For these "From the Back Room" items, the transfers, etc., are prepared with the usual care, but my prolix commentary may be abbreviated.
Today we explore the endless reaches of Thurl Ravenscroft's basso voice. Perhaps most famous as Tony the Tiger in Kellogg's Frosted Flakes commercials ("they're GR-R-REAT!"), he also was an officially adjudicated Disney Legend for his vocal work on films, records and park audio tracks (and other things, I'm sure).
Thurl had quite a career as a backup and even lead singer, both with his group the Mellomen and as a single voice. Today's 27-track collection covers songs where he was either a solo voice, or an important contributor to the record. These items are all from the 1950s, and do not encompass his work for Disney. It also is not comprehensive. I suspect there is a fair amount of material I am missing.
Thurl lent his subterranean but perfectly focused bass to a variety of material - kiddie songs, pop, country, gospel, R&B, ads - all of which are represented in this 27-track collection.
Thurl does get a label credit for his next outing with Cates and the Mellomen. It's another children's song - "Hi-Diddle-Diddle." Old fashioned, but effective. It's interesting how when the ensemble sings, Ravenscroft scales his voice back so that it doesn't dominate. This is from 1951.
Thurl is the soloist on "Low in the Lehigh Valley" with the Norman Luboff Choir and Paul Weston. This quasi-country song seems to be by Alec Wilder.
"The Bull Walked Around 'Olay'" is a chance for Ravenscroft to adopt an accent (handy, no doubt, for his Disney assignments) which works extremely well, capped (footed?) by a low note that Thurl must have excavated from a subterranean mine. This popular item was directed by Jerry Gray.
Gray also is in charge for "Pale Moon (an Indian Love Song)," a chestnut from 1920 that had been recorded by Crosby and Sinatra, among others.
| Cash Box, June 6, 1953 |
"In the Mood" is best known in Glenn Miller's version, which is an instrumental. Less often heard is the version with effective lyrics by Andy Razaf, which Thurl does quite well, aided by the Elliott Brothers big band.
For one of Ravenscroft's most renowned records, he received no label credit. The song is "This Ole House," in the hit version from Rosemary Clooney. Thurl sings the refrain, "Ain't gonna need this house no longer; ain't gonna need this house no more" and the coda "Ready to meet the saints!"
| Two ole houses |
But let me point out that the song's author, Stuart Hamblen, did the first version of the song, and it's superior. It also has a bass voice similar to the Clooney cover record, which could well be that of Ravenscroft. (I haven't been able to confirm that.)
Hamblen's version is in the first person; Rosie's is in the third. She's good (and Stan Freeman's harpsichord is all kinds of fun), but Stuart is far more involved in the song. Thurl, needless to say, is terrific in the Columbia record, as is Ravenscroft or whoever the bass may be on RCA Victor.
Next for Thurl was an assignment with Jo Stafford and another bravura singer, Frankie Laine, who sounds light-voiced next to Ravenscroft in "Back Where I Belong."
Also with Paul Weston and accompanied by the Mellomen, Thurl takes the lead on Rod Morris' country song "Bimbo," a hit for Jim Reeves. Thurl is highly effective (as are the Mellomen), but the song, while catchy, doesn't amount to much.
"Oop Shoop" was an R&B hit for Shirley Gunter and the Queens, then was covered by everyone from the Crew-Cuts to Harry James - including the Buzzards.
There are at least 15 songs called "Hey, Little Girl." This one was by Richard Lewis. Big John and his fellow Buzzards couldn't resist making fun of its repetitive nature.
We're squarely (and I do mean this in both senses of the term) back in pop land with Bob Merrill's opus "Where Will the Dimple Be?" with Rosie Clooney in homey mood. This is a cheerful item with the Mellomen, Thurl and Stan Freeman. ("Where will it BEEE?" Thurl demands.)
The De Castro Sisters had just enjoyed a big hit with "Teach Me Tonight." "Boom Boom Boomerang" was the follow-up with Thurl boom-boom-booming in the background. It also did well.
| Cash Box, June 18, 1955 |
At about the same time and also for Fabor Robison, Thurl backed up the obscure Sky Boys on "Mad, Baby, Mad," and they backed him on "Never Doubt My Love," a pleasant ballad. He was better suited to different material than this.
I don't know if the Sky Boys were actually the Mellomen, but I do know that the latter group's next appearance was as the Crackerjacks, for the Kapp label. The James Shelton song "Be Good" is a splendid outing for Thurl, the Mellomen and the talented tenor Bill Lee - himself a noted studio singer of the time. Shelton's novelty "Shiskebob" also appears. "I'll bet you never eat another fish-kebob," the group enthuses. (They are correct.)
| The Mellomen/Crackerjacks: Bob Stevens, Max Smith, Bill Lee, Thurl Ravenscroft |
Also in the set, which appeared on an LP along with several tunes by the Lancers, were "Whispering Winds" (where Thurl and baritone Max Smith both have spots), and "I Wanna Go There with You." The Crackerjacks, er, Mellomen, were really good.
Thurl and the Melloman backed Roberta Linn (a chirpy singer like Teresa Brewer) on the novelty "Fee Fi Fiddlee Aye O."
| Cash Box, June 16, 1956 |
Ravenscroft had a solo spot for the Bally label with "Oh You Sweet One," which turns out to be "Ja, das ist ein Schnitzelbank." This is all professionally done, but really.
Thurl is in cowboy-song mode for "I Ain't Afraid," which is good of its kind.
Thurl extricates himself from the hoop in enough time to participate in the obverse, "Kitty Kats on Parade."
So with these kiddie tunes, we've come full circle from "Tubby the Tuba." But there's one final item in the set - a musical ad for the new Southern California development "Diamond Bar," where Ravenscroft's talking blues approach makes for one of his best performances. His commanding voice, perfect diction and excellent sense of rhythm made him an ideal spokesman. As the saying went, "He's GR-R-REAT!"