The Detergents
Encyclopedia
The Detergents were an American
music group consisting of Ronnie (Ron) Dante
, Danny Jordan, and Tommy Wynn. The group's speciality was parody
song
s, as with their first and best-known hit
record
, "Leader of the Laundromat", written and produced
by Paul Vance
and Lee Pockriss. It was a spoof
of the then current hit song
"Leader of the Pack
."
The lead vocal on "Leader of the Laundromat" was by Danny Jordan who was Paul Vance's nephew. Jordan had had a 1960 single release on Kapp Records
' Leader label: "Just Couldn't Resist Her With Her Pocket Transistor" (writers: Jack Keller
/ Larry Kolber), a disc highly reminiscent of the then recent "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini
" by Leader artist Brian Hyland
and like that #1 hit produced by Vance. Vance also produced a 1962 collaboration between Jordan and Artie Wayne
: "Find a Little Happiness" a Diamond Records release credited to Jordan and Wayne.
By 1964 Dante, Jordan and Wynn were all staff writers and session singers for Don Kirshner
's Aldon Music: that year the three eighteen year olds had collaborated in writing the Ronnie Dante single "Little Lollipop" and as the Cabin Kids the trio were recording surf music
style songs for planned release on the Screen Gems
label when Vance approached them to record "Leader of the Laundromat" as the Detergents.
The success of "Leader of the Laudromat" predicated the abandonment of the Cabin Kids in favor of the Detergents and as such Dante, Jordan and Wynn appeared on several music oriented television
shows of the day, such as Shindig!
and Hullabaloo
also touring with Dick Clark
's Caravan of Stars. The group was active from 1964 until 1966.
The Detergents made a second and final appearance on the Billboard Hot 100
with "Double-O-Seven" a lament by a teenager whose girlfriend is neglecting him to see James Bond movies; the track reached #89 in the spring of 1965.
The Detergents again spoofed the Shangri-Las by recording "I Can Never Eat Home Any More," a parody of the Shangri-las hit "I Can Never Go Home Any More."
After "Leader of the Laundromat" was released, the composers of "Leader of the Pack", Jeff Barry
, Ellie Greenwich
and George "Shadow" Morton
, filed a lawsuit
against the group. The suit was ultimately settled out of court. Coincidentally just three years later, in 1968, Dante began working alongside songwriter
-producer
Jeff Barry as the lead vocalist for the briefly, hugely successful cartoon
group, The Archies
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
music group consisting of Ronnie (Ron) Dante
Ron Dante
Ron Dante is an American singer, songwriter, session vocalist, and record producer...
, Danny Jordan, and Tommy Wynn. The group's speciality was parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
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...
s, as with their first and best-known hit
Hit parade
A hit parade is a ranked list of the most popular recordings at a given point in time, usually determined by sales and/or airplay. The term originated in the 1930s; Billboard magazine published its first music hit parade on January 4, 1936...
record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
, "Leader of the Laundromat", written and produced
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...
by Paul Vance
Paul Vance
Paul Vance is an American songwriter and record producer.With over 300 recorded songs, Vance co-wrote such hits as "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini," recorded in 1960 by Brian Hyland, which rose to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and "Catch a Falling Star," recorded in 1957 by...
and Lee Pockriss. It was a spoof
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of the then current hit 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...
"Leader of the Pack
Leader of the Pack
"Leader of the Pack" is a 1964 pop song recorded by girl group The Shangri-Las. It became number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 28, 1964.-Original Shangri-Las recording:...
."
The lead vocal on "Leader of the Laundromat" was by Danny Jordan who was Paul Vance's nephew. Jordan had had a 1960 single release on Kapp Records
Kapp Records
Kapp Records was an independent record label started in 1954 by David Kapp, brother of Jack Kapp . David Kapp founded his own label after stints with Decca Records and RCA Victor Records. Kapp licensed its records to London Records for release in the UK.In 1967, David Kapp sold his label to MCA Inc...
' Leader label: "Just Couldn't Resist Her With Her Pocket Transistor" (writers: Jack Keller
Jack Keller (songwriter)
Jack Keller A legend in his own right, Jack Keller wrote hit songs in every genre of music over a period of nearly 40 years with success in New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville....
/ Larry Kolber), a disc highly reminiscent of the then recent "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini
Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini
"Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" is a novelty song telling the story of a shy girl wearing a revealing polka dot bikini at the beach, who in the first verse is too afraid to leave the locker where she has changed into her bikini; in the second, she has made it to the beach but sits...
" by Leader artist Brian Hyland
Brian Hyland
Brian Hyland is an American pop recording artist who was particularly successful during the early 1960s. He continued recording into the 1970s...
and like that #1 hit produced by Vance. Vance also produced a 1962 collaboration between Jordan and Artie Wayne
Artie Wayne
Artie Wayne is an American, semi-retired record producer, award winning songwriter, and active blogger.Artie Wayne has pursued an eclectic array of vocations and avocations, including songwriter, singer, producer, publisher, concert promoter, restaurant host, and wearable artist...
: "Find a Little Happiness" a Diamond Records release credited to Jordan and Wayne.
By 1964 Dante, Jordan and Wynn were all staff writers and session singers for Don Kirshner
Don Kirshner
Don Kirshner , known as "The Man With the Golden Ear", was an American song publisher and rock producer who is best known for managing songwriting talent as well as successful pop groups, such as The Monkees, Kansas and The Archies.-Early life:Don Kirshner was born to Gilbert Kirshner, a tailor,...
's Aldon Music: that year the three eighteen year olds had collaborated in writing the Ronnie Dante single "Little Lollipop" and as the Cabin Kids the trio were recording surf music
Surf music
Surf music is a genre of popular music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Orange County and other areas of Southern California. It was particularly popular between 1961 and 1965, has subsequently been revived and was highly influential on subsequent rock music...
style songs for planned release on the Screen Gems
Colgems Records
Colgems Records was a record label which existed from 1966 to 1971. It was a joint venture between Screen Gems, the television division of Columbia Pictures, and RCA Records, to issue records by The Monkees and other artists affiliated with Screen Gems. The label would also issue soundtrack...
label when Vance approached them to record "Leader of the Laundromat" as the Detergents.
The success of "Leader of the Laudromat" predicated the abandonment of the Cabin Kids in favor of the Detergents and as such Dante, Jordan and Wynn appeared on several music oriented television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
shows of the day, such as Shindig!
Shindig!
Shindig! was an American musical variety series which aired on ABC from September 16, 1964 to January 8, 1966. The show was hosted by Jimmy O'Neill, a disc jockey in Los Angeles at the time who also created the show along with his wife Sharon Sheeley and production executive Art Stolnitz....
and Hullabaloo
Hullabaloo (TV series)
Hullabaloo is an American musical variety series that ran on NBC from January 12, 1965 through August 29, 1966. Similar to Shindig! it ran in prime time in contrast to ABC's American Bandstand.-Overview:...
also touring with Dick Clark
Dick Clark (entertainer)
Richard Wagstaff "Dick" Clark is an American businessman; game-show host; and radio and television personality. He served as chairman and chief executive officer of Dick Clark Productions, which he has sold part of in recent years...
's Caravan of Stars. The group was active from 1964 until 1966.
The Detergents made a second and final appearance 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 "Double-O-Seven" a lament by a teenager whose girlfriend is neglecting him to see James Bond movies; the track reached #89 in the spring of 1965.
The Detergents again spoofed the Shangri-Las by recording "I Can Never Eat Home Any More," a parody of the Shangri-las hit "I Can Never Go Home Any More."
After "Leader of the Laundromat" was released, the composers of "Leader of the Pack", Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer.-Early career:...
, Ellie Greenwich
Ellie Greenwich
Eleanor 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...
and George "Shadow" Morton
Shadow Morton
George 'Shadow' Morton is an American record producer and songwriter best known for his influential work in the 1960s and the introduction of girl group The Shangri-Las to the pop music world....
, filed a lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
against the group. The suit was ultimately settled out of court. Coincidentally just three years later, in 1968, Dante began working alongside songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
-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...
Jeff Barry as the lead vocalist for the briefly, hugely successful cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
group, The Archies
The Archies
The Archies are a garage band founded by Archie Andrews, Reggie Mantle, and Jughead Jones, a group of adolescent fictional characters of the Archie universe, in the context of the animated TV series, The Archie Show...
.