[78-L] Flanagan & Whiteman

[J. E. Knox]

Greetings from FixitLand!

Dan Van Landingham asked:

>> When did Flanagan stop recording for RCA?

Jeff Sultanof wrote:

> I believe he stopped recording for RCA in 1957. There was a Flanagan
> in Hi-Fi LP that was also released in stereo; I once heard a track
> from this album.

That's correct...LPM/LSP-1555 "Ralph Flanagan In Hi-Fi" was RF's final RCA Victor recording. It was also issued as a stereo (2-track "inline-head") reel-to-reel tape (BPS-83), a cartridge tape (KPS-2003) and in other countries. Recorded in Webster Hall, NYC, 5/6/7 June 1957. Since none of the tracks saw 78-rpm issue (so far as I know) it's probably not appropriate to list the content (didn't stop me from doing it for the Imperial LP, though, did it...?). Any-hoo, it's in my book.

Dan continued:

> I have one 10 inch album of him on RCA plus an RCA Camden from the sixties.I had two 78s of him,one on Victor of "Tzena,Tzena,Tzena" and an RCA Bluebird of "You're Breaking My Heart".The latter I don't have anymore.The flipside of "Tzena,Tzena,Tzena" was "Pink Champagne" as I recall.I once read a book by a man who used to manage him.He got fed up with him by the early '50s.Once,I had a chance to buy an album Flanagan did for Herb Hendler on Rainbow back in 1988.I passed it up.

"You're Breaking My Heart" was Flanagan's first for RCA Victor (18 August 1949; RCA Victor 30-0001-A [Bluebird Series]). It's on the Collectors' Choice Flanagan CD. You are correct about the "Tzena Tzena Tzena"/"Pink Champagne" coupling (20-3847; 20 June 1950). The Rainbow "Tribute To Glenn Miller" album (first recordings issued under Flanagan's name) was from 1946 and isn't bad at all; give it another look-see. Herb Hendler did indeed manage Flanagan (and Buddy Morrow); RF signed with GAC in January 1950 with Hendler and Bernie Woods as personal managers; later, they joined as a booking company, FH&W (Flanagan, Hendler & Woods). Hendler is credited with the lyrics to "Hot Toddy," which Flanagan wrote and recorded (as an instrumental).

Take care,


—
Joe
—
Cats: I've got 'em right where they want me.