Were getting all kinds of mail from people about our recent post noting that not only do most stations refuse to play music from before 1980 but those that do ignore many really great records that just didnt happen to be Top 5 tunes when first released. All kinds of factors can keep a great record from soaring as high as it might -- from a lack of or inept promotion, poor distribution, etc. In order to score high on Billboards Hot 100 singles chart, a single had to have heavy simultaneous play on a lot of key radio stations from coast to coast -- and there were hits that were regional successes in one part of the country, then another, then another, but never enough at the same time to warrent a high chart postion -- regardless of cumulative sales. In 1966, a Chicago band called The Cryan Shames decided to cover a song The Searchers had first recorded but far from definitively. Unfortunately, the Cryan Shames were signed to the tiny Destination label, which only had decent distribution in the central states. Their version of Sugar and Spice became a huge hit in the Midwest -- big enough to take it to #49 on Billboards Hot 100 -- but because of poor distribution elsewhere the single just never soared as high as it should have nationally. Recognizing a good thing, after Sugar and Spice Columbia picked up the group -- which would have been a big plus considering Columbias national promotional muscle -- except for one thing. Label executive Mitch Miller had kept Columbia rock-free until he was finally dumped and Paul Revere & the Raiders became Columbias very first rock act. In 1966 rock was still alien music to the powers that were at Columbia and they simply didnt know how to effectively market it. Therefore, despite some first-rate follow-up singles on the Columbia label (I Wanna Meet You, Could Be Were in Love, etc.), The Cryan Shames never became the nationally popular powerhouse act they should have been. Heres a salute to he Cryan Shames, though -- their perfectly executed rendition of Sugar and Spice. https://youtube/watch?v=Fe7RlzkVS3U
Posted on: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 16:40:19 +0000
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