Ron Hicklin Singers
Encyclopedia
The Ron Hicklin Singers were a group of Los Angeles studio singers contracted and organized by Ron Hicklin. They are most famously known as the real singers behind the background vocals on The Partridge Family
recordings.
In Los Angeles studio circles in the 1960s through 1980s, they were the vocal equivalent (and often worked with) The Wrecking Crew
, performing backup vocals on literally thousands of songs, TV and movie themes, and as lead -- yet anonymous -- singers on thousands of radio and television commercials.
However, this core group was often augmented with other specialist vocalists and/or composers such as
Often they were not credited, or else were credited under other names, for example, when singing the TV theme of Love, American Style
, they were credited as The Charles Fox
Singers.
In addition, they sang many commercial vocals, including campaigns for
Radio and Television station ID jingle
companies throughout the last four decades of the 20th Century utilized the group in their productions including
(footnote) If you find both the Henry Mancini as well as the Ray Conniff Singers vocal recordings of "Days of Wine and Roses
", you can splice them together and make one song and nobody will ever know the difference.
's
In addition, along with Thurl Ravenscroft
(Tony the Tiger
's voice) singing bass, the group can be heard on the soundtrack of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
,
Member Jackie Ward also had a hit on her own as Robin Ward with the 1963 hit "Wonderful Summer".
John Bahler lives in Branson, MO and conducts the "new" Lawrence Welk
orchestra as well as running Portraits By Bahler http://www.portraitsbybahler.com/index.html.
His wife, Janet Lennon-Bahler of the Lennon Sisters, still tours in casinos and resorts around the country as part of an extensive nostalgia circuit, bringing music of the 40's and 50's to a new audience.
His brother Tom Bahler, a close associate of composer Quincy Jones
as well as being associate producer and arranger of "We Are the World
", lives in California's Santa Ynez Valley
north of Los Angeles and continues to occasionally produce as well as record. He is also a songwriter of renown having penned the Bobby Sherman hit "Julie Do You Love Me" and Michael Jackson's "She's Out of My Life". He is currently traveling the world researching a planned book on Aesop.
And finally, Ron Hicklin himself is still working as a studio singer and music contractor, living in the Los Angeles area.
The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family is an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career. The series originally ran from September 25, 1970 until August 31, 1974, the last new episode airing on March 23, 1974, on the ABC network, as part of a Friday-night lineup...
recordings.
In Los Angeles studio circles in the 1960s through 1980s, they were the vocal equivalent (and often worked with) The Wrecking Crew
The Wrecking Crew (music)
The Wrecking Crew was a nickname coined by the drummer Hal Blaine after the fact for a group of session musicians in Los Angeles, California, who earned wide acclaim in the 1960s. They backed dozens of popular singers, and were one of the most successful "groups" of studio musicians in music history...
, performing backup vocals on literally thousands of songs, TV and movie themes, and as lead -- yet anonymous -- singers on thousands of radio and television commercials.
Cast
The core group usually consisted of- Ron Hicklin, lead tenor
- Tom BahlerTom BahlerThomas Lee Bähler , is an American singer, composer, songwriter, arranger and producer.He is the brother of John Bähler.-Early career:...
, tenor - John BahlerJohn BahlerJohn Bähler is an American vocalist, arranger, conductor, composer and producer.John Bähler is brother of Tom Bähler and husband of Janet Lennon .-Early career:...
, tenor 2 - Jackie Ward, alto
- Sally Stevens, soprano who every child born in the 50's and 60's knows as part of the ensemble cast of numerous Young People's Records and Childrens' Record Guild productions along with
- Gene Morford bass who often filled in for ailing bassos profundo such as Thurl RavenscroftThurl RavenscroftThurl Arthur Ravenscroft was an American voice actor and singer best known as the deep voice behind Tony the Tiger's "They're grrreat!" in Frosted Flakes television commercials for more than five decades. Ravenscroft was also known, however uncredited, as the vocalist for the song "You're a Mean...
.
However, this core group was often augmented with other specialist vocalists and/or composers such as
- Cynthia WeilCynthia WeilCynthia Weil is a prominent American songwriter. She is famous for having written many songs together with her husband Barry Mann....
- Barry MannBarry MannBarry Mann is an American songwriter, and part of a successful songwriting partnership with his wife, Cynthia Weil.-Career:...
- Carole KingCarole KingCarole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
- Ellie GreenwichEllie GreenwichEleanor Louise "Ellie" Greenwich was an American pop music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She wrote or co-wrote "Be My Baby", "Christmas ", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "Leader of the Pack", "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", and "River Deep, Mountain High", among many others...
- Joni MitchellJoni MitchellJoni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
- Andy KimAndy KimAndrew Youakim, performing as Andy Kim, is a Lebanese Canadian pop rock singer and songwriter. He grew up in Montreal, Quebec in Canada. Kim is known for a number of hit singles that he released in the late 1960s and early 1970s such as "Rock Me Gently", which topped the US singles charts. In 1968,...
- Jeff BarryJeff BarryJeff Barry is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer.-Early career:...
and numerous others.
Often they were not credited, or else were credited under other names, for example, when singing the TV theme of Love, American Style
Love, American Style
Love, American Style is an hour-long TV anthology produced by Paramount Television and originally aired between September 1969 and January 1974...
, they were credited as The Charles Fox
Charles Fox (composer)
Charles Ira Fox is an American composer for film and television. His most heard compositions are probably the "love themes" , and the dramatic theme music to ABC's Wide World of Sports and the original Monday Night Football.....
Singers.
TV and Radio Work
The group also sang the themes for major hit TV shows of the period:- BatmanBatman (TV series)Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
, - FlipperFlipper (1964 TV series)Flipper, from Ivan Tors Films in association with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television, is an American television program first broadcast on NBC from September 19, 1964, until April 15, 1967. Flipper, a bottlenose dolphin, is the companion animal of Porter Ricks, Chief Warden at fictional Coral Key Park...
, - That GirlThat GirlThat Girl is an American television situation comedy that ran on ABC from 1966 to 1971. It stars Marlo Thomas as the title character, Ann Marie, an aspiring actress, who had moved from her hometown of Brewster, New York to make it big in New York City...
, - Happy DaysHappy DaysHappy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
for which Hicklin himself sang lead, and - Laverne and Shirley (along with lead vocalist Cyndi GreccoCyndi GreccoCyndi Grecco was an American singer who sang the theme tune to the popular 1970s American television show, Laverne & Shirley. Titled "Making Our Dreams Come True," the song was also put out as a single and charted at #25 on July 25, 1976. The song came out on the small Private Stock label...
).
In addition, they sang many commercial vocals, including campaigns for
- KawasakiKawasaki Heavy Industries Consumer Products and Machinery CompanyKawasaki Heavy Industries Motorcycle & Engine is a division of Kawasaki Heavy Industries that produces motorcycles, ATVs, utility vehicles, jet ski personal watercraft, and general-purpose gasoline engines. Before the 2011 fiscal year it was called Consumer Products & Machinery...
("Kawasaki, let the good times roll"), - DatsunDatsunDatsun was an automobile marque. The name was created in 1931 by the DAT Motorcar Co. for a new car model, spelling it as "Datson" to indicate its smaller size when compared to the existing, larger DAT car. Later, in 1933 after Nissan Motor Co., Ltd...
("Drive a Datsun, then decide") and - McDonald'sMcDonald'sMcDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
("You deserve a break today"), written by Barry ManilowBarry ManilowBarry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
Radio and Television station ID jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
companies throughout the last four decades of the 20th Century utilized the group in their productions including
- The Heller Corporation http://www.reelradio.com/gifts/wmalmachine.html.
- JAM Creative ProductionsJAM Creative ProductionsJAM Creative Productions, Inc., is an American company that produces radio jingles, promo music for television, and commercial jingles for advertisers. It has made more radio jingles than any other jingle company and has become part of American pop culture....
- TM Productions (formerly Century 21 Productions/PAMS Entertainment) on syndicated radio ID jingle packages including
- HOT HITS,
- YOU (The "You" Campaign),
- GOOD FEELINGS as well as dozens of others.
Noteworthy Recording Work
The group also sang on recordings credited to:- Anita KerrAnita KerrAnita Jean Grilli , known profesioanlly as Anita Kerr, is an American singer, arranger, composer, conductor, pianist, and music producer. She recorded and performed successfully with her vocal harmony groups in Nashville, Los Angeles, and Europe.-Nashville:Kerr was born in Memphis, Tennessee...
Singers, - Percy FaithPercy FaithPercy Faith was a Canadian-born American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with creating the "easy listening" or "mood music" format which became staples of American popular music in the 1950s and...
Orchestra and Chorus - Ray Conniff Singers, (footnote)
- Henry ManciniHenry ManciniHenry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995...
Orchestra and Chorus (footnote) - Gary Lewis & the PlayboysGary Lewis & the PlayboysGary Lewis & the Playboys were a 1960s rock group fronted by Gary Lewis, son of comedian Jerry Lewis. They are best known for their 1965 Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "This Diamond Ring."-Original members:* Gary Lewis - Drums and vocals...
' - Gary Puckett & The Union GapGary Puckett & The Union GapGary Puckett & The Union Gap was an American pop rock group operating in the late 1960s...
, - CherCherCher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
, - ClimaxClimax (band)Climax was an American band formed in 1970 in Los Angeles, California, most noted for their 1971-1972 hit song "Precious and Few," which peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and #1 on Cashbox magazine's Top 100 singles chart...
featuring Sonny Geraci, - Paul Revere & the RaidersPaul Revere & the RaidersPaul Revere & the Raiders is an American rock band that saw considerable U.S. mainstream success in the second half of the 1960s and early 1970s with hits such as "Kicks" , "Hungry" , "Him Or Me - What's It Gonna Be?" and the 1971 No...
, - The Brady KidsThe Brady KidsThe Brady Kids was an animated television series, produced by Filmation in association with Paramount Television and seen on ABC from 1972 to 1974...
, and perhaps their most famous outing as - The Partridge FamilyThe Partridge FamilyThe Partridge Family is an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career. The series originally ran from September 25, 1970 until August 31, 1974, the last new episode airing on March 23, 1974, on the ABC network, as part of a Friday-night lineup...
, along with hundreds of other acts.
(footnote) If you find both the Henry Mancini as well as the Ray Conniff Singers vocal recordings of "Days of Wine and Roses
Days of Wine and Roses (song)
"Days of Wine and Roses" is a popular song, from the 1962 movie of the same name.The music was written by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. They received the Academy Award for Best Original Song for their work...
", you can splice them together and make one song and nobody will ever know the difference.
Works of Selected Members
The Bahler Brothers can be heard performing the piercing tenor harmonies on Hugo MontenegroHugo Montenegro
Hugo Montenegro was an American orchestra leader and composer of film soundtracks. His best known work is derived from interpretations of the music from Spaghetti westerns, especially his cover version of the main theme from the 1966 film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly...
's
- The Good, the Bad and the UglyThe Good, the Bad and the UglyThe Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a 1966 Italian epic spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone, starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach in the title roles. The screenplay was written by Age & Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni and Leone, based on a story by Vincenzoni and Leone...
theme as well as - MacArthur ParkMacArthur Park (song)"MacArthur Park" is a song by Jimmy Webb, originally composed as part of an intended cantata. The song was initially rejected by The Association. Richard Harris was the first to record it, in 1968; the song was subsequently covered by numerous artists. Among the best-known covers are Donna Summer's...
, and along with Ian Freebairn-Smith, can be heard on - Suicide Is PainlessSuicide Is Painless"Suicide Is Painless" is a song written by Johnny Mandel and Mike Altman , which is best known for being featured as the theme song for both the movie and TV series M*A*S*H. The actual title is "Song from M*A*S*H" ". Mike Altman is the son of the original film's director, Robert Altman, and was 14...
, Johnny MandelJohnny MandelJohnny Mandel is an American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz. Among the musicians he has worked with are Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Barbra Streisand, and Shirley Horn.-Life:...
's theme to the 1970 film M*A*S*HMASH (film)MASH is a 1970 American satirical dark comedy film directed by Robert Altman and written by Ring Lardner, Jr., based on Richard Hooker's novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. It is the only feature film in the M*A*S*H franchise...
.
In addition, along with Thurl Ravenscroft
Thurl Ravenscroft
Thurl Arthur Ravenscroft was an American voice actor and singer best known as the deep voice behind Tony the Tiger's "They're grrreat!" in Frosted Flakes television commercials for more than five decades. Ravenscroft was also known, however uncredited, as the vocalist for the song "You're a Mean...
(Tony the Tiger
Tony the Tiger
Tony the Tiger is the advertising cartoon mascot for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes breakfast cereal, appearing on its packaging and advertising. More recently, Tony has also become the mascot for Tony's Cinnamon Krunchers and Tiger Power...
's voice) singing bass, the group can be heard on the soundtrack of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a 1969 American Western film directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman...
,
- Burt BacharachBurt BacharachBurt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
"South American Getaway"
Member Jackie Ward also had a hit on her own as Robin Ward with the 1963 hit "Wonderful Summer".
Where Are They Now?
Today, the group is split up and mostly retired, however:John Bahler lives in Branson, MO and conducts the "new" Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982...
orchestra as well as running Portraits By Bahler http://www.portraitsbybahler.com/index.html.
His wife, Janet Lennon-Bahler of the Lennon Sisters, still tours in casinos and resorts around the country as part of an extensive nostalgia circuit, bringing music of the 40's and 50's to a new audience.
His brother Tom Bahler, a close associate of composer Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
as well as being associate producer and arranger of "We Are the World
We Are the World
"We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World...
", lives in California's Santa Ynez Valley
Santa Ynez Valley
The Santa Ynez Valley is located in Santa Barbara County, California, between the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south and the San Rafael Mountains to the north. The Santa Ynez River flows through the valley from east to west. The Santa Ynez Valley is separated from the Los Alamos Valley, to the...
north of Los Angeles and continues to occasionally produce as well as record. He is also a songwriter of renown having penned the Bobby Sherman hit "Julie Do You Love Me" and Michael Jackson's "She's Out of My Life". He is currently traveling the world researching a planned book on Aesop.
And finally, Ron Hicklin himself is still working as a studio singer and music contractor, living in the Los Angeles area.
External links
- http://www.cmongethappy.com/interviews/tb/index.html An interview with Tom Bahler
- http://www.cmongethappy.com/interviews/jw/index.html An interview with Jackie Ward
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk8y4e27FZc 1974 Demonstration Reel