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 |
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.
Ray Eberle & The Modernaires with Glenn Miller
|
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
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.
Paula Kelly & Hal Dickinson |
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).
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 original members of The Modernaires (Top to bottom)
Chuck Goldstein, Ralph Brewster, Hal Dickinson, & Bill Conway - circa: 1942
|
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
|
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".
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:
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.
Hi Bob,
Is it possible to get a re-up on The Modernaires, please?
Thanks!
-Rick
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.
Thanks Bob...but I don't see the link?
Hello Rick, You will see it now! (OOps That's what happens when the concentration goes)
https://krakenfiles.com/view/q1trmLcOHY/file.html
Got it. Thanks a million as always, Bob.
-Rick
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