The Sparkletones
Encyclopedia
The Sparkletones were an American
rock and roll
/rockabilly
group from Spartanburg
, South Carolina
.
, held auditions at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium; The Sparkletones took first prize at the event. Convinced they would be a success, Cox quit CBS to manage the group and flew them out to New York City
to sign with ABC-Paramount
.
At their first recording session they recorded the tune "Black Slacks", with Paul Anka
(who had been recording in the studio earlier that day) as an uncredited background singer
. Bandmembers Joe Bennett and Jimmy Denton co-wrote "Black Slacks". Released as a single soon after, "Black Slacks" became a local hit and slowly built up national recognition as the group set out on a tour that criscrossed the U.S. several times over, also performing on The Nat King Cole Show, American Bandstand
, and The Ed Sullivan Show
. "Black Slacks" remained on the U.S. charts for over four months (a rarity at that time), peaking at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100
late in 1957.
The Sparkletones' next single - "Penny Loafers and Bobby Sox" - reached #42 on the Billboard charts early in 1958 (staying on the charts for 8 weeks), while "Cotton Pickin' Rocker", "We've Had It", "Late Again", "Run Rabbit Run" - all failed to chart over the course of the next three years. In 1959, their contract with ABC-Paramount expired, and they released four singles on Paris Records, and only the single "Boys Do Cry" reached the charts, peaking at #105 in 1959. Around this time original guitarist Sparky Childress and drummer Jimmy Denton left, and were replaced by Gene Brown and Donnie Seay respectively. The group broke up about 1961; Joe Bennett continued in music as a publisher and teacher, and Childress played country
in the 1960s.
The bandmembers did occasional reunions in South Carolina into the 2000s. An compilation LP was released by MCA Records
in 1980, and European bootleg CD reissues were put out in the 1990s.
. When Bernard and Miss Bianca enter Albatross Airlines, the character 'Wilbur' is dancing and singing to the tune on the stereo.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
/rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
group from Spartanburg
Spartanburg, South Carolina
thgSpartanburg is the largest city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest city of the three primary cities in the Upstate region of South Carolina, and is located northwest of Columbia, west of Charlotte, and about northeast of...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
.
History
The Sparkletones formed in 1956 at Cowpens High School in Spartanburg when the group's members were between the ages of 13 and 16. In January 1957, Bob Cox, a talent scout for CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, held auditions at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium; The Sparkletones took first prize at the event. Convinced they would be a success, Cox quit CBS to manage the group and flew them out to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to sign with ABC-Paramount
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
.
At their first recording session they recorded the tune "Black Slacks", with Paul Anka
Paul Anka
Paul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
(who had been recording in the studio earlier that day) as an uncredited background singer
Uncredited background singer
Uncredited background vocals are common in popular music, even when the unnamed performer adds significantly to the performance. It is uncommon for background singers to be credited. Usually credit is withheld so as to highlight the performance of the lead artist and sometimes the extra singer...
. Bandmembers Joe Bennett and Jimmy Denton co-wrote "Black Slacks". Released as a single soon after, "Black Slacks" became a local hit and slowly built up national recognition as the group set out on a tour that criscrossed the U.S. several times over, also performing on The Nat King Cole Show, American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
, and The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
. "Black Slacks" remained on the U.S. charts for over four months (a rarity at that time), peaking at #17 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...
late in 1957.
The Sparkletones' next single - "Penny Loafers and Bobby Sox" - reached #42 on the Billboard charts early in 1958 (staying on the charts for 8 weeks), while "Cotton Pickin' Rocker", "We've Had It", "Late Again", "Run Rabbit Run" - all failed to chart over the course of the next three years. In 1959, their contract with ABC-Paramount expired, and they released four singles on Paris Records, and only the single "Boys Do Cry" reached the charts, peaking at #105 in 1959. Around this time original guitarist Sparky Childress and drummer Jimmy Denton left, and were replaced by Gene Brown and Donnie Seay respectively. The group broke up about 1961; Joe Bennett continued in music as a publisher and teacher, and Childress played 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...
in the 1960s.
The bandmembers did occasional reunions in South Carolina into the 2000s. An compilation LP was released by MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
in 1980, and European bootleg CD reissues were put out in the 1990s.
Members
- Joe Bennett - vocals, guitar
- Wayne Arthur - double bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
- Howard "Sparky" Childress - guitar
- Jimmy "Sticks" Denton - drums
Cultural references
Their biggest hit "Black Slacks" can be heard in the Walt Disney cartoon The Rescuers Down UnderThe Rescuers Down Under
The Rescuers Down Under is a 1990 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution on November 16, 1990...
. When Bernard and Miss Bianca enter Albatross Airlines, the character 'Wilbur' is dancing and singing to the tune on the stereo.
External links
- [ The Sparkletones] at Allmusic
- IMDb.com