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THE STRING-A-LONGS
Norman Petty was an independent producer in Clovis, New Mexico, and having recorded and produced much of Buddy Holly's output, he had established himself as one of the top producers in the area.
With the $150 session fee settled by Keith's mother, The Leen Teens cut two songs at Petty's place, So Shy and Dream About You, again both written by Keith McCormack with the latter co-wrote with his supportive mum.
Norman Petty had contacts in New York and the record was put out by Imperial Records in 1959.
The record failed to make any impact but Norman saw potential in the group and signed them to his own management company.
With Petty onboard they were able to record at the Clovis Studios without charge but Norman wanted full control and they had to do as they were told. With a burning ambition to succeed in the music industry, they agreed.
The Clovis sessions up until this point had been mainly vocal tracks, often written by Keith, but at one session a severe head cold meant Keith was unable to sing at all so to avoid wasting the allocated time, Norman Petty suggested that they record an instrumental tune he had written (see later) entitled Tell The World.
Jimmy and Richard had also written an instrumental, a number called Wheels which they'd featured in their live act.
Petty offered both sides to Warwick Records who in their wisdom pressed the vinyl with the labels on the wrong sides, so Wheels was in fact the tune Tell The World and vice versa. To save Warwick the expense of recalling the disc and a repress, Jimmy and Richard signed an agreement to leave it as it was.
Furthermore, Petty was insistent that the band should now be known as The String-A-Longs.
Wheels hit #3 on the US Billboard chart in 1960 and The String-A-Longs' version alone has sold in the region of 7 million copies worldwide, add to that around 150 cover versions by various artists including guitar legend Chet Atkins and it is easy to see why it is regarded as an instrumental classic.
Drummer Don Allen speaking in 2006: "It's probably one of the most recorded songs in history". "It was a huge hit both here and in England and throughout Europe. For a while you just couldn't get away from it. There was a New York City hat shop that used to play it in Times Square 24 hours a day."
Both sides of the waxing received generous airplay so Warwick decided to issue them again as separate singles with a vocal track on the flip of each 45.
Interestingly, it was actually Jimmy Torres who had written Tell The World (Wheels in reality) and had taken it to Petty a couple of years earlier. Torres confronted Norman Petty in 1964 reminding him about the true nature of Wheels and Petty handed over the rights to the real composer, Jimmy Torres.
With the $150 session fee settled by Keith's mother, The Leen Teens cut two songs at Petty's place, So Shy and Dream About You, again both written by Keith McCormack with the latter co-wrote with his supportive mum.
Norman Petty had contacts in New York and the record was put out by Imperial Records in 1959.
The record failed to make any impact but Norman saw potential in the group and signed them to his own management company.
With Petty onboard they were able to record at the Clovis Studios without charge but Norman wanted full control and they had to do as they were told. With a burning ambition to succeed in the music industry, they agreed.
The Clovis sessions up until this point had been mainly vocal tracks, often written by Keith, but at one session a severe head cold meant Keith was unable to sing at all so to avoid wasting the allocated time, Norman Petty suggested that they record an instrumental tune he had written (see later) entitled Tell The World.
Jimmy and Richard had also written an instrumental, a number called Wheels which they'd featured in their live act.
Petty offered both sides to Warwick Records who in their wisdom pressed the vinyl with the labels on the wrong sides, so Wheels was in fact the tune Tell The World and vice versa. To save Warwick the expense of recalling the disc and a repress, Jimmy and Richard signed an agreement to leave it as it was.
Furthermore, Petty was insistent that the band should now be known as The String-A-Longs.
Wheels hit #3 on the US Billboard chart in 1960 and The String-A-Longs' version alone has sold in the region of 7 million copies worldwide, add to that around 150 cover versions by various artists including guitar legend Chet Atkins and it is easy to see why it is regarded as an instrumental classic.
Drummer Don Allen speaking in 2006: "It's probably one of the most recorded songs in history". "It was a huge hit both here and in England and throughout Europe. For a while you just couldn't get away from it. There was a New York City hat shop that used to play it in Times Square 24 hours a day."
Both sides of the waxing received generous airplay so Warwick decided to issue them again as separate singles with a vocal track on the flip of each 45.
Interestingly, it was actually Jimmy Torres who had written Tell The World (Wheels in reality) and had taken it to Petty a couple of years earlier. Torres confronted Norman Petty in 1964 reminding him about the true nature of Wheels and Petty handed over the rights to the real composer, Jimmy Torres.
In 1961 the follow-up to Wheels hit the stores, a Norman Petty composition, Brass Buttons. It was flipped with Panic Button, a song from the pen of Fireballs guitarist, George Tomsco.
Warwick issued The String-A-Longs' fifth single (if we count the two separate re-releases mentioned above as singles 2 & 3) coupling Should I with another Torres original, Take A Minute.
Also in 1961 Warwick released 'Pick A Hit', a 13 track LP which included the smash hit Wheels and Panic Button.
One more single arrived in 1961 in the shape of Jimmy Torres's Mina Bird with Petty's Scottie on the B-side.
Warwick Records were in financial trouble and went bankrupt in 1962 owing the band thousands of dollars. The group members tried in vain to obtain their money through the courts but sadly to no avail.
The String-A-Longs' final record for Warwick lifted two tracks from the Pick A Hit album, Nearly Sunrise and Theme For Twisters.
Warwick issued The String-A-Longs' fifth single (if we count the two separate re-releases mentioned above as singles 2 & 3) coupling Should I with another Torres original, Take A Minute.
Also in 1961 Warwick released 'Pick A Hit', a 13 track LP which included the smash hit Wheels and Panic Button.
One more single arrived in 1961 in the shape of Jimmy Torres's Mina Bird with Petty's Scottie on the B-side.
Warwick Records were in financial trouble and went bankrupt in 1962 owing the band thousands of dollars. The group members tried in vain to obtain their money through the courts but sadly to no avail.
The String-A-Longs' final record for Warwick lifted two tracks from the Pick A Hit album, Nearly Sunrise and Theme For Twisters.
Desperate for a new record label, Petty struck a deal with Dot Records in '62 and that's where the band stayed until they split in 1965.
The total output for Dot Records amounted to six singles and a long player which pulled together previous singles and album tracks plus two newies in Summertime and Are You Lonesome Tonight.
Keith McCormack continued to write music and penned a catchy song called Sugar Shack which he offered to Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs, they scored a million-selling #1 hit with it in September 1963 and it was the biggest selling record in the US that year.
McCormack later joined The Fireballs as vocalist when Gilmer decided to leave at the end of the sixties.
In a recent interview Don Allen said the group became increasingly disheartened by the long, grueling tours and corrupt nature of the business. "Often we wouldn't get a dime for all our work. We appeared on 'American Bandstand' with Dick Clark three times and were supposed to get about $10,000. All we collected was about $125."
It was near the end of one of those grueling tours when the band's youthful enthusiasm finally waned. As Torres explained, they arrived for a date in Atlantic City only to learn the hotel had given away their rooms. "We wound up with one room for the entire group and our entourage. We ended up sleeping piled up on the floor and leaning against the walls."
By 1965 The String-A-Longs had enough and the band split with the guys going their separate ways; some returned to a normal everyday life while others continued recording and gigging in other outlets.
A further single Popi // Places I Remember plus an album 'World Wide Hits' was released by Atco in 1968 but it was merely Petty taking advantage of his ownership of the String-A-Longs name and the actual recordings were done by The Fireballs.
The total output for Dot Records amounted to six singles and a long player which pulled together previous singles and album tracks plus two newies in Summertime and Are You Lonesome Tonight.
Keith McCormack continued to write music and penned a catchy song called Sugar Shack which he offered to Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs, they scored a million-selling #1 hit with it in September 1963 and it was the biggest selling record in the US that year.
McCormack later joined The Fireballs as vocalist when Gilmer decided to leave at the end of the sixties.
In a recent interview Don Allen said the group became increasingly disheartened by the long, grueling tours and corrupt nature of the business. "Often we wouldn't get a dime for all our work. We appeared on 'American Bandstand' with Dick Clark three times and were supposed to get about $10,000. All we collected was about $125."
It was near the end of one of those grueling tours when the band's youthful enthusiasm finally waned. As Torres explained, they arrived for a date in Atlantic City only to learn the hotel had given away their rooms. "We wound up with one room for the entire group and our entourage. We ended up sleeping piled up on the floor and leaning against the walls."
By 1965 The String-A-Longs had enough and the band split with the guys going their separate ways; some returned to a normal everyday life while others continued recording and gigging in other outlets.
A further single Popi // Places I Remember plus an album 'World Wide Hits' was released by Atco in 1968 but it was merely Petty taking advantage of his ownership of the String-A-Longs name and the actual recordings were done by The Fireballs.
STRING-A-LONGS
SINGLES DISCOGRAPHY
(v) denotes vocal recording
Wheels / Tell The World
Warwick 603 - 1960
Wheels / Am I Asking Too Much (v)
Warwick 603 - 1960
Tell The World / For My Angel (v)
Warwick 606 - 1961
Brass Buttons / Panic Button
Warwick 625 - 1961
Should I / Take A Minute
Warwick 654 - 1961
Mina Bird / Scottie
Warwick 668 - 1961
Nearly Sunrise / Theme For Twisters
Warwick 675 - 1962
Twistwatch / Sunday
Dot 16331 - 1962
Spinnin' My Wheels / My Blue Heaven
Dot 16379 - 1962
Matilda / Replica
Dot 16393 - 1962
Heartaches / Happy Melody
Dot 16448 - 1963
Mina Bird / My Babe
Dot 16575 - 1964
Caravan / Matilda
Dot 16708 - 1965
Popi / Places I Remember
The Fireballs disguised as The String-A-Longs
Atco 456694 - 1968
SINGLES DISCOGRAPHY
(v) denotes vocal recording
Wheels / Tell The World
Warwick 603 - 1960
Wheels / Am I Asking Too Much (v)
Warwick 603 - 1960
Tell The World / For My Angel (v)
Warwick 606 - 1961
Brass Buttons / Panic Button
Warwick 625 - 1961
Should I / Take A Minute
Warwick 654 - 1961
Mina Bird / Scottie
Warwick 668 - 1961
Nearly Sunrise / Theme For Twisters
Warwick 675 - 1962
Twistwatch / Sunday
Dot 16331 - 1962
Spinnin' My Wheels / My Blue Heaven
Dot 16379 - 1962
Matilda / Replica
Dot 16393 - 1962
Heartaches / Happy Melody
Dot 16448 - 1963
Mina Bird / My Babe
Dot 16575 - 1964
Caravan / Matilda
Dot 16708 - 1965
Popi / Places I Remember
The Fireballs disguised as The String-A-Longs
Atco 456694 - 1968
During their "hey day," the String-A-Longs toured or played with many well-known artists and bands of the time, including Del Shannon, The Shirelles, The Everly Brothers, Marty Robbins, Roy Orbison and many others.
Aubrey deCordova and Keith McCormack were childhood friends in Plainview, Texas, and with local boy Richard Stephens formed a trio in the late fifties called The Patio Boys, a name put forward by McCormack's uncle Johnny Voss whose porch was often the meeting place for the young musicians.
Local gigs were plentiful and as the band progressed Aubrey switched from guitar to bass and they recruited drummer Charles J Edmonson and went out as a four piece renaming themselves The Rock 'n' Rollers.
Lead guitarist Richard Stephens decided to quit the band so Edmonson suggested a school pal of his, Jimmy Torres.
Torres passed the audition and became an offical Rock 'n' Roller.
Stephens then had a change of heart and asked to rejoin the band. Not wanting to upset anyone they decided to forge ahead with both lead guitarists in tow.
The next logical step was to make a record and aim for the big time.
Keith had written a couple of songs with his mother Glynn Thames who was a respected writer of romance stories, these were committed to tape in the studios of a radio station in Amarillo.
For You and Boy! I Think It's Really Love were arranged by Johnny Voss and his pal Travis Venable with Keith singing the lead vocal. The 45 was issued on Venable's own label Ven in 1958.
More personnel changes occurred when Charles J Edmonson left. He was replaced by Don Allen.
By 1959 with a new line-up and now known as The Leen Teens, the band was anxious to get back into the studio.
Aubrey deCordova and Keith McCormack were childhood friends in Plainview, Texas, and with local boy Richard Stephens formed a trio in the late fifties called The Patio Boys, a name put forward by McCormack's uncle Johnny Voss whose porch was often the meeting place for the young musicians.
Local gigs were plentiful and as the band progressed Aubrey switched from guitar to bass and they recruited drummer Charles J Edmonson and went out as a four piece renaming themselves The Rock 'n' Rollers.
Lead guitarist Richard Stephens decided to quit the band so Edmonson suggested a school pal of his, Jimmy Torres.
Torres passed the audition and became an offical Rock 'n' Roller.
Stephens then had a change of heart and asked to rejoin the band. Not wanting to upset anyone they decided to forge ahead with both lead guitarists in tow.
The next logical step was to make a record and aim for the big time.
Keith had written a couple of songs with his mother Glynn Thames who was a respected writer of romance stories, these were committed to tape in the studios of a radio station in Amarillo.
For You and Boy! I Think It's Really Love were arranged by Johnny Voss and his pal Travis Venable with Keith singing the lead vocal. The 45 was issued on Venable's own label Ven in 1958.
More personnel changes occurred when Charles J Edmonson left. He was replaced by Don Allen.
By 1959 with a new line-up and now known as The Leen Teens, the band was anxious to get back into the studio.
Wheels The String-A-Longs
Tell The World The String-A-Longs
In 2006 The String-A-Longs reformed for the Clovis Music Festival and opened the show. John Beecher of Rollercoaster Records was there: The String-A-Longs opened the music event proper later in the evening.
They confessed beforehand that they hadn’t played together in 40 or so years and only had one rehearsal. They soon proved that old saying that once you can ride a bike, you never forget. They ran through their hits, from “Wheels” to “Matilda” sounding just like the records, to the delight of the crowd, which was as cosmopolitan as could be - OAPs, babes in arms and teenagers, all out for a good time. And they got it."
They confessed beforehand that they hadn’t played together in 40 or so years and only had one rehearsal. They soon proved that old saying that once you can ride a bike, you never forget. They ran through their hits, from “Wheels” to “Matilda” sounding just like the records, to the delight of the crowd, which was as cosmopolitan as could be - OAPs, babes in arms and teenagers, all out for a good time. And they got it."
The String-A-Longs at the Clovis Music Festival in 2006 - photos courtesy of Alan Clark Archives
THE STRING-A-LONGS ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY
Pick A Hit
Warwick WST 2026 - 1961
Wheels / Are You Lonesome Tonight / Sentimental Journey / Perfidia / Panic Button / Torquay / Red River Twist / Bulldog / Harbour Lights / Nearly Sunrise / Walk Don't Run / Save The Last Dance For Me
Matilda
Dot SDLP 25463 - 1962
Matilda / My Blue Heaven / Brass Buttons / Torquay / Are You Lonesome Tonight / Summertime / Panic Button / Nearly Sunrise / Walk Don't Run / Perfidia / Harbour Lights / Bulldog
Wide World Hits
Atco S33241 - 1968
More / Places I Remember / Love Is Blue / Poor Little One / Silence Is Golden / Black Grass / There Is A Mountain / I'll Be There / Blue Guitar / Groovin' / Black Is Black / Someone Stranger
This album was actually recorded by The Fireballs
Warwick WST 2026 - 1961
Wheels / Are You Lonesome Tonight / Sentimental Journey / Perfidia / Panic Button / Torquay / Red River Twist / Bulldog / Harbour Lights / Nearly Sunrise / Walk Don't Run / Save The Last Dance For Me
Matilda
Dot SDLP 25463 - 1962
Matilda / My Blue Heaven / Brass Buttons / Torquay / Are You Lonesome Tonight / Summertime / Panic Button / Nearly Sunrise / Walk Don't Run / Perfidia / Harbour Lights / Bulldog
Wide World Hits
Atco S33241 - 1968
More / Places I Remember / Love Is Blue / Poor Little One / Silence Is Golden / Black Grass / There Is A Mountain / I'll Be There / Blue Guitar / Groovin' / Black Is Black / Someone Stranger
This album was actually recorded by The Fireballs
The String-A-Longs story is a familiar tale of woe from the early days of rock 'n' roll where hard work and dedication offered very little in terms of financial return.
RECOMMENDED LISTENING
The String-A-Longs - Wheels Ace CD (CD CHD 390)
The String-A-Longs - The Tex Mex Teen Magic of ... Ace CD (CD CHD 1144)
The String-A-Longs - Wheels Ace CD (CD CHD 390)
The String-A-Longs - The Tex Mex Teen Magic of ... Ace CD (CD CHD 1144)