A '50s rockabilly singer from Texas takes his guitar, gets spotted and signed by a Rat Pack-er, and tries to make it in country music's capital: The saga of an extraordinary man that ended too soon.
Great piece! I saw Terry McBride and The Ride on one of the local morning shows here a couple months back. Nice to hear about Dale though. It's funny how in this era where everything gets preserved, there are people and things that still slip through the cracks somewhat.
Thanks, Adam.....Robert was gracious in letting me "tag along" on his desire to document Dale's career! I only discovered Dale was once on Reprise for 5 minutes (and the Dean Martin connection) in the later '90s after Dale passed, and I don't even think Mom knew that....she was far less "label-aware" than Dad and I! But, had I known, I know I would've asked Dale multiple questions about that time! As I think I mentioned in the piece, Reprise was Frank's own label, and thus, housed the Rat Pack....Dean and Sammy, plus, many other pop and mainstream artists!
What the heck did THEY know, ultimately, about country, and how to market it? Hence, I think, just the single and no album deal. Reprise (and their distribution with Warner Bros.) soon (later in the '60s) would blossom into a far more hip and brilliantly youth-oriented label, but, even that meant nothing to Dale had they kept him on. Warners, proper, mined a fairly talented group of country artists, like Donna Fargo, in the '70s, but I can't think of a single country artist ever on the Reprise roster! Thanks for reading this, Adam, and I'm glad you enjoyed it!
He was one of the good guys, and deserved so much more recognition! His '70s and '80s singles really only hovered near the country charts' Top 30....it's tough to break through with the relatively tiny label that was Con Brio. Hoping you like his music, and give a listen to Terry (with his '90s McBride & The Ride), and some of his songs he's landed with Reba and Brooks & Dunn!
I loved this collaboration when Robert first published it, and I'm loving your "remix" of it, so to speak. Two brilliant writers... what a treat!!
I read with fascination when you talk about your mum (and, separately, the stories you tell about your dad and his record collection), and I'm just thinking... no wonder! I mean, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!
Thanks again, Andres and thank you again, Brad, for thinking of me when your proposed this piece earlier this year. Wishing you both a wonderful holiday season.
Thanks, Andy! As I've said before, and enjoy repeating....Robert was so generous in allowing me into "his space" to share my memories of Dale and Terry (as well as Mom)!
Definitely a labor of love, writing about me mum during that time....I can't get over how rare it is for a mother and son to be in such closely-related industries to the point where we could "talk shop" from across the country even before sharing casserole recipes and area weather updates!
I only wish that I had known Dale was on Reprise (even for just one single) when he was alive...I would have peppered him with more questions about that! To tell what I know...Dean saw Dale at a club at some point around '63 or '64, and brought him to the attention of whomever was running Reprise (and Warner Bros.) at the time....probably even Frank, who of course, founded and owned Reprise!
The upshot (and I didn't get into it in the article, but should have) is that Reprise was nothing but a pop label, and had no idea how to market a country singer, even a crossover-ready one!
Yep, definitely a musically-oriented family (or, at least show biz)! With Mom a booking agent and talent manager, Dad in radio time sales (with 20,000 jazz LPs & 78s), and my brother, Clint an actor/comedian, with me in radio and records, this is only a slight exaggeration of a "typical" Houston morning in the early '70s in our house:
Clint, after landing a local club's comedy spot, or an audition for a movie shooting in town: "'Mornin' Dad....was I in Marge's column today?"
Or, "Hey, look, Brad, Maxine's got an item about your Brimstone band playing Galveston's Moody Civic Center Saturday!" "Cool! See ya at dinner, Dad!"
The Houston Chronicle had Maxine Mesinger writing a daily gossip column about Space City show biz doin's, and The Houston Post (long ago swallowed up by The Chronicle, leaving Houston, now, with but one major newspaper) had Marge Crumbaker doing the same as Maxine's competitor!
This is pure gold. I would have loved to be present, even as a fly on the wall or something, and just, I don’t know, contemplate it all, savour it all! I really do believe that, back then, music meant something else -- something bigger, deeper, more... just more real. And I wasn’t even “a project”, as I like to say 🤣 but I do feel something special about that era, even if I didn’t get to experience it. Thanks ever so much for sharing!
I'm so glad you embrace that part of you, Andy....as the "old soul" we've talked about you being, nothing could be a higher compliment, and I hope you embrace it fully, as you dang-well should!! In fact, your "old soul" could've been that pesky fly-on-the-wall that seemed to live in my adolescent bedroom for weeks on end....the music you must've heard! The things you would've seen! I'll stop before we're pulled off the air!😁👍
Thank you, Brad! And yes, who knows! Everything is possible. In any case, your secret is safe with me...... okay, I’ll shut up before I tell everyone you were actually spinning some Abba! 🤣
Dood, 1974's "Waterloo"? The best early power pop song (along with "September Gurls" and "Go All the Way") that no one knows is power pop! Greg Shaw was all over "Waterloo" early, which made me love it even before the needle hit the vinyl!
You also would-a heard me, early-'70s, picking out the notes (by ear) on my flute to all the early Ian Anderson/Jethro Tull flute licks! Now, THAT woulda been a trip! That's one of the few things I did early on where I went...."Dang! I must be pretty good at this" (whether that "this" was flute playing, or more to the point, having an ear for music)!👂🎵
Great piece! I saw Terry McBride and The Ride on one of the local morning shows here a couple months back. Nice to hear about Dale though. It's funny how in this era where everything gets preserved, there are people and things that still slip through the cracks somewhat.
Thanks for the kind words here! It was fun to team up with Brad on this piece.
Thanks, Adam.....Robert was gracious in letting me "tag along" on his desire to document Dale's career! I only discovered Dale was once on Reprise for 5 minutes (and the Dean Martin connection) in the later '90s after Dale passed, and I don't even think Mom knew that....she was far less "label-aware" than Dad and I! But, had I known, I know I would've asked Dale multiple questions about that time! As I think I mentioned in the piece, Reprise was Frank's own label, and thus, housed the Rat Pack....Dean and Sammy, plus, many other pop and mainstream artists!
What the heck did THEY know, ultimately, about country, and how to market it? Hence, I think, just the single and no album deal. Reprise (and their distribution with Warner Bros.) soon (later in the '60s) would blossom into a far more hip and brilliantly youth-oriented label, but, even that meant nothing to Dale had they kept him on. Warners, proper, mined a fairly talented group of country artists, like Donna Fargo, in the '70s, but I can't think of a single country artist ever on the Reprise roster! Thanks for reading this, Adam, and I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Interesting read about an artist I wasn't familiar with.
He was one of the good guys, and deserved so much more recognition! His '70s and '80s singles really only hovered near the country charts' Top 30....it's tough to break through with the relatively tiny label that was Con Brio. Hoping you like his music, and give a listen to Terry (with his '90s McBride & The Ride), and some of his songs he's landed with Reba and Brooks & Dunn!
I loved this collaboration when Robert first published it, and I'm loving your "remix" of it, so to speak. Two brilliant writers... what a treat!!
I read with fascination when you talk about your mum (and, separately, the stories you tell about your dad and his record collection), and I'm just thinking... no wonder! I mean, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!
Thanks again, Andres and thank you again, Brad, for thinking of me when your proposed this piece earlier this year. Wishing you both a wonderful holiday season.
You're most welcome, Robert, and Merry Christmas to you and fam, as well!
Thank you, Robert! Happy holidays!
Thanks, Andy! As I've said before, and enjoy repeating....Robert was so generous in allowing me into "his space" to share my memories of Dale and Terry (as well as Mom)!
Definitely a labor of love, writing about me mum during that time....I can't get over how rare it is for a mother and son to be in such closely-related industries to the point where we could "talk shop" from across the country even before sharing casserole recipes and area weather updates!
I only wish that I had known Dale was on Reprise (even for just one single) when he was alive...I would have peppered him with more questions about that! To tell what I know...Dean saw Dale at a club at some point around '63 or '64, and brought him to the attention of whomever was running Reprise (and Warner Bros.) at the time....probably even Frank, who of course, founded and owned Reprise!
The upshot (and I didn't get into it in the article, but should have) is that Reprise was nothing but a pop label, and had no idea how to market a country singer, even a crossover-ready one!
Yep, definitely a musically-oriented family (or, at least show biz)! With Mom a booking agent and talent manager, Dad in radio time sales (with 20,000 jazz LPs & 78s), and my brother, Clint an actor/comedian, with me in radio and records, this is only a slight exaggeration of a "typical" Houston morning in the early '70s in our house:
Clint, after landing a local club's comedy spot, or an audition for a movie shooting in town: "'Mornin' Dad....was I in Marge's column today?"
Or, "Hey, look, Brad, Maxine's got an item about your Brimstone band playing Galveston's Moody Civic Center Saturday!" "Cool! See ya at dinner, Dad!"
The Houston Chronicle had Maxine Mesinger writing a daily gossip column about Space City show biz doin's, and The Houston Post (long ago swallowed up by The Chronicle, leaving Houston, now, with but one major newspaper) had Marge Crumbaker doing the same as Maxine's competitor!
Here's Maxine's Wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxine_Mesinger
You've got a knack, Andy, of pulling all the dirt outta me...........and, I thank you!!😉
This is pure gold. I would have loved to be present, even as a fly on the wall or something, and just, I don’t know, contemplate it all, savour it all! I really do believe that, back then, music meant something else -- something bigger, deeper, more... just more real. And I wasn’t even “a project”, as I like to say 🤣 but I do feel something special about that era, even if I didn’t get to experience it. Thanks ever so much for sharing!
I'm so glad you embrace that part of you, Andy....as the "old soul" we've talked about you being, nothing could be a higher compliment, and I hope you embrace it fully, as you dang-well should!! In fact, your "old soul" could've been that pesky fly-on-the-wall that seemed to live in my adolescent bedroom for weeks on end....the music you must've heard! The things you would've seen! I'll stop before we're pulled off the air!😁👍
Thank you, Brad! And yes, who knows! Everything is possible. In any case, your secret is safe with me...... okay, I’ll shut up before I tell everyone you were actually spinning some Abba! 🤣
Dood, 1974's "Waterloo"? The best early power pop song (along with "September Gurls" and "Go All the Way") that no one knows is power pop! Greg Shaw was all over "Waterloo" early, which made me love it even before the needle hit the vinyl!
You also would-a heard me, early-'70s, picking out the notes (by ear) on my flute to all the early Ian Anderson/Jethro Tull flute licks! Now, THAT woulda been a trip! That's one of the few things I did early on where I went...."Dang! I must be pretty good at this" (whether that "this" was flute playing, or more to the point, having an ear for music)!👂🎵
You rock, on every single level!!