Tommy Hunt
Encyclopedia
Tommy Hunt is an American
soul
/northern soul
singer, and a member of The Flamingos
.
d him Tommy and it has stayed with him throughout his entire life. Music dominated his life and he was sent to reform school
after spending his learning hours practicing for and entering talent show
s. He was released from reform school when he was 10, and he and his mother moved to Chicago
.
, Hunt went AWOL. He served time in prison for deserting, and after his release, returned to Chicago and formed a group called The Five Echoes. While performing in a club
, he was approached by Zeke Carey of The Flamingos, and asked to take Carey's place, as he had recently been drafted. Hunt was kept on after Carey returned.
In 1959 their biggest hit
was "I Only Have Eyes For You
" which remains their most popular song
, being used in film
soundtrack
s and on compilation album
s to this date.
and released "Parade Of Broken Hearts" which was slow to be picked up by the radio station
s. In New York a disc jockey
called Jocko introduced the song but played the B-side
by mistake. The track aired was "Human", Hunt's biggest hit
in the U.S.
His 1962 B-side
, "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself
", written by Bacharach
and David
and produced by Leiber and Stoller, was the first recording of the song which later became a major hit for Dusty Springfield
, Dionne Warwick
and others.
Hunt became a regular performing at The Apollo in New York alongside such artists
as Jackie Wilson
, Marvin Gaye
, Ray Charles
, Diana Ross
and The Supremes
, The Shirelles
, Dionne Warwick
, Chuck Berry
, Bo Diddley
and Sam and Dave. To the best of his knowledge, Hunt remains the only person to have his photograph
framed twice in the Apollo foyer, both with the Flamingos and as a solo artist. Several years and a couple of minor hits later, Hunt sang for the U.S. Army in Germany
. By 1969 he left his homeland, traveled back to Germany, through Belgium
and across the English Channel
to the United Kingdom
.
, and there followed success on the Northern soul
scene. Hunt was approached by Russ Winstanly and Mike Walker of the Casino and released several hits on Spark Records
. The first was a cover version
of a song
formerly sung by Roy Hamilton
, entitled "Crackin' Up". It peaked at #39 in the UK Singles Chart
in October 1975. This was followed by another chart
success "Loving On The Losing Side" (UK #28, 1976). 1982/83 saw Hunt win the Male Vocalist of the Year, presented by Club Mirror. His track, "One Fine Morning", reached #44 in the UK chart in December 1976.
in 1986, and traveling the world. In 1996, the first of his recognitions came in the form of The Rhythm and Blues Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award for the Flamingos contribution to music. In 1997, Hunt reloacted to the UK
and embarked on a revived Northern soul scene.
In later years, having turned his hand to songwriting
, Hunt penned his autobiography
, Only Human, My Soulful Life, with Jan Warburton, which was released in December 2008.
At this moment, Hunt is starting a new live show as Tommy Hunt & The New Flamingos, with members of the Spanish vocal group Velvet Candles. This show was presented on June 3, 2011 during the Screamin' Summer Festival (Barcelona
, Spain
).
came in 2000, followed by the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame in 2001. The Flamingos were inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
for their thirty year contribution to music.
The Five Echoes
The Flamingos
Tommy Hunt - U.S. singles
Tommy Hunt - UK singles
Albums
I only Have Eyes For You - The Flamingos, 1959
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
/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...
singer, and a member of The Flamingos
The Flamingos
The Flamingos were a doo wop group from the United States, most popular in the mid to late 1950s and best known for their 1959 cover version of "I Only Have Eyes for You".-Early quintet:...
.
Early life
Born to Georgianna Derico, Hunt started his life in Pittsburgh, where his school friends, nicknameNickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d him Tommy and it has stayed with him throughout his entire life. Music dominated his life and he was sent to reform school
Reform school
A reform school in the United States was a term used to define, often somewhat euphemistically, what was often essentially a penal institution for boys, generally teenagers.-History:...
after spending his learning hours practicing for and entering talent show
Talent show
A talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...
s. He was released from reform school when he was 10, and he and his mother moved to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
The Flamingos
After a stint in the United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, Hunt went AWOL. He served time in prison for deserting, and after his release, returned to Chicago and formed a group called The Five Echoes. While performing in a club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
, he was approached by Zeke Carey of The Flamingos, and asked to take Carey's place, as he had recently been drafted. Hunt was kept on after Carey returned.
In 1959 their biggest hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
was "I Only Have Eyes For You
I Only Have Eyes for You
"I Only Have Eyes for You" is a popular song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin, written in 1934 for the film Dames where it was introduced by Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler....
" which remains their most popular 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...
, being used in film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s and on compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s to this date.
Solo career
Hunt left the group in 1960 due to musical differences, but within three days he was approached by Luther DixonLuther Dixon
Luther Dixon was an American songwriter, record producer, and singer. Dixon's songs achieved their greatest success in the 1950s and 60s, and were recorded by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Jackson 5, B.B. King, Dusty Springfield, and others...
and released "Parade Of Broken Hearts" which was slow to be picked up by the radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s. In New York a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
called Jocko introduced the song but played the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
by mistake. The track aired was "Human", Hunt's biggest hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
His 1962 B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
, "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself
I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself
"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.-Original version:"I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" was first recorded by Tommy Hunt in a session produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, with Burt Bacharach arranging and conducting...
", written by Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt 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...
and David
Hal David
Harold Lane "Hal" David is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.-Career:...
and produced by Leiber and Stoller, was the first recording of the song which later became a major hit for Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
, Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
and others.
Hunt became a regular performing at The Apollo in New York alongside such 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....
as Jackie Wilson
Jackie Wilson
Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history...
, Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
, Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
, Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
and The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, The Shirelles
The Shirelles
The Shirelles were an African-American girl group that achieved popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens , Doris Coley , Addie "Micki" Harris , and Beverly Lee...
, Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
, Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
, Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
and Sam and Dave. To the best of his knowledge, Hunt remains the only person to have his photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
framed twice in the Apollo foyer, both with the Flamingos and as a solo artist. Several years and a couple of minor hits later, Hunt sang for the U.S. Army in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. By 1969 he left his homeland, traveled back to Germany, through Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and across the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
to the United Kingdom
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...
.
Northern soul
After several performances in the theater clubs throughout the UK, Hunt sang at the second anniversary of the Wigan CasinoWigan Casino
The Wigan Casino was a nightclub in Wigan, Lancashire, England. Operating between 1973 and 1981, it was known as a primary venue for northern soul music. It carried forward the legacy created by clubs such as the Twisted Wheel in Manchester and the Golden Torch in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent...
, and there followed success on the 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...
scene. Hunt was approached by Russ Winstanly and Mike Walker of the Casino and released several hits on Spark Records
Spark Records
Spark Records was a record label started by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller c. 1954. Artists released on Spark Records included Willy & Ruth, The Sly Fox and The Robins....
. The first was a cover version
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...
of a 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...
formerly sung by Roy Hamilton
Roy Hamilton
Roy Hamilton was an American singer, who achieved major success in the US R&B and pop charts in the 1950s...
, entitled "Crackin' Up". It peaked at #39 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in October 1975. This was followed by another 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....
success "Loving On The Losing Side" (UK #28, 1976). 1982/83 saw Hunt win the Male Vocalist of the Year, presented by Club Mirror. His track, "One Fine Morning", reached #44 in the UK chart in December 1976.
Later years
With the decline of the Northern soul, Hunt's shows dwindled and he hit the cabaret circuit further afield, moving to AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
in 1986, and traveling the world. In 1996, the first of his recognitions came in the form of The Rhythm and Blues Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award for the Flamingos contribution to music. In 1997, Hunt reloacted to 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 embarked on a revived Northern soul scene.
In later years, having turned his hand to songwriting
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...
, Hunt penned his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, Only Human, My Soulful Life, with Jan Warburton, which was released in December 2008.
At this moment, Hunt is starting a new live show as Tommy Hunt & The New Flamingos, with members of the Spanish vocal group Velvet Candles. This show was presented on June 3, 2011 during the Screamin' Summer Festival (Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
).
Awards
The award for the Flamingos from the Vocal Group Hall of FameVocal Group Hall of Fame
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor outstanding vocal groups throughout the world. It is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States. It includes a theater and a museum....
came in 2000, followed by the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame in 2001. The Flamingos were inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
for their thirty year contribution to music.
Discography
The Five Echoes with the Fats Coles Band
Sabre 102 – "Lonely Mood" / "Baby Come Back To Me" – 1953 (Black Vinyl)
Sabre 102 – "Lonely Mood" / "Baby Come Back To Me" – 1953 (Red Vinyl)
The Five Echoes
Sabre 107? - "Why Oh Why" / "That's My Baby" - 1954
The Flamingos
Decca 30335 - "The Ladder Of Love" / "Let's Make Up" - 1957
Decca 30454 - "Helpless" / "My Faith In You" - 1957
Decca 30687 - "Where Mary Go" / "The Rock And Roll March" - 1958
End 1035 - "Lovers Never Say Goodbye" / "That Love Is You" – 1958
End 1040 - "But Not For Me" / "I Shed A Tear At Your Wedding" - 1959
End 1044 - "At The Prom" / "Love Walked In" – 1959
End 1045 - "I Only Have Eyes For You" / "At The Prom" - 1959
End 1046 - "I Only Have Eyes For You" / "Goodnight Sweetheart" – 1959
Decca 30880 - "Ever Since I Met Lucky" / "Kiss-A-Me" - 1959
End 1055 - "Love Walked In" / "Yours" - 1959
Decca 30948 - "Jerri-Lee" / "Hey Now!" - 1959
End 1062 - "I Was Such A Fool" / "Heavenly Angel" - 1959
End 1065 - "Mi Amore" / "You, Me And The Sea" - 1960
End 1068 - "Nobody Loves Me Like You" / "You, Me And The Sea" – 1960
End 1070 - "Besame Mucha" / "You, Me And The Sea" – 1960
End 1073 - "Mi Amore" / "At Night" – 1960
End 1079 – "When I Fall In Love" / "Beside You" – 1960
End 1085 – "That's Why I Love You" / "Ko Ko Mo" – 1960
End 1092 – "Time Was" / "Dream Girl" – 1960
End 1099 – "My Memories Of You" / "I Want To Love You" - 1960
Tommy Hunt - U.S. singles
Scepter 1219 - "Human" / "Parade Of Broken Hearts" -1961
Scepter 1226 - "The Door Is Open" / "I'm Wondering" - 1962
Scepter 1231 - "So Lonely" / "The Work Song" – 1962
Scepter 1235 - "Didn’t I Tell You She’ll Hurt You" / "Poor Millionaire You’re So Fine" – 1962
Scepter 1236 - "And I Never Knew" / "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" - 1962
Scepter 1252 - "Do You Really Love Me" / "Son, My Son" - 1963
Scepter 1261 - "I Am A Witness"* / "I'm With You" - 1963 *written by Ed TownsendEd TownsendEdward Benjamin 'Ed' Townsend was an American attorney, songwriter, and producer. He was best known for performing his composition, "For Your Love," a rhythm and blues doo wop classic, and as the co-writer of "Let's Get It On" with Marvin Gaye.-Biography:Although he was born in Fayetteville,...
Scepter 1275 - "It’s All A Bad Dream" / "You Made A Man Out Of Me" – 1964
Atlantic 2278 - "I Don’t Want To Lose You" / "Hold On" – 1965
Capitol 5621 - "I’ll Make You Happy" / "The Clown" - 1966
Dynamo 101 - "The Biggest Man" / "Never Love A Robin" – 1967
Dynamo 105 - "Words Can Never Tell It" / "How Can I Be Anything" – 1967
Dynamo 110 - "Complete Man" / "Searchin’ For My Love" – 1967
Dynamo 113 - "I Need A Woman Of My Own" / "Searchin’ For My Baby (Lookin’ Everywhere)" - 1967
Dynamo 124 - "Born Free" / "Just A Little Taste (Of Your Sweet Lovin’)" - 1968
Private Stock 45,115 - "Loving On The Losing Side" / "Sunshine Girl" - 1976
Collectables Col 030077 - "Oh No Not My Baby" / "Human*" - 1981 *Flip By Tommy Hunt.
Town 103 - "The Work Song" / "Please Stay*" - 198? *Flip By The Ivory's
Tommy Hunt - UK singles
Polydor 236 – "Mind Body and Soul / One Mountain to Climb" – 1972
Top Rank Jar-605 - "The Door is Open" / "I'm Wondering" - 1962
Polydor 236 - "Mind Body and Soul" / "One Mountain to Climb - 1972
Spark 1132 - "Crackin' Up" / "Get Out" - 1975
Spark 1146 - "Loving on the Losing Side" / "Sunshine Girl" – 1976
Spark 1148 – "One Fine Morning" / "Sign on the Dotted Line" / "Loving You" - 1976
Albums
Spark SRLP 117 - Live At Wigan Casino - 1976
Tracks: I Can’t Turn You Loose / Get Ready / My Girl / Knock On Wood / Never Can Say Goodbye /// Help Me Make It Through The Night / Crackin’ Up / Baby I Need Your Loving
Spark SRLP 120 – Sign Of The Times – 1976
Tracks: Loving On The Losing Side / Upon My Soul / Get Out / A Miracle Like You / You Got Me Where You Want Me / A Sign Of The Times /// Sign On The Dotted Line / Loving You Is / Crackin’ Up / Help Me Make It Thru’ The Night / Sunshine Girl / Never Can Say Goodbye.
Kent 059 – Your Man - 1986
Tracks: Love / She’ll Hurt You Too / Didn’t I Tell You / This And Only This / It’s All A Bad Dream / I Am A Witness / Make The Night A Little Longer / Oh Lord What Are You Doing To Me /// Human / Your Man / Don’t Make Me Over / The Parade Of Broken Hearts / I Might Like It / You Made A Man Out Of Me / Just A Little Taste Of Your Sweet Lovin’ / Promised Land
Samples
Human - June 1962, Scepter RecordsI only Have Eyes For You - The Flamingos, 1959