The Hollywood Argyles

The Hollywood Argyles were a doo wop band put together by producer/songwriter Kim Fowley, then still a student at University High School in West Los Angeles. Fact|date=February 2007 They had a number one hit record, "Alley Oop" (Lute 5905), in 1960, then faded into obscurity.

According to Gary Paxton – who, at the time, was half of Skip & Flip ("It Was I", "Cherry Pie") – "Alley Oop" was written by Dallas Frazier as a country tune:

"As for the name, Kim Fowley and I were living in a $15-a-week room in Hollywood.... Since I was still under contract (to Brent Records) as 'Flip,' I couldn't put my name on 'Alley Oop.' Seeing that the studio was on the corner of Hollywood Blvd. And Argyle Street, I decided on Hollywood Argyles."

"Other than myself, there were no actual Hollywood Argyles. Everyone else on the track was either a friend or a studio musician who I paid $25 apiece for the session. When 'Alley Oop' suddenly took off and people wanted to book us for concerts, there was no such group."

The "Alley Oop" session was produced by Kim Fowley; the already famous Sandy Nelson was the drummer.

According to Jerry Osborne [ [http://www.jerryosborne.com/6-12-00.htm Ask “Mr. Music” - Jerry Osborne] ] , two other groups (Dante and the Evergreens (Madison 130)(US #15)) and the Dyna-Sores (Rendezvous 120)) had a version of "Alley Oop" on the charts at the same time.

Notes

Frazier, who recorded "Alley Oop" in 1957, is perhaps best known for the song "There Goes My Everything," a hit song for Jack Greene in 1966 and Engelbert Humperdinck in 1967. Frazier also wrote and recorded "Elvira" which became a 1981 country hit for the Oak Ridge Boys [ [http://www.nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com/fame/frazier.html Dallas Frazier] ]

The lead vocalist on the track "Alley Oop" is Norm Davis. He was paid a one-time fee of $25 for his work on the single. He is currently a poet in Rochester, New York.

Paxton later formed Garpax Records and became a gospel artist.

Fowley soon produced The Murmaids' 1963 hit "Popsicles, Icicles" (US #3). He also helped bring together the all-girl Runaways in 1975, as well as The Orchids (not the Glaswegians, but another American all-girl band).

"Alley Oop" was the first song played on WLS-AM Radio in Chicago on May 2, 1960, when it changed format from farm programming to rock 'n roll.

Discography

* "Alley-Oop" / "Sho Know A Lot About Love" (1960, Lute 5905)
* "Gun Totin' Critter Named Jack"* / "The Bug Eyed Man" (1960, Lute 5908)
* "Hully Gully" / "So Fine" (1960, Lute 6002)
* "You've Been Torturing Me"* / "The Grubble" (1961, Paxley 752; credit: Gary Paxton And The Hollywood Argyles)
* "Long-Hair-Unsquare Dude Called Jack" / "Ole" (1965, Chatahoochie 691)
* "Alley Oop '66" / "Do the Funky Foot" (1966, Kammy 105)

— * Note: some songs are covers of Four Young Men ( e.g. Crest 1076) [ [http://members.chello.at/thomas.aubrunner/moore3.htm Four Young Men] ]

References

* Joel Whitburn. "Top 40 Hits". ISBN 0-8230-8280-6.
* Steve Propes. "Golden Goodies". ISBN 0-8019-6220-X

See also

* Alley Oop, 1932-1973 comic strip