Sitarswami Dept. - It’s Enough To Blow Your Mind!

A young Sitarswami, second left, has his mind blown safe at home thru th' miracle of televisual entertainment!

From his mystic lamasery high atop the cloud-girt peaks of fabled Koreatown, Sitarswami transmits his latest Karmic Kompilation across the æther!

Husbands & wives, brothers & sisters, friends & lovers, even fathers & daughters. Sonny & Cher, Steve & Eydie, Nichols & May, April & Nino, Rob & Laura, Frank & Nancy & Lee.  Men & Women, sound & vision, music & comedy, duos everywhere you turned or tuned-in. Paul & Paula, Ned & Nelda, Stiller & Meara, Ian & Sylvia, Bonnie & Clyde, Dolly & Porter & Norma Jean.

Let’s explore the discography of fourteen couples deserving of another listen. Some became famous, others only footnotes, all are worth remembering.

Tony & Terri were Memphis based Tony Rossini and Donna Terry Weiss who released four near perfect 45s. In 1960, 13-year-old Tony came to the attention of Elvis’ guitarist, Scotty Moore, who introduced him to Sam Phillips. Desperate to enter the youth market, Sun Records imagined Tony as the next Ricky Nelson. Despite backing by Scotty, Steve Cropper, Booker T. Jones, and Al Jackson, among others, Tony couldn’t dent the charts. He chanced to meet Donna, an up & coming songwriter whose punky, garage songs had been recorded by local bands The Breakers and Randy & the Radiants. Tony & Terri released one single per year from 1965-1968 while Donna continued to write for other artists. She also became a backup singer for Bob Dylan & Joe Cocker. In 1972 she entered a yearslong writing partnership with Jackie DeShannon. One of their compositions, “Bette Davis Eyes,” later earned a Grammy for Kim Carnes. As part of a local top-40 disc jockey’s appearance in my eighth grade music class, he brought along a large box of radio station promo 45’s and told us to take a few. I walked out with four great finds including Tony & Terri’s magnus opus “Mr. Flower Vendor Man.”

Nino Tempo and April Stevens. Antonino LoTempio, his older sister Caroline, and their parents relocated from Niagara Falls to Los Angeles in the mid-1940’s. As a seven-year-old prodigy, Nino once shared a television stage with Benny Goodman and after moving to LA he appeared uncredited in bit parts in Hollywood films. Beginning in 1950, 21-year-old Caroline, as April Stevens, recorded prolifically before meeting an older man who insisted she quit and set up house. Nino Tempo’s recording career started in the mid-50’s and his film career peaked with a supine, honking, two-minute appearance in the early rock n roll comedy “The Girl Can’t Help It.” Late in the decade Nino wrote, produced and sang backup for a recently liberated April who had resumed her singing career. During this period, he also appeared in films with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. April & Nino finally recorded together in 1961 issuing a couple of teenagers-in-love 45s. Nino moved to NYC and found himself rooming with a young Phil Spector when both served apprenticeships with Leiber & Stoller. At a Bobby Darin session, Nino met Atlantic head Ahmet Ertegun who offered Nino and his sister a contract. Beginning in 1962, April & Nino recorded a string of 1920s and 30s tunes that culminated in “Sweet & Lovely” and “Deep Purple.” The latter recorded as a lark during the last 15 minutes of a session – Nino didn’t know all the lyrics, so April recited them before he sang each phrase. After returning to LA, he ran into Spector who asked Nino for input at his next recording session. Nino soon became Phil’s right-hand man while also singing backup, and playing sax, guitar & piano on his sessions. “Deep Purple” became April & Nino’s only #1, but its success pigeon-holed their act even though their recordings covered a wide range of styles.

Cute n' cuddly Esther n' Abi declined to participate in Sitarswami's piece, citing prior engagements

Larry & Kathy. Born in Kentucky, Larry Barnes moved to Nashville in 1960 to find producer/guitarist Chet Atkins. Chet promptly brought Larry to the attention of fellow Kentuckians, the Everly Brothers. Larry’s first single was released on the Everly’s own label with one side written & produced, pseudonymously, by each of the brothers. Next, he recorded two 45s as Quantrell Raider for Chet at RCA, and in 1965 Smash issued his last solo single (produced by Jerry Kennedy who also co-produced Tony & Terri’s first 45). In 1967 Larry and his sister Kathy, ten years his junior, headed west and recorded two 45s for Gene Autrey’s Challenge Records. Larry continued to perform for a few years, while Kathy went on to record gospel-country-pop sides for Autrey’s Republic Records in the mid-to-late 70’s.

Tony & Siegrid. Before becoming a successful UK producer (see: T. Rex, David Bowie), Tony Visconti, and wife Siegrid, was an aspiring singer-songwriter based in New York City. The pair issued two singles on RCA which sound like songwriting demos in search of an artist. Based not on his singing or writing abilities but on his records’ sound, Tony was hired as an in-house producer by his music publisher. He was sent to London to assist on a Georgie Fame record and scout talent. He managed to place three Tony & Siegrid songs with Danish folk artists Nina & Frederik who were looking to update their sound and image. Baron Frederik van Pallandt first sang with Nina Møller when they were preschoolers.  They reconnected in 1957, married and became a sensation on the European college circuit. After splitting in the early 70’s, Nina became an actress (appearing in three Robert Altman films) while Frederik supposedly engaged in unlawful activities which may have contributed to his mysterious shooting death* in 1994. 

Lee Hazlewood’s story is pretty well known. Discharged from the US military in the mid-1950’s, he settled in Arizona producing and writing for Duane Eddy and others. Success led him to LA and an invitation from Frank Sinatra to produce his daughter, Nancy. Lee wrote & produced all of Nancy’s hits, concurrently forming a personal & professional relationship with Hillary Hokom (later re-christened Suzi Jane Hokom). Lee recorded duets with both Nancy & Suzi Jane while attending to his own, and their solo careers. When Lee formed LHI Records, Suzi Jane served as both artist and producer – her producing credits include the International Submarine Band lp, “Safe at Home.”

Hazlewood also produced Frank & Nancy’s duet which reached #1 in early 1967. The song was written by Van Dyke Parks’ older brother, Carson, who had previously recorded it with his wife Gaile Foote. The Parks brothers and Gaile recorded several albums together as the Greenwood County Singers / Greenwood Singers / Greenwoods before Carson & Gaile released their lone lp.

Spokespersons of their generation Ian n' Sylvia sticking it to The Man!

Too much information is readily available re: Sonny & Cher. To summarize: Sonny Bono began his recording career in 1959 cutting five singles as Don Christy plus one each as Little Tootsie and Prince Carter. He met 16-year-old Cherilyn Sarkisian in 1962 and they married some years later. Sonny told Cher of his admiration for Phil Spector and Cher pushed him to arrange a meeting. Cher’s first single, as Bonnie Jo Mason, was a Beatles novelty song “Ringo, I Love You,” co-written (and possibly produced) by Spector. Sonny became Phil’s gofer and played percussion on sessions while Cher contributed backing vocals. Eventually, Sonny sat in the producer’s booth with Phil, learning his lessons well. All through the 1960’s Sonny & Cher’s singles were sincere Spector recreations.

Smokey & His Sister were Larry Mims and sister Vicki from Cincinnati, Ohio. They moved to NYC in 1966 where Larry got a deal with Columbia Records. They cut two singles and several unreleased tracks for the label (produced by David Rubinson – see: Chambers Brothers, Moby Grape, and the United States of America) before getting dumped. They signed with Warner Brothers who released one single and an album. Obscurity followed, until 2007 when Sundazed issued all of the Columbia material.

Tina & David. David Meltzer was an established jazz guitarist and (beat) poet of note before forming the group Serpent Power with wife Tina and two guys from the Bedouins (who were the first band incarnation of the Grassroots). Like labelmates Country Joe & The Fish, Serpent Power were based in San Francisco and shared that psychedelic guitar sound peculiar to the area. The group disbanded after one record leaving Tina & David to issue a second album for Vanguard. Ex-Animals guitarist, and new Capitol Records A&R man, Vic Briggs recorded an ornate third album, which got shelved when he was dismissed during a regime change at the label. The tapes were first issued in 1998. Unlike the other acts in this series, the Meltzers did not release any 45s.

Jeff Blackburn & Sherry Snow were another SF act. Backed by many local musicians they recorded two singles for Verve, and an album’s worth of demos. All their recordings would be issued in 1999 by Big Beat. When Signe Anderson left Jefferson Airplane in 1966 the band asked Snow to fill the open female vocalist position, but she declined. After the duo dissolved, Sherry became one of Dan Hicks original Hot Licks. Blackburn, meanwhile, resurfaced in the late 70s in The Ducks and with co-member Neil Young co-wrote “My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue).”

 Bikini twins Rholonne n' Sii-Briizz Déodoranté have no current plans to record, but are "keeping their options open"!

Lyme & Cybelle’s Warren Zevon & Violet Santangelo met in high school and scored a contract with White Whale Records, the home of The Turtles. This duo recorded two singles produced by Bones Howe, who also produced The Turtles. A third single was released, but without Zevon’s participation.

Roger & Terrye Tillison’s familial ties were a fiction manufactured by their label’s marketing dept. Terrye Newkirk and Roger Tillison met in Oklahoma and travelled together to LA. In 1966, Newkirk and Tillison, who was deep in the throes of a Dylan fixation, hooked up with fellow Okie, Leon Russell and his studio pal, Snuff Garrett. The two duos recorded only one single, as Gypsy Trips (with another Okie, JJ Cale, on guitar). A second 45, credited solely to Roger, followed. The next year Cale, Russell & Garrett, with Roger & Terrye along for the ride, teamed up for “A Trip Down The Sunset Strip” by The Leathercoated Minds – and that’s Terrye & Roger pictured on the jacket sleeve. Roger released one solo lp for Atco in 1971.


*[from wiki: "According to his first wife's memoir, van Pallandt became involved with an Australian syndicate involved in the trafficking of cannabis, using his yacht the Tiaping to transport the shipments. On 15 May 1994, both he and his Filipina girlfriend Susannah were shot dead in a hut at Puerto Galera in the Philippines. The murderer is believed to have been another member of the syndicate." - Ed.]

This post manifested on the physical plane by Madame Blavatsky's Homemade Ectoplasm™, now in Blintz n' Borscht flavors!