youtu.be/IAc0FKyBgks For Debbie Lynn Allen 1960s In 1958, Rivers met fellow Louisianan, James Burton, a guitarist in a band led by Ricky Nelson. Burton later recommended one of Rivers songs, Ill Make Believe, to Nelson who recorded it. They met in Los Angeles in 1961, where Rivers subsequently found work as a songwriter and studio musician. His big break came in 1963, when he filled in for a jazz combo at Gazzarris, a nightclub in Hollywood, where his instant popularity drew large crowds. In 1964, Elmer Valentine gave Rivers a one-year contract to open at the Whisky a Go Go, on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.The Whisky had been in business just three days when the Beatles song I Want to Hold Your Hand entered the Hot 100. The subsequent British Invasion knocked almost every American artist off the top of the charts but Rivers was so popular that record producer Lou Adler decided to issue Johnny Rivers Live At The Whisky A Go Go.This live album reached #12 and, in July 1964, the single Memphis reached #2 on the US Hit Parade. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc. According to Elvis Presleys friend and employee, Alan Fortas, Presley played a test pressing of Memphis for Rivers that Presley had made but not released. Rivers was impressed and, much to Presleys chagrin, Rivers recorded and released it, even copying the arrangement (Fortas writes: After that, Johnny was on Elviss shit list and was persona non grata from then on). Rivers version far outsold the Chuck Berry original from August 1959, which stalled at #87 in the US.; Rivers continued to record mostly live performances throughout 1964 and 1965, including Go-Go-style records with songs featuring folk music and blues rock influences including Maybellene (another Berry cover), after which came Mountain of Love, Midnight Special, Seventh Son (written by Willie Dixon), plus Pete Seegers Where Have All the Flowers Gone?, all of which were hits. In 1963, Rivers began working with writers P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri on a theme song for the American broadcast of a British television series Danger Man, starring Patrick McGoohan. At first Rivers balked at the idea but eventually change his mind. The American version of the show, titled Secret Agent, went on the air in the spring of 1965. The theme song was very popular and created public demand for a longer single version. Rivers recording of Secret Agent Man reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1966.It sold one million copies, again winning gold disc status. In 1966, Rivers switched gears and began to record ballads that mixed his soulful voice with smooth-sounding backing vocalists. He produced several successful hits including his own Poor Side of Town, which would be his biggest chart hit and his only #1 record. He also started his own record company, Soul City Records and won two Grammy Awards in 1967, as the producer of the 5th Dimensions Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In from the rock musical Hair. Their recording of Wedding Bell Blues was another #1 hit for the Soul City label. In addition, Rivers is credited with giving songwriter Jimmy Webb a major break when the 5th Dimension recorded his song Up, Up, and Away. Rivers continued to record more hits covering other artists, including Baby I Need Your Lovin released by the Four Tops, and The Tracks of My Tears by the Miracles, both going Top 10 in 1967. In 1968, Rivers put out Realization, a #5 album that included the #14 pop chart single Summer Rain, written by a former member of the Mugwumps, James Hendricks. The album included some of the psychedelic influences of the time and marked a subtle change in Rivers musical direction, with more introspective songs including Look To Your Soul and Going Back to Big Sur.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 16:21:17 +0000
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