Jackie DeShannon is 70 years old today. A singer-songwriter with a string of hit song credits from the 1960s onwards, DeShannon was one of the first female singer-songwriters of the rock n roll period. DeShannon began to record under various names such as Sherry Lee, Jackie Dee, and Jackie Shannon, but had little success. However, her interpretations of country songs Buddy and Trouble gained the attention of Eddie Cochran, who arranged for her to travel to California to meet his girlfriend, singer-songwriter Sharon Sheeley, who formed a writing partnership with DeShannon in 1960. The partnership produced hits such as Dum Dum for Brenda Lee. In 1960, DeShannon signed with Liberty Records, adopting the name Jackie DeShannon, believed to be the name of an Irish ancestor, after executives at Liberty thought the name Sharon Myers would not help sell records. In a Fresh Air interview (June 14, 2010), DeShannon said that she chose Jackie as a cross-gender name. Since she had a low singing voice, she could be heard as either male or female. If thought of as male, she was more likely to sell to female record-buyers, who dominated the market. When she found that Jackie Dee was too similar to Brenda Lee, Sandra Dee, et al., she changed it to Jackie Dee Shannon, which people heard as DeShannon. The name stuck. Armed with her new name, she made the WLS Chicago radio survey with the single Lonely Girl in late 1960. A string of mostly flop singles followed, although The Prince bubbled under at No. 108 in the United States in early 1962, and Faded Love became her first U.S. Billboard Top 100 entry, squeaking in at No. 97 in February 1963. She fared better with the Sonny Bono-Jack Nitzsche song Needles and Pins and the self-penned When You Walk in the Room later in 1963. Both reached the lower rungs of the U.S. pop charts, but were Top 40 hits in Canada, where Needles and Pins made it all the way to No. 1. Needles and Pins and When You Walk in the Room later became U.S. and UK hits for The Searchers. DeShannon recorded many other singles that encompassed teen pop, country ballads, rockabilly, gospel,and Ray Charles-style soul that didnt fare as well on the charts. During these years it was her songwriting and public profile rather than her recording career that kept her contracted to Liberty. DeShannon dated Elvis Presley and formed friendships with The Everly Brothers and Ricky Nelson. She also co-starred and sang with Bobby Vinton in the teen surf movie, Surf Party. DeShannons biggest break came in February, 1964 when she supported The Beatles on their first U.S. tour, and formed a touring band with guitarist Ry Cooder. DeShannon also wrote Dont Doubt Yourself Babe for the debut album of The Byrds. Her music at this stage was heavily influenced by the American West Coast sounds and folk music. Staying briefly in England in 1965, DeShannon formed a songwriting partnership with Jimmy Page, which resulted in the hit singles Dream Boy and Dont Turn Your Back on Me.” Page and DeShannon also wrote material for singer Marianne Faithfull, including her Top Ten UK and U.S. hit Come and Stay With Me.” Moving to New York, DeShannon co-wrote with Randy Newman, producing such songs as She Dont Understand Him and Did He Call Today Mama?,” as well as writing You Have No Choice for Delaney Bramlett. In March 1965, DeShannon recorded Burt Bacharach and Hal Davids What the World Needs Now Is Love,” which led to club tours and regular appearances on television and went to No. 7 on the U.S. charts and No. 1 in Canada. DeShannons recording of the song was subsequently used in the 1969 film, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice. She appeared in the 1967 film, Cmon Lets Live a Little, with Bobby Vee as a folk singer. DeShannon continued writing and recording, but it was not until 1969 that she scored her next smash single and album, both entitled Put a Little Love in Your Heart.” The self-penned single sold over one million copies. Switching to Atlantic Records in 1970 and moving to Los Angeles, DeShannon recorded the critically acclaimed albums Jackie and Your Baby Is A Lady, but they failed to produce the same commercial success as previous releases. In 1973, she was invited by Van Morrison to sing on his Hard Nose the Highway album. On June 17, 2010, DeShannon was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Here, DeShannon performs the Band’s “The Weight.” Barry White sings in the chorus. Though Robbie Robertson is credited with writing “The Weight,” DeShannon’s version appeared on the Hot 100 one week before The Bands.
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 09:59:25 +0000
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