to use or advertise Artist's name or any other name in which Artist may hereafter adopt with the respect to the services or appearances of Artist without the prior written consent of Agent. IV. Artist, John Frank Wilson, hereby agrees to and does hereby permit Agent, Sid Holmes Jr., to advertise the fact that Agent is Artist's exclusive manager and representative and Agent shall make such fact known wherever possible or whenever Agent deems such publicity advisable. Artist agrees that Artist will not perform or appear or offer to perform or appear in any professional capacity without prior written consent from Agent.V. Agent, Sid Holmes Jr. will participate in the earnings of all contracts negotiated for and by the Artist, John Frank Wilson, during the term of this agreement and for the complete term of such contracts.VI. It is agreed and understood that Agent, Sid Holmes Jr. may direct any person, firm, organization or corporation who becomes obligated to make payment of any sum to or on behalf of Artist John Frank Wilson. The term "net monies" shall be taken to mean the sum actually received after deduction of any expenses incurred by the person, firm or corporate organization disbursing the funds, but prior to any deduction of income taxes.VII. The Agent, Sid Holmes Jr., hereby accepts such employment and agrees to us reasonable efforts to perform the following duties: To advise, aid and guide Artist with respect to Artist's professional career; to seek and promote the name, talents and artistic qualities of Artist; in behalf of Artist, to negotiate the terms of engagements and carry on business correspondence. It is agreed and understood that Agent, Sid Holmes Jr., shall at all times have complete control of the services which Artist, John Frank Wilson, shall render under the specifications of this contract.VIII. In consideration of the services Artist, John Frank Wilson, agrees to a sliding scale remuneration 20% of all net monies earned.
Take a gander at theJ. FRANK WILSON AND THE CAVALIERS picture posted on the site from 1962 ... and pay particular attention tothe band member listing!!!
The following information is from the official WEST TEXAS MUSIC HALL OF FAME Website ... jeez, you'd think that an organization like that could spell and punctuate better!!! (LOL) ... which also includes a copy of the contract submitted by TOMD above ... as well as a few more cool vintage pics:
J. Frank was born December 11, 1941 in Lufkin, TX. In 1962 J. Frank Wilson, After Being Discharged From Goodfellow Air Force Base, Auditioned For The San Angelo Based Group "The Cavaliers" (Sid Holmes-Lewis Elliott-Bob Zeller-Ray Smith). J. Frank Would Then Be Discovered By Independent Record Producer Sonley Roush Who Had Booked The Band At The Blue Note Club (3rd and Birdwell St) In Big Spring, Texas In 1962. After Signing A 3 Year Manager's Contract With Sid Holmes, In 1963, Frank Took A Leave Of Absents. In 1964 J. Frank Was Re-Instated As The Lead Singer For The Cavaliers Replacing John Maberry. The Cavaliers, J. Frank Wilson, Buddy Croyle, Lewis Elliott, Roland Atkinson, Jim Wynne And A Girl Who Sang In Church (Gwen Coleman) Went About The Business Of Copying Wayne Cochran's Record In Ron Newdoll's Studio In San Angelo. With J. Frank In Top Form The Record (First Released On Tamara 761 & Le Cam 722) On Josie Started Moving Up The Billboard Charts. It Wasn't Long After This That Contract Disputes, Law Suits, And Greedy Un-Scrupulous Promoters Began Taking Their Toll. After Touring With The Dick Clark Caravan Of Stars The Cavaliers Quit On The Road Returning Back To San Angelo. A Short Time Later Sonley Roush (Road Mgr.) Died In A Car Crash While Touring With J. Frank, Murry Kellum (Long Tall Texan), Travis Wammack (Scratchy), Jerry Graham (Bass), Phil Trunzo (Drums) And Buddy Croyle (Guitar/Sax). The Song, Last Kiss, Had Been Based On An Actual Event That Took The Lives Of 3 Teens In Georgia. A Short Time After The Wreck J. Frank Appeared On American Bandstand, With His Leg In A Cast. He Lip-Synced "Last Kiss" And Introduced His New Follow-Up Single "Six Boys" Produced By Major Bill Smith Of Ft.Worth With Studio Musicians. This New Record Reached #98 In Cashbox Before Disappearing Into The Sunset. Another Follow-Up "Hey, Little One" Eased Into The Top 100 At #85. J. Frank Would Continue As A Single Act Traveling With Jerry Lee, The Righteous Brothers, The Animals, And Other Top Acts Until He Burned Out. Sadly, He Spent The Rest Of His Life Chasing Rainbows, Recording Song After Song, But Would Never Find The Pot Of Gold. In 1973 Wednesday, A Canadian Group, Took Their Turn At "Last Kiss" And They Ended Up With A #34 Hit Selling 200,000 Copies. During This Time (1973) J. Frank's Version Received Airplay On Radio Stations In San Antonio Bringing The Song Back In The Top 100. Then In 1980 Promoter Bett Winsett Got KONO Radio In San Antonio To Play His Version Again Giving Frank More False Hopes. J. Frank Wilson Was Totally Un-Prepaired For The Over-Night Success. He Had Poor Follow-Up Singles, A Rushed-Up Album Release & Went On An Ill-Advised Road Tour...Never Fully Recovering. In 1999 Rock Band Pearl Jam Records "Last Kiss".Reaching #2. In The Year 2000 VH-1 Fans Voted Last Kiss #3 In The All-Time Top 10 Cover Songs Plus The Song Received A BMI 2 Million Air-Play Award. After Returning Home From The Road In 1964 "The Cavaliers" Re-Organized. Wayne Cochran Lives In Miami. J. Frank Died on October 4, 1991 as a result of Alcohol Abuse.
J. Frank Wilson Ballinger, Texas Jr/Sr Prom 1962.
Sid Holmes and J. Frank Wilson 1964
Sid Holmes and His Cavaliers (Featuring Frank Wilson on Vocals) ...
The 1962 Line-Up included Sid Holmes (on Guitar), Lewis Elliott (on Bass), Jim Wynn (on Sax), J. Frank Wilson (on Vocals andPiano)and Johnny Will Hunter (on Drums)
Grady Clark, Johnny Hunter, Lewis Elliott, Sid Holmes and Airman J. Frank Wilson, Goodfellow AFB picnic 1962
88 Keys Club San Angelo in 1964:Buddy Croyle, Billy Wooten, J. Frank Wilson and Jimmy Wheeler
THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
(A FORGOTTEN HITS RECAP):
Based on ALL of the information that we've digested while researching this series here are ALL of the facts ... as near as we can determine. THE CAVALIERS were formed in the mid-to-late '50's (1956?) as a doo-wop outfit, with three original members: SID HOLMES, ALTON BAIRD (who named the band) and CARROLL SMITH. After his discharge from the Air Force in 1962, lead vocalist (JOHN) J. FRANK WILSON was brought on board. (A photo above shows the band performing as "SID HOLMES AND HIS CAVALIERS featuring FRANK WILSON on vocals.) Sometime in 1963, the opportunity presented itself for the band to record a cover version of WAYNE COCHRAN's LAST KISS. (Either manager SONLEY ROUSH or producer MAJOR BILL SMITH bought a copy of COCHRAN's version out of the trunk of his car ... or heard it on the radio ... and decided that THE CAVALIERS ... with WILSON's better vocal ability ... would be PERFECT to record this tune.) Shortly thereafter, this four-piece band (which apparently really had about THIRTY-FIVE members, all of whom now claim to have been involved with the original recording) went into RON NEWDOLL's recording studio to cut a new version of LAST KISS. (As near as we can determine, the ACTUAL participants on that recording were J. FRANK WILSON, LEWIS ELLIOTT, ROLAND ATKINSON, GENE "BUDDY" CROYLE, JIM WYNNE, sitting in on piano,and GWEN COLEMAN (the only one of three scheduled background female vocalists who actually showed up for the session ... and, in some cases, referred to as ATKINSON's ex-wife!) Band-founder SID HOLMES may or may not have been involved (most likely not) ... so much for your four-piece band. (This scenario would also disprove the "studio musicians" theory.) Using the COCHRAN record as a recording "template," THE CAVALIERS produced a near-identical version. ROUSH then sold the master to both TAMARA RECORDS and MAJOR BILL SMITH, who released a version on his own LE CAM RECORDS (eventually selling that master ... or re-recording it) ... for JOSIE RECORDS ... and THIS is the version that caught on nationally, eventually topping the charts in 1964. Producer SONLEY ROUSH was killed in a car accident which also involved and injured J. FRANK WILSON, helping to fuel the record's success. After the record ran its course, THE CAVALIERS went through a number of personnel changes but never again found chart success, making LAST KISS one of the biggest One Hit Wonders ever. (Other CAVALIERS mentioned during the course of our research for this series were PHIL TRUNZO, JERRY GRAHAM, BOBBY WOODS, JOHNNY HUNTER, GRADY CLARK, JOHN MAYBERRY, MIKE HODGES, RAY SMITH, BOB ZELLER, CHARLES USERY, CALVIN BELL, RON MILLER, BILLY WOOTEN, JIMMY WHEELER, all of the surviving MUNCHKINS from the THE WIZARD OF OZ film and the ENTIRE DALLAS COWBOYS Football Team, 1962-1968! And this doesn't include the LEO LUCAS / ARNIE KARR version of the band performing in 2002 when this article first appeared in Forgotten Hits!) As we told you during the course of this article, the song became a hit all over again for WEDNESDAY in the '70's and PEARL JAM in the '90's. WILSON apparently drank himself to death after many years of lack-luster success. Meanwhile, SEVERAL bands claiming to be THE CAVALIERS (many without a single original or even latter-day member ... and, apparently, one with a guy actually posing as J. FRANK WILSON ... and cashing checks received under that name, years after WILSON had died!!!) ... continued to perform and dupe the public over the years. It also seems that anyone ever associated with the band in any capacity has milked the publicity cow to the hilt. Our interviews with ARNIE KARR back in 2002 allowed him to explain his own burden of trying to carry on the name of THE CAVALIERS under seemingly false pretenses. Shortly thereafter,theartists associated with "The Cavaliers"'s name beganperforming under the name of GOLDEN GROUP MEMORIES ... a far more historically ACCURATE description of who they really were. It'd be great to somehow get to the bottom of all of this and write the definitive LAST KISS / J. FRANK WILSON AND THE CAVALIERS Story ... but I'm afraid SO many mis-truths have been spoken now over the years ... and so many of the key people involved are now gone ... that this would be impossible to do. Hopefully, however, it still made for some pretty interesting reading.
First, here'swhat I do know: The group I play with the most, The Cavaliers, includes Vito Balsamo, former lead singer of Vito and the Salutations, who charted thrice (Gloria, The Girl I Love, and the horrendous fast version of Unchained Melody, which I'm now compelled to play several times a month). It also includes Randy Silver (ne Silverman), who was in the Impalas but was NOT part of the group when they recorded "Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home)," which went to #2 in 1959.
Now here's what I don't know for a fact: I'm reasonably convinced that Leo Lucas, the leader of the Cavaliers, had absolutely nothing to do with the recording of "Last Kiss" and was not a part of any singing group that toured with J. Frank Wilson. (Listening to the tune, it's obviously a very spare musical combo, J. Frank and some chick with a very high falsetto.) Even though I've worked with him for 5 years, Leo Lucas has always said that he WAS part of the group, but he's never offered any proof. Similarly, he's never offered any proof that he has a legal right to the Cavaliers name or the "official" name of the group, J. Frank Wilson's Cavaliers. Of course, people buy and sell names all the time, and I've performed, for instance, with The Shangri-Las that include no original members.
The plot thickens. Earlier this year, the brother of J. Frank Wilson contacted Leo to ask about what right Leo had to use the name "J. Frank Wilson's Cavaliers." Leo assured him that he'd negotiated directly with J. Frank and had the paperwork to establish his ownership. The brother was reassured when Leo said he'd send him all the relevant paperwork. Apparently, the paperwork was never received. Tonight, I heard from the group's bass player that he'd heard that the brother went public with this tale of deceit in Rolling Stone magazine... apparently the issue before the current one. The bassist hadn't seen it and wasn't sure whether it was an editorial or an advertisement. I was unable to find it on the Rolling Stone web site or via any search engines. (I'll check Nexis at work tomorrow.) If you've seen this item by any chance, please let me know. If not, I wanted you to be on the lookout for it and also have this record of the bizarre world of doowop and oldies bands.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The issue of ROLLING STONE that Arnie referred to, containing any mention of THE CAVALIERS, has never been found by either of us.)
A few years ago, Vito was enjoined from using the name Vito and the Salutations because a guy named Art Loria registered it. (Loria also owns the Shangri-Las name, by the way.) I've subbed in a band that made the mistake of even mentioning their former band and wound up having to spend thousands of dollars in legal fees in order to protect themselves. I know how ugly these things can get, and even had a moment of passing insecurity. I think you can see where I stand on this emotionally -- I'm not a fan of the bogus and I recoil at any suggestion that the people in the Cavs now were any part of the writing or recording of Last Kiss.
The Cavaliers sometimes perform as The Royal All-Stars with guys from Shep and the Limelites, the Ink Spots and Jimmy Merchant from Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. However, they're expressly forbidden from using the name The Doo-Wop All-Stars, since that's another one of Loria's properties. Welcome to the Wonderful World of DooWop!
On top of all this, there's been a huge contraction in the radio market for doowop recently, with Don K. Reed's DooWop Shop being dropped by WCBS-FM and Mickey B exiting its Long Island counterpart, B-103. So it's a pretty interesting fork in the road here, and you've got far more information about it than you could possibly want.
Anxious to learn if you've heard anything about this.
Best regards,
Arnie
First off, let me say that ANY band that can offer the '50's legacy that you just described doesn't NEED to hide behind a false name like THE CAVALIERS to interest a crowd! Vocalists from VITO AND THE SALUTATIONS, THE IMPALAS, FRANKIE LYMON AND THE TEENAGERS, SHEP AND THE LIMELITES and THE INK SPOTS should be able to attract their OWN crowd of loyal '50's music / doo-wop fans without ANY false or misleading representation. (Too bad the "All-Stars" name is already taken!!!) Meanwhile, I pretty much scanned the last four issues of ROLLING STONE looking for any mention of this announcement and didn't see anything in any of the obvious places ... I'll have to look further. (ROLLING STONE doesn't seem to me to be the best place to break a story like this ... something like GOLDMINE or DISCOVERIES would probably be more appropriate and responsive ... or, we could make it a MAJOR headline in FORGOTTEN HITS ... which, I guess in hindsight, we pretty much did! LOL!) kk
Thanks, Kent. What's interesting about the Cavs, I suppose, is that they're victims of name theft on one hand (inability to use Vito and the Salutations) and "perps" on the other. And think of it -- I've been keyboardist and musical director of the "Cavs" for 5 years and have yet to get a straight, credible answer on what the facts actually are. PLEASE let me know if you find anything -- we're all real anxious to figure out what's going on.
Regards,
Arnie
News: 7/25/99
'Last Kiss' has come a long way:
``Oh where oh where can my baby be. The Lord took her away from me. She's gone to heaven, so I got to be good, so I can see my baby when I leave this world''
- Refrain from ``Last Kiss,'' a song written by Wayne Cochran that became a hit in 1964 for the San Angelo band The Cavaliers and is now a hit for Pearl Jam
By ALLYSON REYNOLDS DIXON
Staff Writer, San Angelo (TX) Standard-Times
One of the many things that have changed over the last 40 years is the music business and how it's done. Back when J. Frank Wilson and The Cavaliers recorded ``Last Kiss,'' lawyers weren't so involved, and, frankly, people frequently were cheated. ``Last Kiss'' was first recorded by Wayne Cochran, who also penned the piece about a fatal car wreck. Cochran's first recording didn't do too well, so he wrote a second arrangement. Midland agent Sonley Roush, who lived with his mom, heard the song and thought it was perfect for a group he had booked into West Texas clubs - ``The Cavaliers.''
Unfortunately, Roush didn't have any capital to make a record, so he cut a deal with San Angelo record producer Ron Newdoll and with The Cavaliers. If the song was a hit, Roush would get a third, Newdoll would get a third and The Cavaliers, as a group, would get a third.
``That's why nobody ever made any money off it,'' said Sidney Holmes, one of the original group members. Holmes was not involved in the recording of ``Last Kiss.'' The deal, while a dream come true in one sense, was the beginning of a nightmare for The Cavaliers, who had undergone some significant personnel changes. Wilson had moved back into lead vocals; Lewis Elliot played bass. Holmes had to get a job, so Gene ``Buddy'' Croyle played rhythm guitar, and Roland Atkinson was the drummer. Three women, including Atkinson's ex-wife, were lined up to do background vocals, but two had to leave for church, so Newdoll ended up overdubbing the voice of Atkinson's ex-wife.
And Jim Wynne, a former Cavalier at that time who had always insisted on being paid up front, played piano. Holmes said Newdoll paid Wynne $100 - the only money the pianist ever saw from the record. But the other Cavaliers didn't see much money, either.
Holmes explains it like this: Roush took the master tape and made an oral arrangement with Tamara Records in Philadelphia to distribute the record. No one knew that he also had some sort of written contract with Maj. Bill Price of Fort Worth. When Price heard about ``Last Kiss,'' he gave Roush a call and took him to court.
``In district court, Major Bill pulled out the contract,'' Holmes said. ``Tamara had to rely on the oral contract. So Major Bill got the tape. Then he went to New York with it and gave it to Josie Records.''
Josie released the record in June 1964. When the first royalty check came in from Josie, it was for $56,000, Holmes said.
``There, he had nothing to do with the band, nothing to do with anything except when he got the tape in court and took it to New York,'' Holmes said. ``When he got the check for $56,000, he took $20,000 off the top and took off to Hawaii for a vacation. He sent the remaining money on to Sonley and Ron Newdoll, and they took their third.''
And The Cavaliers got their third, too - $12,000 divided four ways. That was about all the money they ever saw for their efforts.
It was worse for Cochran, the Georgia man who wrote ``Last Kiss.''
``There were some strange little quirks to that recording session,'' Holmes said. ``What happened was, even though no one likes to say it, The Cavaliers cloned what Cochran did. ... The band actually copied his arrangement note for note, with one exception. Jim Wynne's piano playing is the only original part.'' Even the background tracks laid down by Atkinson's ex-wife were cloned, Holmes said.
``When Sonley Roush heard it in West Texas, the teens just loved it,'' he said. ``But Wayne Cochran didn't sing it very good. He was a white soul singer, and he just didn't have the voice for it.
``Sonley thought if (The Cavaliers) could copy it, they could have a chance at a hit, and Frank was a better singer. ... People try to take a lot of credit, but the credit really is to Wayne Cochran and his band and the arrangement they came up with.'' These days, Cochran is a minister at a Miami, Fla., church called Voice of Jesus. An answering machine at the church offers directions and meeting times. ``I can't wait to see you at the service,'' Cochran tells callers. ``Know you're gonna find what you're looking for. And, remember, God loves you.''
The Cavaliers have changed personnel several times over the last 40 years, but the band remains together. Atkinson still lives in San Angelo.
If Cochran still owns the rights to ``Last Kiss,'' some pretty nice royalty checks may finally start rolling in. Pearl Jam rerecorded the song last year, and it's climbing the charts once again. It was at No. 3 this week on the Billboard charts.
AND THEN THIS NEWS RELEASE:Snake and the Blackjacks are a local San Angelo, TX group featuring lead singer and bass player Roland "Snake" Atkinson. Atkinson was a member of the original Cavaliers when the recorded they hit "Last Kiss." He has been performing in the San Angelo area for about 40 years - playing everything from classic and Top 40 country to Southern rock and '50s and '60s rock and roll. In 2000, he released the CD "Snake: Still Rockin' After All These Years." Completing the band are Buddy Johnson, lead guitar and vocal; Harvey Wanier, fiddle and vocals; Benny Fred Kothmann, steel guitar; and Santos Cardenas, drums.
But there were other issues. One of the Cavs is Vito Balsamo, formerly of Vito & The Salutations, but someone owns the name "Vito & The Salutations" and Vito is specifically barred from being referred to as "Vito Balsamo of Vito & The Salutations" or as anything other than "Vito Balsamo, former lead singer of The Salutations." (In fact, when the "former lead singer" part is used to in print, it's got to be no more than 25% the size of Vito's name.) Randy Silverman still sings with The Impalas on those rare occasions when they perform.
Also, the Cavs would occasionally supplement their front line with Jimmy Merchant, formerly of Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers; Bill Godwin of The Ink Spots, and Al Handfield of Shep & The Limelites. When all of them got together to do a CD, they used the name Golden Group Memories, and then decided that this would be the name they'd use for live gigs too. So the strategy going forward is to book the group as Golden Group Memories and announce as featured performers only those singers who are going to be with us on the gig. (That occasionally includes the very talented Jimmie Russo, who also works with Lenny Coco and the Chimes.) Here's a link to their Web site -- www.thegoldengroupmemories.com.