Wednesday 12 December 2018

Hal Dickinson born 12 December 1913


Harold H. Dickinson Jr., (December 12, 1913 in Buffalo, New York - November 18, 1970) was composer, songwriter, producer and singer with the orchestras of Paul Whiteman, Fred Waring, Charlie Barnet, Glenn Miller and Bob Crosby and the founder and leader of the jazz harmony group, The Modernaires. 

Hal Dickinson
The Modernaires began in 1934 as "Don Juan, Two and Three," a trio of schoolmates from Lafayette High School in Buffalo, New York. The members were Hal Dickinson, Chuck Goldstein, and Bill Conway.(Jay Warner, in his book American Singing Groups: A History from 1940s to Today, wrote, "They called themselves Three Weary Willies". He added that the trio performed as Don Juan and Two and Three when they "headed for New York in the mid-'30s".)

After singing on radio station WGR in Buffalo, New York, for "the enormous sum of $10 a month", the trio went to New York City and gained an engagement of 26 weeks on CBS network radio.

The group's first engagement was at Buffalo's suburban Glen Falls Casino, with the Ted Fio Rito Orchestra. Fio Rito also used them on electrical transcription recordings. They then joined the Ozzie Nelson Band, and became known as "The Three Wizards of Ozzie." They next recruited Ralph Brewster to make a quartet and, performing with the Fred Waring Orchestra, became The Modern-Aires (later changing the spelling).

Ray Eberle & The Modernaires with Glenn Miller
Recordings with Charlie Barnet's orchestra in 1936 did not interest the public but brought them greater industry exposure, and in 1937 they joined the George Hall band, soon moving on to the Paul Whiteman radio show. They recorded many of the classic songs of that era, a few with Jack Teagarden, as part of the Whiteman orchestra in 1938.

In October 1940, Glenn Miller engaged them to record It's Make Believe Ballroom Time, a sequel to the original Make Believe Ballroom, which they had recorded earlier for Martin Block's big band show of the same name, on WNEW New York. In January 
Paula Kelly & Hal Dickinson
1941, Miller made The Modernaires an important part of one of the most popular big bands of all time. Paula Kelly was added to the Miller band between March–August 1941; she and Modernaire Hal Dickinson had married in 1939.

The group had ten chart hits in 1941 after appearing with Miller's orchestra in the movie Sun Valley Serenade. The group became a quintet when Kelly became a permanent member of the group after Miller joined the U.S. Army, and for the next few decades they toured internationally with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Johnny Drake replaced Chuck Goldstein (who left the Modernaires the day after the Miller band broke up in 1942), and Fran Scott replaced Bill Conway (who left during the war and never returned to the group).


The original members of The Modernaires (Top to bottom) Chuck Goldstein, Ralph Brewster, Hal Dickinson, & Bill Conway - circa: 1942


Songs made popular by Miller and The Modernaires included "Perfidia," "Chattanooga Choo-Choo," with Tex Beneke (the first-ever "gold record" with over one million copies sold), "I Know Why," "Elmer's Tune," "Serenade In Blue," "Connecticut," and "Kalamazoo" with Beneke, among others. "There! I've Said It Again" became The Modernaires' first top-twenty hit in 1945.


                            

The group was featured in television programming produced by Philco in 1947, using what apparently was an early version of lip synching. An article in Variety magazine's September 10, 1947, issue reported that David Street and The Modernaires guest starred on the Philco program, "simulating singing to off-screen recordings."

Tex Beneke, Marion Hutton, & The Modernaires
After Miller's disappearance, The Modernaires recorded vocal versions of several of Miller's instrumental hits, including "Moonlight Serenade", "Sunrise Serenade", "Little Brown Jug", "Tuxedo Junction", "Pennsylvania 6-5000", and "A String of Pearls". The Modernaires released a 45rpm single on Coral Records, 9-61110, A Salute to Glenn Miller, which included medleys in two parts from the movie soundtrack, A Salute to Glenn Miller, Parts 1 and 2 that reached number 29 on the Billboard charts in 1954.

Hal was president of Compass Productions. Joining ASCAP in 1956, his chief musical collaborators included Alan Copeland, Jack Lloyd, Sidney Lippman and Jack Elliott. His popular-song compositions include "These Things You Left Me", "Everytime I See You", "Jingle Bell Polka", "Romantique", "Birds and Puppies and Tropical Fish", "Tabby the Cat" and "Too Young to Know".

In the late 1950s The Modernaires were featured vocalists with the Bob Crosby Orchestra on his daily TV show. Copeland dropped out in 1956 and was replaced by Dick Cathcart. In the 60s they recorded the theme song for the TV sitcom Hazel, but by this time work began to slow down. They still recorded throughout the years and continued to perform in different variations.

Dickinson had three daughters who were singing sisters on TV and stage in the early 1950s ("The Kelly Sisters Trio") and later were The Modernaires replacements: Paula Kelly Jr., Martha Dickinson (Martz) and Julie Dickinson.


Hal Dickinson died in 1970 at the age of 56, Goldstein died in 1974, Conway died in 1991 at the age of 77, Kelly died in 1992 at the age of 72, and Kelly Jr. died in 2012 at the age of 67. Martha, who also sang with the Ed Winters jazz trio, died of congestive heart failure in 2006 at the age of 65. Julie does studio work.

The Modernaires were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000.


Latest line-up as of 2014.. Ginger joined in February 2012 and her husband Scott in September 2012. Judie (2nd from right) is the youngest sister of Hal Dickinson's daughters.

(Compiled and edited from Wikipedia & IMDb)

6 comments:

boppinbob said...

For “The MODERNAIRES - So it Goes! - Singles of the '50s” go here;

https://www34.zippyshare.com/v/2E7ykGrZ/file.html

Disc 1

1. I'LL ALWAYS BE FOLLOWING YOU
2. THE DIPSY DOODLE
3. FOUR OR FIVE TIMES
4. WHEN MY LOVE COMES BACK TO ME
5. WILDFLOWER
6. HE WHO HAS LOVE
7. SAY YOU'RE MINE AGAIN
8. PUT SOME MONEY IN THE JUKE BOX
9. ROCK-A-BYE BOOGIE
10. I KNOW WHY (And So Do You)
11. THAT'S YOU, THAT'S ME, THAT'S LOVE
12. HALF-HEARTED KISSES
13. MINE
14. MOOD INDIGO
15. TEACH ME TONIGHT
16. THE GREAT PRETENDER
17. ONLY YOU
18. BIRDS AND PUPPIES AND TROPICAL FISH
19. MINE! MINE! MINE!
20. TOPS 'N' POPS - Part One
HOW IMPORTANT CAN IT BE?
(I'm Always Hearing) WEDDING BELLS
CLOSE YOUR EYES
21. TOPS 'N' POPS - Part Two
I WANNA HUG YOU, SQUEEZE YOU, KISS YOU
PLEDGING MY LOVE
IT MAY SOUND SILLY
22. PLEASE DON'T CRY
23. OUT O' BREATH
24. I'M LATE
25. ALICE IN WONDERLAND
26. THE MILKMAN'S MATINEE
27. WAKE THE PLACE
28. APRIL IN PARIS
29. HI-DIDDLEE-I-DI
30. BUGLE CALL RAG
31. GOODY, GOODY
Disc 2

1. SLUE FOOT
2. WINE, WOMEN, AND GOLD
3. AT MY FRONT DOOR
4. ALRIGHT, OKAY, YOU WIN
5. SANTA'S LITTLE SLEIGH BELLS
6. SLEEPY LITTLE SPACE CADET
7. AIN'T SHE SWEET?
8. GO ON WITH THE WEDDING
9. LET'S DANCE MEDLEY - Part One
SING, SING, SING
WHY DON'T YOU DO RIGHT?
GOODBYE
10. LET'S DANCE MEDLEY - Part Two
LET'S DANCE
STOMPIN' AT THE SAVOY
AND THE ANGELS SING
11. NINETY-EIGHT CENTS
12. ASK FOR JOE
13. I'M READY TO LOVE AGAIN
14. NOAH
15. SALUTE TO TOMMY DORSEY - Part One
I'M GETTING SENTIMENTAL OVER YOU
THERE ARE SUCH THINGS
THIS LOVE OF MINE
YES INDEED
OPUS ONE
MARIE
16. SALUTE TO TOMMY DORSEY - Part Two
I'LL NEVER SMILE AGAIN
ONCE IN A WHILE
OH! LOOK AT ME NOW
BOOGIE WOOGIE
ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET
17. CINDERELLA BABY
18. CALYPSO MELODY
19. ACT YOUR AGE
20. AS LONG AS I HAVE YOU
21. HONEYMOON / GIRL OF MY DREAMS
22. DADDY, YOU'VE BEEN A MOTHER TO ME / ONE ROSE
23. STOMPIN' AT THE SAVOY
24. AMOR
25. EAST OF THE SUN (And West of the Moon)
26. SALUTE TO GLENN MILLER - Part One
(I've got a Gal In) KALAMAZOO
MOONLIGHT COCKTAIL
ELMER'S TUNE
MOONLIGHT SERENADE
CHATTANOOGA CHOO-CHOO
27. SALUTE TO GLENN MILLER - Part Two
STRING OF PEARLS
SERENADE IN BLUE
AT LAST
PERFIDIA

This collection features The Modernaires at their very best - in the very best fidelity - with a tremendous variety of tracks. It is fair to say that, The Modernaires - 'So it Goes!' is an absolute first!

Most of these tracks make their debut on this Jasmine CD and with big band numbers like: 'Mood Indigo'; 'Amor'; 'East of the Sun'; 'Goody, Goody'; 'April in Paris'; 'The Dipsy Doodle' and more.

Major hit songs of the 1950s: 'Teach Me Tonight'; 'The Great Pretender'; 'Only You'; 'Go on With the Wedding'; 'Alright, Okay, You Win'; 'At My Front Door'; 'It May Sound Silly'; 'Say You're Mine' and more. Hear the wonderful backup of Les Brown, Tex Beneke, Neal Hefti and their great collaborations with Martha Tilton and Georgie Auld.

The incredible peak of this whole collection is their extended recordings of the salutes to the three greatest bands of all time: Benny Goodman; Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller. (Jasmine notes)

A big thank you goes to the original up-loader Xena Dress @ ACM2 blog.

RiCK SAUNDERS said...

Hi Bob,
Is it possible to get a re-up on The Modernaires, please?

Thanks!
-Rick

boppinbob said...

Hello Rick, here's the new link. I had a slight problem with the track titles on CD2 and had to type them all out. Hope it's OK. Regards, Bob.

RiCK SAUNDERS said...

Thanks Bob...but I don't see the link?

boppinbob said...

Hello Rick, You will see it now! (OOps That's what happens when the concentration goes)
https://krakenfiles.com/view/q1trmLcOHY/file.html

RiCK SAUNDERS said...

Got it. Thanks a million as always, Bob.

-Rick