I have something very special for you all today, but before I get to that, I want to return to the series that I started two posts ago, and then forgot about last time - the song-poem ads that were sent to me by a fellow named Vinnie. Here is one for the an agency called Songcrafters. The ASPMA page for this organization indicates that very little had been found out about them by the time the ASPMA website was mothballed.
This record came out in 1973 on Mrs. Curran’s Dolly-O label, headquartered in a modest house in South Bend, Indiana. These songs were recorded by song-poem professionals in Los Angeles.
Both songs certainly have “plain speech” lyrics. Mrs. Curran went a good distance for a rhyme, and had a habit of fitting far more words into a sentence than a professional songwriter would—but in these things rest much of her songs' charm. And in these things rest challenges to a singer.
“Write Your Congressman” is an earnest plea for citizens to get involved in their government. Dick Kent sings it, with hearty enthusiasm, as “Dick Lee,” with backing vocals that I’m sure are Bobbi Blake. The backing seems a little like a march, but then again it’s hard to know.
According to the lyrics, your congressman will be not just duty-bound, but happy to read everything you have to say, study all your plans for government, and even share his power. Because, of course, “the little guys got a right to have our say.”
The lyrics say, “Don’t tell Sweeney,” (invoking “Tell it to Sweeney,” an early 1900s version of “You’re tripping”), just get in touch with your good ol’ congressman. There’s even a talking outro.
Download: Dick Lee & the Busy Bees Orchestra - Write Your Congressman
The flip side, “What You Wish – I’ll Try to Be” seems to concern a man hoping and striving to change himself to fit in better with the lifestyle of his extraordinarily wealthy socialite partner. (There's a situation we can certainly all relate to.)
Dick Kent duets with himself, with Bobbie in support. The strolling backing is fairly well suited to the song.
Both sides feature the wobbly, wonderful Chamberlin fun-house sounds associated with Sandy Stanton’s productions, even though Dolly O. Curran and her husband Jack are credited as producers.
Technical notes: side A’s left channel had to be boosted dramatically, as it was pressed at a far lower volume than the right. While both sides of this record appear mint, there are still a lot of pops and clicks, some of which I digitally removed.
Hope you enjoy!
—Stu Shea
Download: Dick Lee & the Busy Bees Orchestra - What You Wish -- I'll Try to Be
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