Skip & Flip
Encyclopedia
Skip & Flip was a U.S.
pop
duo
, consisting of Skip Battin
(born Clyde Battin, February 18, 1934, Gallipolis
, Ohio
, U.S. — died July 6, 2003, Salem
, Oregon
, U.S.) and Flip aka Gary S. Paxton
(born Mesa
, Arizona
, U.S.), met while attending the University of Arizona
in the late 1950s.
of Paxton's song
"It Was I" entered the U.S. Top 20
in 1959, peaking at #11, and the follow-up, "Fancy Nancy", charted at #71. Their next release, a revival of Marvin And Johnny's R&B
hit single
, "Cherry Pie," also made #11 but proved to be their last chart
entry together.
Paxton went on to record under several labels and several names, including the Hollywood Argyles, who topped the charts in 1960 with the novelty song
, "Alley-Oop". He also had hits as a producer
and label owner. One of his productions included "Monster Mash
", by Bobby "Boris" Pickett.
Paxton later started the Bakersfield International label in the mid-1960s, attempting to cash in on the Bakersfield sound
, recording out of a converted Flxible Flyer
bus, in which he built a mobile 8-track recording studio
, working with a number of musicians. These including several who later went on to play in The Byrds
and other country rock
acts of the era
, including the Reasons (aka Nashville West, featuring Gene Parsons
), Clarence White
, Gib Gilbeau, and Wayne Moore), the Gosdin Brothers
, and Dennis Payne. Many of these sessions ended up on low-budget releases and exploitative covers
albums, such as Guitar Country by 'Bakersfield's Big Guitars' on Jasico Records, by 'Bakersfield's Big Guitars'. It would appear that Paxton sold these sessions to other labels to finance projects closer to his own heart.
Paxton moved to Nashville
in the early 1970s, recorded several country
albums under his own name, and is now a noted personality in the gospel music
world.
Battin recorded on Indigo Records, May Records, Groove Records
, Audicon Records and Signpost Records. He played in such groups as Evergreen Blueshoes, The Byrds
, New Riders of the Purple Sage
, and the Flying Burrito Brothers, as well as session
work with a wide variety of artists
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
, consisting of Skip Battin
Skip Battin
Clyde "Skip" Battin was an American singer–songwriter, performer and recording artist. He is best remembered as a member of The Byrds, the New Riders of the Purple Sage, and the Flying Burrito Brothers...
(born Clyde Battin, February 18, 1934, Gallipolis
Gallipolis, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,180 people, 1,847 households, and 1,004 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,156.2 people per square mile . There were 2,056 housing units at an average density of 568.7 per square mile...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, U.S. — died July 6, 2003, Salem
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, U.S.) and Flip aka Gary S. Paxton
Gary S. Paxton
Gary S. Paxton, sometimes Pax , is an American record producer, and a Grammy Award and Dove Award winning songwriter and recording artist.-Biography:...
(born Mesa
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, U.S.), met while attending the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
in the late 1950s.
Career
Once known as The Rockabillies, they recorded on Rev Records as The Pledges and then as Gary & Clyde. Time Records picked up their Rev master, "Why Not Confess" / "Johnny Risk", and then moved them to its Brent Records label, under the name Skip And Flip. Their recordingSound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
of Paxton's song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
"It Was I" entered the U.S. Top 20
Top 20
20 #1's Now is a 2007 compilation album by various artists and presented by reggaeton production duo Luny Tunes, released on November 20, 2007, by Machete Music.-Tracklist:# Welcome to My Crib – Randy "Nota Loka"...
in 1959, peaking at #11, and the follow-up, "Fancy Nancy", charted at #71. Their next release, a revival of Marvin And Johnny's R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
hit 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...
, "Cherry Pie," also made #11 but proved to be their last chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
entry together.
Paxton went on to record under several labels and several names, including the Hollywood Argyles, who topped the charts in 1960 with the novelty song
Novelty song
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
, "Alley-Oop". He also had hits as a producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and label owner. One of his productions included "Monster Mash
Monster Mash
"Monster Mash" is a 1962 novelty song and the best-known song by Bobby "Boris" Pickett. The song was released as a single on Gary S. Paxton's Garpax Records label in August 1962 along with a full-length LP called The Original Monster Mash, which contained several other monster-themed tunes...
", by Bobby "Boris" Pickett.
Paxton later started the Bakersfield International label in the mid-1960s, attempting to cash in on the Bakersfield sound
Bakersfield sound
The Bakersfield sound was a genre of country music developed in the mid- to late 1950s in and around Bakersfield, California. The many hit singles were largely produced by Capitol Records country music head, Ken Nelson. Bakersfield country was a reaction against the slickly produced, string...
, recording out of a converted Flxible Flyer
Flxible
The Flxible Co. was a motorcycle sidecar, funeral car, ambulance, intercity coach and transit bus manufacturing company based in the United States that was founded in 1913, and which closed in 1996.-History:In 1913, Hugo H. Young and Carl F...
bus, in which he built a mobile 8-track recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
, working with a number of musicians. These including several who later went on to play in The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
and other country rock
Country rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
acts of the era
Era
An era is a commonly used word for long period of time. When used in science, for example geology, eras denote clearly defined periods of time of arbitrary but well defined length, such as for example the Mesozoic era from 252 Ma–66 Ma, delimited by a start event and an end event. When used in...
, including the Reasons (aka Nashville West, featuring Gene Parsons
Gene Parsons
Gene Victor Parsons is an American drummer, banjo player, guitarist, singer-songwriter, and innovative engineer, best known for his work with The Byrds from 1968 to 1972. Parsons has also released solo albums and played in bands including Nashville West, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Parsons Green...
), Clarence White
Clarence White
Clarence White was a guitar player for Nashville West, The Byrds, Muleskinner, and the Kentucky Colonels. His parents were Acadians from New Brunswick, Canada...
, Gib Gilbeau, and Wayne Moore), the Gosdin Brothers
Vern Gosdin
Vern Gosdin was an American country music singer. He idolized The Louvin Brothers and The Blue Sky Boys as a young man and sang in a gospel quartet called The Gosdin Brothers. An inheritor of the soulful honky tonk style of Lefty Frizzell and Merle Haggard, Gosdin was nicknamed "The Voice" by his...
, and Dennis Payne. Many of these sessions ended up on low-budget releases and exploitative covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
albums, such as Guitar Country by 'Bakersfield's Big Guitars' on Jasico Records, by 'Bakersfield's Big Guitars'. It would appear that Paxton sold these sessions to other labels to finance projects closer to his own heart.
Paxton moved to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
in the early 1970s, recorded several country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
albums under his own name, and is now a noted personality in the gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
world.
Battin recorded on Indigo Records, May Records, Groove Records
Groove Records
Groove Records was founded by Billboard reporter Bob Rolontz in 1953 as a rhythm and blues label. The label tried hard to break into the R&B market. Piano Red was its first hit but Mickey and Sylvia was its first big seller. The label also recorded King Curtis, Arthur Crudup, Brook Benton and...
, Audicon Records and Signpost Records. He played in such groups as Evergreen Blueshoes, The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
, New Riders of the Purple Sage
New Riders of the Purple Sage
New Riders of the Purple Sage is an American country rock band. The group emerged from the psychedelic rock scene in San Francisco, California in 1969, and its original lineup included several members of the Grateful Dead. Their best known song is "Panama Red"...
, and the Flying Burrito Brothers, as well as session
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
work with a wide variety of artists
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.