Joanie Sommers
Encyclopedia
Joanie Sommers is an American
singer and actress with a long career of jazz, standards and popular material and extensive show-business credits. Once billed as "The Voice of the Sixties", and associated with top-notch arrangers, song-writers and producers, Sommers' popular conception nevertheless became inexorably tied to her biggest, yet most uncharacteristic, hit song "Johnny Get Angry."
, California
. Sommers went on to win honors to become vocalist with her high school band at Venice High, and repeated the feat at Santa Monica City College. Her break came after a friend took her to the Deauville Country Club where she sang a few tunes with, and impressed, arranger-composer Tommy Oliver
whose band was resident at the time. Oliver arranged for a demo record to be cut and presented to Warner Brothers, whereupon Sommers was signed to the label.
Warner initially enlisted her vocal talents singing Am I Blue on a 1959 Warner specialty record Behind Closed Doors at a Recording Session and on one side of an interesting spoken-word single Kookie's Love Song with Edd Kookie Byrnes. The pairing with Byrnes also put her into a small role in 77 Sunset Strip
, the television series that featured Byrnes in the role of Kookie. In addition, she sang on Byrnes' I Don't Dig You and Hot Rock which appeared on one of his albums.
Concurrently, Tommy Oliver supported Sommers by starring her in his orchestra engagements at California venues Hollywood Palladium
and The Chalet at Lake Arrowhead.
Her 1960 debut single One Boy (from the musical Bye, Bye Birdie) stayed on the charts for 3 months peaking at #54 on the Billboard Top 100. This and the flip side I'll Never Be Free were both Billboard Spotlight Winners. The release catapulted her into an extensive touring schedule at venues including New York's Left Bank Club, Hollywood's Crescendo, Freddie's in Minneapolis, and The Cloister in Chicago and appearances on the Jack Paar
Show and Bobby Darin
Special.
In early 1960, Warner released Sommers' first LP, Positively the Most which, curiously, did not include the One Boy hit single. Late 1960 also saw Warner release another single Ruby-Duby-Du featuring a vocal version of the Tobin Mathews & Co. instrumental from the movie Key Witness; The record did not chart.
In 1962, she reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100
with the single
Johnny Get Angry, released on Warner Bros. Records
. (In 2004 the Japan-only release "Johnny Got Angry" consisted of all original tunes written by Joanie's friend and fellow cartoon voicer, Will Ryan
). She also charted with When the Boys Get Together, a #94 single in 1962. She appeared on numerous television
shows as a singer and as an actress, and in films such as Everything's Ducky
(1961) and in Jack Arnold's The Lively Set
(1964), where she sang "If You Love Him".
Sommers was a game show contestant during the 1960s on such shows as Everybody's Talking
, Hollywood Squares
, You Don't Say, and The Match Game, as well as a performer on Dick Clark's Where the Action Is
, Hullabaloo
, and other variety shows of the period.22 January, 1963 sang "I'll Never Stop Loving You" on The Jack Benny Show
. Another guest was actor Peter Lorre
.
In the early 1960s, she sang It's Pepsi
, For Those Who Think Young (to the tune of "Makin' Whoopee") and, later, Come Alive! You're in the Pepsi Generation in commercial
s, and she came to be referred to as "The Pepsi Girl". Years later, uncredited, she sang Now You See It, Now You Don't, Oh, Diet Pepsi
for the sugar-free companion product.
Her 1965 track, Don't Pity Me (Warner Bros. 5629 - Don't Pity Me / My Block), was a Northern Soul
hit in the UK
and often makes it to Northern Soul top lists. The 45RPM record routinely changes hands among collectors at over $500.00 a copy. The latter song "My Block" was written by Jimmy Radcliffe
, Bert Berns
and Carl Spencer and had previously been recorded by Clyde McPhatter
on his "Songs Of The Big City" Album and by The Chiffons
, Recording as The Four Pennies
On Rust Records.
In the early 1970s, she withdrew from the music scene in favor of family life. She began making public appearances again during the 1980s
, including two appearances on KCRW
's satirical radio program, The Cool & the Crazy, hosted by Art Fraud (Ronn Spencer) and Vic Tripp (Gene Sculatti).
A relatively unknown aspect of Sommers' career is her commercial and animated film voice work through into the 1970s. Her credits include The Peppermint Choo Choo, which was scrubbed, although the music was released; Rankin/Bass
' The Mouse on the Mayflower
as Priscilla Mullins (1968); B.C.: The First Thanksgiving (1973) in dual roles as the Fat Broad and the Cute Chick.
Joanie Sommers
Joanie Sommers With Don Ralke And His Orchestra / Joanie Sommers With Neal Hefti And His Orchestra
Joanie Sommers
Joanie Sommers With The Orchestras Of Neal Hefti & Don Ralke
Joanie Sommers
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer and actress with a long career of jazz, standards and popular material and extensive show-business credits. Once billed as "The Voice of the Sixties", and associated with top-notch arrangers, song-writers and producers, Sommers' popular conception nevertheless became inexorably tied to her biggest, yet most uncharacteristic, hit song "Johnny Get Angry."
Career
Sommers began singing in church choirs as a way to deal with "a difficult childhood", and in 1951 at age 10, appeared on a Buffalo television program singing Hank Williams' Your Cheating Heart, winning the amateur talent contest. In 1955 the family relocated to VeniceVenice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Sommers went on to win honors to become vocalist with her high school band at Venice High, and repeated the feat at Santa Monica City College. Her break came after a friend took her to the Deauville Country Club where she sang a few tunes with, and impressed, arranger-composer Tommy Oliver
Tommy Oliver
Dr. Thomas "Tommy" Oliver is a fictional character from the universe of the American children's television franchise Power Rangers. He is a main character in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV series, as well as four of its successive incarnations Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo,...
whose band was resident at the time. Oliver arranged for a demo record to be cut and presented to Warner Brothers, whereupon Sommers was signed to the label.
Warner initially enlisted her vocal talents singing Am I Blue on a 1959 Warner specialty record Behind Closed Doors at a Recording Session and on one side of an interesting spoken-word single Kookie's Love Song with Edd Kookie Byrnes. The pairing with Byrnes also put her into a small role in 77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip is an hour-length American television private detective series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roger Smith, and Edd Byrnes....
, the television series that featured Byrnes in the role of Kookie. In addition, she sang on Byrnes' I Don't Dig You and Hot Rock which appeared on one of his albums.
Concurrently, Tommy Oliver supported Sommers by starring her in his orchestra engagements at California venues Hollywood Palladium
Hollywood Palladium
The Hollywood Palladium is a theater located at 6215 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It was built in a Streamline Moderne, Art Deco style and includes an 11,200 square foot dance floor with room for up to 4,000 people.-History:...
and The Chalet at Lake Arrowhead.
Her 1960 debut single One Boy (from the musical Bye, Bye Birdie) stayed on the charts for 3 months peaking at #54 on the Billboard Top 100. This and the flip side I'll Never Be Free were both Billboard Spotlight Winners. The release catapulted her into an extensive touring schedule at venues including New York's Left Bank Club, Hollywood's Crescendo, Freddie's in Minneapolis, and The Cloister in Chicago and appearances on the Jack Paar
Jack Paar
Jack Harold Paar was an author, American radio and television comedian and talk show host, best known for his stint as host of The Tonight Show from 1957 to 1962...
Show and Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
Special.
In early 1960, Warner released Sommers' first LP, Positively the Most which, curiously, did not include the One Boy hit single. Late 1960 also saw Warner release another single Ruby-Duby-Du featuring a vocal version of the Tobin Mathews & Co. instrumental from the movie Key Witness; The record did not chart.
In 1962, she reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
with the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
Johnny Get Angry, released on Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
. (In 2004 the Japan-only release "Johnny Got Angry" consisted of all original tunes written by Joanie's friend and fellow cartoon voicer, Will Ryan
Will Ryan
Will Ryan is an American voice actor and producer–writer–composer, well-known for singing about the American West. In the late seventies he teamed up with Phil Baron as Willio and Phillio. They had regular gigs on television, radio and comedy clubs and universities throughout the US...
). She also charted with When the Boys Get Together, a #94 single in 1962. She appeared on numerous television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
shows as a singer and as an actress, and in films such as Everything's Ducky
Everything's Ducky
Everything's Ducky is a 1961 film directed by Don Taylor and starring Buddy Hackett, Mickey Rooney, and Jackie Cooper.-Plot:Two sailors sneak a talking duck aboard their ship. Complications ensue. The duck waddles all over the ship until he escapes....
(1961) and in Jack Arnold's The Lively Set
The Lively Set
The Lively Set is a 1964 film directed by Jack Arnold. It stars James Darren, Pamela Tiffin and Doug McClure.-Plot:Young mechanic Casey Owens designs a turbine engine that could lead to an automotive land-speed record...
(1964), where she sang "If You Love Him".
Sommers was a game show contestant during the 1960s on such shows as Everybody's Talking
Everybody's Talking
Everybody's Talking was a game show which aired on ABC from February 6 to December 29, 1967. Former dance-party host Lloyd Thaxton was the host; Wink Martindale and Charlie O'Donnell were the announcers...
, Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares is an American panel game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The "board" for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants...
, You Don't Say, and The Match Game, as well as a performer on Dick Clark's Where the Action Is
Where the Action Is
Where the Action Is or ' was a music-based television variety show in the United States from 1965–67. It was carried by the ABC network and aired each weekday afternoon...
, Hullabaloo
Hullabaloo
Hullabaloo may refer to:*Hullabaloo, Caneck! Caneck!, the beginning phrase of the Aggie War Hymn*Hullabaloo , a 1940 film*Hullabaloo , a 1960s NBC musical variety series...
, and other variety shows of the period.22 January, 1963 sang "I'll Never Stop Loving You" on The Jack Benny Show
The Jack Benny Program
The Jack Benny Program, starring Jack Benny, is a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th-century American comedy.-Cast:*Jack Benny - Himself...
. Another guest was actor Peter Lorre
Peter Lorre
Peter Lorre was an Austrian-American actor frequently typecast as a sinister foreigner.He caused an international sensation in 1931 with his portrayal of a serial killer who preys on little girls in the German film M...
.
In the early 1960s, she sang It's Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
, For Those Who Think Young (to the tune of "Makin' Whoopee") and, later, Come Alive! You're in the Pepsi Generation in commercial
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
s, and she came to be referred to as "The Pepsi Girl". Years later, uncredited, she sang Now You See It, Now You Don't, Oh, Diet Pepsi
Diet Pepsi
Diet Pepsi is a no-calorie carbonated cola soft drink produced by PepsiCo, introduced in 1964 as a variant of Pepsi-Cola with no sugar. First test marketed in 1963 under the name Patio Diet Cola, it was re-branded as Diet Pepsi the following year, becoming the first diet cola to be distributed on a...
for the sugar-free companion product.
Her 1965 track, Don't Pity Me (Warner Bros. 5629 - Don't Pity Me / My Block), was a Northern Soul
Northern soul
Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged from the British mod scene, initially in northern England in the late 1960s. Northern soul mainly consists of a particular style of black American soul music based on the heavy beat and fast tempo of the mid-1960s Tamla Motown sound...
hit in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and often makes it to Northern Soul top lists. The 45RPM record routinely changes hands among collectors at over $500.00 a copy. The latter song "My Block" was written by Jimmy Radcliffe
Jimmy Radcliffe
James "Jimmy" Radcliffe was an American soul singer, composer, arranger, conductor and record producer.-Biography:James Radcliffe was born in New York City...
, Bert Berns
Bert Berns
Bertrand Russell Berns , most commonly known as Bert Berns as well as Bert Russell and Russell Byrd, was an American songwriter and record producer of the 1960s...
and Carl Spencer and had previously been recorded by Clyde McPhatter
Clyde McPhatter
Clyde McPhatter was an American R&B singer, perhaps the most widely imitated R&B singer of the 1950s and 1960s, making him a key figure in the shaping of doo-wop and R&B. He is best known for his solo hit "A Lover's Question"...
on his "Songs Of The Big City" Album and by The Chiffons
The Chiffons
The Chiffons was an all girl group originating from the Bronx area of New York in 1960.-Biography:The Chiffons were one of the top girl groups of the early 1960s...
, Recording as The Four Pennies
The Four Pennies
The Four Pennies were an English, 1960s pop group, most notable for their 1964 UK chart topping song, "Juliet". The group's name came after a meeting above the Blackburn music shop owned by Mary Reidy, the shop being situated on 'Penny Street' where it is still located today as "Reidy's Home of...
On Rust Records.
In the early 1970s, she withdrew from the music scene in favor of family life. She began making public appearances again during the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, including two appearances on KCRW
KCRW
KCRW is a public radio station broadcasting from the campus of Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California, carrying a mix of National Public Radio news, talk radio and freeform music format. The general manager of KCRW is Jennifer Ferro...
's satirical radio program, The Cool & the Crazy, hosted by Art Fraud (Ronn Spencer) and Vic Tripp (Gene Sculatti).
A relatively unknown aspect of Sommers' career is her commercial and animated film voice work through into the 1970s. Her credits include The Peppermint Choo Choo, which was scrubbed, although the music was released; Rankin/Bass
Rankin/Bass
Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. , also known as Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment, was an American production company, known for its seasonal television specials, particularly its work in stop-motion animation. The pre-1974 library is currently owned by Classic Media,while the post-1974 library is...
' The Mouse on the Mayflower
The Mouse on the Mayflower
The Mouse on the Mayflower is a 1968 animated Thanksgiving television special created by Rankin/Bass. It debuted on NBC on November 23, 1968. The special is about a mouse named Willum, who is discovered on the Mayflower. Tennessee Ernie Ford voices Willum and narrates.-External links:* at IMDb...
as Priscilla Mullins (1968); B.C.: The First Thanksgiving (1973) in dual roles as the Fat Broad and the Cute Chick.
Personal life
Sommers was married to theatrical agent Jerry Steiner up until his death in 1972. Their two children are Carolyn and Nancy.Singles Discography
Edd "Kookie" Byrnes With Joanie Sommers & The Mary Kaye Trio / Edd Byrnes- 1959: Warner Bros. 5114 - Kookie's Love Song (While Dancing) / Do It Yourself Sing With Kookie - Flip By Edd Byrnes only.
Joanie Sommers
- 1960 Warner Bros. Pro 107 - Sommer's Hot, Sommer's Here (4 track EP)
- 1960 Warner Bros. 5157 - One Boy / I'll Never Be Free
- 1960 Warner Bros. 5177 - Be My Love / Why Don't You Do Right
- 1960 Warner Bros. 5183 - Ruby-Duby-Du / Bob White
Joanie Sommers With Don Ralke And His Orchestra / Joanie Sommers With Neal Hefti And His Orchestra
- 1961 Warner Bros. 5201 - I Don't Want To Walk Without You / Seems Like Long, Long Ago
Joanie Sommers
- 1961 Warner Bros. 5226 - Piano Boy / Serenade of the BellsSerenade of the Bells"Serenade of the Bells" is a popular song written by Kay Twomey, Al Goodhart, and Al Urbano and published in 1947.The recording by the Sammy Kaye Orchestra was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-2372...
- 1961 Warner Bros. 5241 - Makin' Whoopee! / What's Wrong With Me
Joanie Sommers With The Orchestras Of Neal Hefti & Don Ralke
- 1961 Warner Bros. 5507 - Makin' Whoopee! / Seems Like Long, Long Ago /// What's Wrong With Me? / One Boy
Joanie Sommers
- 1962 Warner Bros. 5275 - Johnny Get Angry / (Theme From) A Summer Place
- 1962 Warner Bros. 5308 - When The Boys Get Together / Passing Strangers
- 1962 Warner Bros. 5324 - Good-Bye Joey / Bobby's Hobbies
- 1963 Warner Bros. 5339 - Memories, Memories / Since Randy Moved Away
- 1963 Warner Bros. 5350 - Little Bit Of Everything / Henny Penny
- 1963 Warner Bros. 5361 - One Boy / June Is Bustin' Out All Over
- 1963 Warner Bros. 5374 - Little Girl Bad / Wishing Well
- 1963 Warner Bros. 5390 - Goodbye Summer / Big Man
- 1964 Warner Bros. 5437 - I'd Be So Good For You / I'm Gonna Know He's Mine
- 1964 Warner Bros. 5454 - If You Love Him* / I Think I'm Gonna Cry Now
- 1965 Warner Bros. 5629 - Don't Pity Me / My Block
- 1966 Columbia 43567 - You've Got Possibilities / Never Throw Your Dreams Away
- 1966 Columbia 43731 - Alfie / You Take What Comes Along
- 1966 Columbia 43950 - It Doesn't Matter Anymore / Take A Broken Heart
- 1967 Capitol 5936 - Trains And Boats And Planes* / Yesterday's Morning
- 1968 Warner Bros. 7129 - Johnny Get Angry / One Boy ("Back To Back Hits" Series)
- 1968 Warner Bros. 7251 - Great Divide / Talk Until Midnight
- 1970 Happy Tiger 522 - Step Inside Love / Little Girl From Greenwood, G. A.
- 1970 Happy Tiger 537 - Sunshine After The Rain / Tell Him
- 1978 ABC 12323 - The Peppermint Choo-Choo / The Peppermint Engineer
Album Discography
- 1960: Positively the Most! Warner Bros. W1346
- 1961: The "Voice" of the 60's Warner Bros. W1412
- 1962: Look Out! It's Joanie Sommers (with Bobby Troup and Shelly Manne)
- 1962: For Those Who Think Young Warner Bros. W1436
- 1962: Johnny Get Angry Warner Bros. W1470
- 1962: Let's Talk About Love Warner Bros W1474
- 1963: Sommers' Seasons Warner Bros. WS1504
- 1964: Softly, the Brazilian Sound Warner Bros. WS1575
- 1965: Come Alive! Columbia CS 9295
- 1966: On the Flip Side - Original Cast Album (w/Rick Nelson, cuts 2, 4 and 8) Decca 4824
- 1982: Dream Discovery Records DS-887
- 1988: Tangerine HiBrite PCB-203
- 1992: A Fine Romance HiBrite HTCP-10
- 1995: Hits and Rareties Marginal MAR-001
- 2000: Here, There and Everywhere! Absord ABCJ 313
- 2000: Johnny Got Angry Absord ABCJ 314
- 2005: Sings Bossa Nova Absord ABCJ 339
- 2011: Complete Warner Bros. Singles scheduled for release March 22, 2011