FRANKIE AVALON – Swingin' On A Rainbow - (Chancellor) - 1959, comment, review, al caiola

I have waxed lyrical on the much maligned talents of Frankie Avalon before so check that for reasons, bio and pseudo philosophical ephemera.

Avalon had a time and place and never transcends it but he does reflect the time and place beautifully.

The northern (ie: the eastern US seaboard, the northern US states) music industry wasn’t as committed to rock ‘n’ roll as the south.

Well at least that was the case in the late 50s and early 60s.

Pat Boone, Bobby Darin, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell, Bobby Vinton, Tommy Sands, and many others or tried their hand at a trad pop and rock hybrid (“pop ‘n’ roll”, “rock ‘n’ swing” – do any of those work?). Granted, none were out and out rock ‘n’ rollers but then even Elvis was recording his version of trad pop by 1960 (“It’s Now or Never”, “Surrender” etc).

The sound was especially prevalent in the north and east perhaps because they weren’t the originators of the form and didn’t know where to take it (yet). That is, the old musical veterans weren’t really sure how to deal with rock and kept dragging the music back to what they knew.

Trad pop.

Swingin’ trad pop.

And to make it appeal to a rock ‘n’ roll audience just have it swing a little harder and a little more.

This was Frankie Avalon’s second album and the rock ‘n’ roll stylings of his first album were ditched for big swinging arrangements by a host or music stalwarts:

Arranged By – Peter DeAngelis – A1, Bob Mercey – A2, B5, B6, Al Caiola – A3, A4, B2, B3, B4, Joe Scousa – A5, A6, Aldo Provenzano – B1.

Peter DeAngelis (born 1929) was a songwriter and music business man who owned (with Bob Marcucci), Chancellor Records which owned the contracts on the lucrative Frankie Avalon and Fabian.

Bob Mersey (born Robert David "Bob" Mirsky 1917) was also a producer and musician and had worked as an arranger with Leiber and Stoller in the 50s.

Al Caiola was a legendary guitarist and session man who worked with everyone (and everyone must have come across at least one, two, three Al Caiola records on their op shop travels)

Joe Scousa seems to have had a career limited to this Frankie album.

Aldo Provenzano was an arranger, conductor, and songwriter who did a lot of MOR work in the 60s.

Okay there is one Jewish bloke but otherwise, this is Italians for Italians.

And, American-Italians like their trad pop as any Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, Perry Como, Al Martino, Jerry Vale, Frankie Laine, or Vic Damone fan will tell you.

The plan is simple.

Dust off some popular trad pop tunes or write (or contract) some new songs in that style (that way the royalties come to you), put in some swinging arrangements, throw in Frankie’s youthful vocals and try to aim for the widest audience possible.

Do not offend anyone, do not make anyone uncomfortable, try to make music that the parents and the kids can both listen to (and buy)

Hey, there is nothing wrong with this.

We all need some downtime.

And it paid off. The album did well in the charts (his highest placing for an album in the US), which was itself unusual at the time for a rock 'n' popper, but it did so without having any hit singles to propel it which seems to me to indicate that the album buying public (the "adults") bought it as well.

At the time the music was taken for what it was but, subsequently, it was derided by those who want their early rock ‘n’ rollers pure (and perhaps one dimensional). That’s all quite odd given that pop and rockers tackling the Great American Songbook is still something that goes on with varying degrees of success and respectability: Nilsson, Rod Stewart, Madonna, Ringo Starr, Lady Gaga, Bette Midler, Boz Scaggs, Queen Latifah, Cyndi Lauper, Glenn Frey, Paul McCartney, Dr John, Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, The Supremes, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Willie Nelson, Sinead O’Connor, George Michael, Rickie Lee Jones, Jeff Lynne, Brian Wilson, Bob Dylan and others have all given it a shot.

So leave Frankie the fuck alone … he was ahead of the curve.

Tracks (best in italics)

Side One

Swingin' On A Rainbow – (R. Marcucci-P. DeAngelis) – written for Frankie. This swings nicely and is quite bouncy. It follows the usual trad pop swing path but it is catchy. Needless to say but the rainbow is traditional as well
Secret Love – (H. Woods-J. Campbell-R. Connelly) – a Doris Day song from her film “Calamity Jane” and a #1 hit for her in the US in 1953. Nothing comes close to Doris Day's original but this is a great version. It has been given a swing beat which helps you to avoid comparisons with the original. .https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Love_(Doris_Day_song)
She's Funny That Way – (R. A. Whiting-Neil Moret) – the first recording was by Gene Austin (1928) and it has been done by loads of people since https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She%27s_Funny_That_Way
Sandy – (Al Caiola) – I assume this was written for Frankie. This is great and could easily have been a Sinatra song circa 1957.
Trouble With Me Is You – (Pat Genaro) – Genaro had written many tunes for various Italian American trad pop singers in the 50s and 60s. Vic Damone had a US #1 with this in 1949. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You%27re_Breaking_My_Heart
Talk, Talk, Talk – (R. Marcucci-P. DeAngelis) – written for Frankie

Side Two

You're Just Too Much – (A. Provenzano) – I assume this was written for Frankie. Another great, bouncy number.
What's The Reason (I'm Not Pleasin' You) – (C. Poe-J. Greer-P. Tomlin-E. Water) – the first performance was by Pinky Tomlin (1935) but also done by Fats Domino on his "This Is Fats Domino!" album from 1956. This is white and sweet with lush, full arrangements.
Try A Little Tenderness – (H. Woods-J. Campbell-R. Connelly) – first recorded by the Ray Noble Orchestra (with vocals by Val Rosing) in 1932. Ted Lewis and Ruth Etting had hits with it in 1933 and Bing Crosby also recorded it in 1933. The Platters did a version in 1958 and Italian-American pop star Connie Francis did one in 1959. It has been much recorded. This is ultra sweet with strings and things but it still works. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Try_a_Little_Tenderness
Birds of a Feather – (A. Caiola-R. Ekstrand) – I assume this was written for Frankie and another great tune with some intentionally funny lyrics where love and romance is given an avian bent.
Step In The Right Direction – (A. Schroeder-W. Gold) – Aaron Schroeder and Wally Gold wrote many pop songs for the young rock n rollers. They wrote solo or together some seventeen songs for Elvis (or thereabouts) including his mammoth #1 in 1960 "It's Now or Never". This song (“Step in the Right Direction”) may have been first recorded by Frankie.
Them There Eyes – (M. Pinkard-W. Tracey-D. Tauber) – first recorded by either Bing Crosby or Louis Armstrong around 1931 this has been recorded by everyone. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Them_There_Eyes

And …

Normally, I like my swing with a bit more gravitas than a nineteen year old has but this album swings nicely and is really pleasant on the ears. The originals compare well against the covers. Frankie nails it. It is perhaps one of the best examples of the rock 'n' swing traditions … I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

Singles

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Album

1959 #9

England

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Sounds

Whole album

https://www.albumsdepot.com/albums/frankie-avalon-swingin-on-a-rainbow/

Swingin' On A Rainbow

mp3 attached