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regional hits

firepoint525

firepoint525

Should be a fun topic. Regional hits that, because of some local reference, could never have gone national. Here are a few of my favorites.

"Germantown Blues," The Fun Brothers (Lyn Jones) (I wish that we had a FULL version of this one!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNONIvaAu4c

More Funn Brothers, "Frayser Man" (too politically incorrect for airplay, even back then!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vANA7W8h4r4

"Memphis, I'm Coming Home to You," the Breaks, known for obvious reasons as the "FM 100 theme song," played HEAVILY on FM 100 in Memphis back in the '80s and '90s, maybe still!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvV13bnB4lQ&list=LLlBpRJk4bD0ld6oW0UZIeVQ

Then there was "High School USA" by Tommy Facenda. There were something like 28 different versions of this one, each one regionalized for various areas of the country. If any of you have the Memphis or Nashville versions, I would love to hear them! 8)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j04GJm6vWPs
 
There's Terry Cashman's umpteen variations of "Talkin' Baseball." (He even recorded a parody, "Talkin' Softball," for The Simpsons.)
 
Stu Nunnery, "Sally From Syracuse." This silly song was the center of a mini-controversy in Syracuse in 1973. It got airplay on top 40s and uptempo AC's with the exception of WNDR, whose music director thought it too risque. He and one of his jocks actually staged a debate on the topic for an audience of freshman journalism students -- including yours truly -- that fall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezh3l2bN2dg
 
The last two posters are deviating from the topic as put forth by the original poster: regional hits that couldn't have gone national because of some locally specific reference. The Hartford version of "High School U.S.A." would qualify; the Wildweeds' "No Good to Cry" (Windsor, Conn., band featuring Al Anderson, who'd later be a founder of NRBQ) would not.

Another Memphis hit that wouldn't have gone over elsewhere was "Son of a Gypsy" by pro wrestler Handsome Jimmy Valiant. Wrestling was huge in Memphis in the late '70s and early '80s, and Valiant was right up there with local icon Jerry "The King" Lawler in popularity.
 
CTListener said:
The last two posters are deviating from the topic as put forth by the original poster: regional hits that couldn't have gone national because of some locally specific reference.
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It kinda sorta is off-topic, but I wanted to see where this would lead. For instance, Rob Jungklas later had a (very) minor hit on the hot 100 (peaked in the 80s, I think) with "Make It Mean Something." The 45 of it was shown in the "Memphis Thing" video that I linked above, but I could not find a separate listing for "Make It Mean Something."

The Breaks later had a minor hit of their own with "She Wants You" about 1983 or so, on RCA. To me, this is very reminiscent of Patty Smythe and Scandal, a far cry from the "FM 100 theme song"!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Stf3gM-84OI

They later changed their name to Drama. Not sure what was up with that. I later found a 45 of "Memphis I'm Coming Home to You" on E-bay after someone posted a link to it on the Memphis board here. By then, they were known as "The Shoe Section." Not sure what is up with that, either. Meanwhile, I inquired there (Memphis board) about "Germantown Blues," but did not get much of a response. I also posted on the '50s/'60s board inquiring about "High School USA."
Another Memphis hit that wouldn't have gone over elsewhere was "Son of a Gypsy" by pro wrestler Handsome Jimmy Valiant. Wrestling was huge in Memphis in the late '70s and early '80s, and Valiant was right up there with local icon Jerry "The King" Lawler in popularity.
Click to expand...
I know that "rasslin'" was (and probably still is!) big in Memphis, but I was never really into it. So I am actually not familiar with that one and will have to look it up. I am aware that Jimmy Hart (I think that was his name) of the Gentrys (of "Keep on Dancin'" fame) later became a "rassler" in "Mempho." ;D
 
firepoint525 said:
CTListener said:
The last two posters are deviating from the topic as put forth by the original poster: regional hits that couldn't have gone national because of some locally specific reference.
Click to expand...
It kinda sorta is off-topic, but I wanted to see where this would lead. For instance, Rob Jungklas later had a (very) minor hit on the hot 100 (peaked in the 80s, I think) with "Make It Mean Something." The 45 of it was shown in the "Memphis Thing" video that I linked above, but I could not find a separate listing for "Make It Mean Something."

The Breaks later had a minor hit of their own with "She Wants You" about 1983 or so, on RCA. To me, this is very reminiscent of Patty Smythe and Scandal, a far cry from the "FM 100 theme song"!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Stf3gM-84OI

They later changed their name to Drama. Not sure what was up with that. I later found a 45 of "Memphis I'm Coming Home to You" on E-bay after someone posted a link to it on the Memphis board here. By then, they were known as "The Shoe Section." Not sure what is up with that, either. Meanwhile, I inquired there (Memphis board) about "Germantown Blues," but did not get much of a response. I also posted on the '50s/'60s board inquiring about "High School USA."
Another Memphis hit that wouldn't have gone over elsewhere was "Son of a Gypsy" by pro wrestler Handsome Jimmy Valiant. Wrestling was huge in Memphis in the late '70s and early '80s, and Valiant was right up there with local icon Jerry "The King" Lawler in popularity.
Click to expand...
I know that "rasslin'" was (and probably still is!) big in Memphis, but I was never really into it. So I am actually not familiar with that one and will have to look it up. I am aware that Jimmy Hart (I think that was his name) of the Gentrys (of "Keep on Dancin'" fame) later became a "rassler" in "Mempho." ;D
Click to expand...

Hart was too scrawny to be a wrestler, so he became a "manager" of various villains he'd bring in to destroy Lawler. He also "managed" lawler himself at one point. Hart, who went big-time with the WWF a few years later, would revive his musical career on "The Wrestling Album," which was released at the height of the WWF's "Rock 'n' Wrestling" mid-'80s boom. Jimmy's contribution was a tune called "Eat Your Heart Out, Rick Springfield."
 
This one would only go over in areas with strong Eastern European immigrants from Poland and such. Cleveland, Ohio was one. "I Lost My Kielbasi" by The Dave Stacy Orchestra on Stacy Records was a novelty Polka hit. Everybody heard it back then... early 1970s. "I lost my Kielbasi down the sewer, I lost my Kielbasi down the drain. And now I'm with out my Kielbasi, and my heart is full of pain". Sheer poetry!

The Cleveland based R&B group S.O.U.L. won some contest and got a recording contract with Musicor Records. Musicor did enjoy pop hits by Gene Pitney and "Popcorn" by Hot Butter. Anyway, "In The Ghetto" was a S.O.U.L. song that was released as a single on Musicor. In it they mention two streets in the City of Cleveland ... "Hough Avenue and Central Avenue, that's where the ghetto lies", they say. The record was played on the R&B stations in Cleveland, circa 1970.
 
allenv said:
Here in Eastern NC we had Heartbreaker by Nantucket in 1978. a great band from Raleigh.
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You mean from Jacksonville (mostly--Tommy's from Maysville and I'm not sure where the guy who replaced Ronnie Harris is from)

Speaking of regionalism, I've long wondered if the name might have hurt more than helped by creating confusion about the band's roots.

Of course I'd just as soon that they'd kept on playing beach and soul as the Stax of Gold.
 
allenv said:
You are correct sir.Weren't a couple of the guys from the Raleigh area???
Click to expand...

The drummer that took over after Ronnie died--I think his name was Kenny--was from I have no idea where.

And if there was a specific replacement for Mark, I don't know who that was or where he was from either.

After they quit being the Stax of Gold I was pretty much never in the right place at the right time to see them perform, although I'd bump into Mike or Larry or Tommy every once in a while of an evening.
 
The second one sounds like it's on a Victrola..Don't think even Nipper would listen to it..but what is more curious is that someone would even post it to Youtube.. :eek:
 
As a sidebar followup..was Coyote's "Where's the Beef" regional in the Mid Tenn area..or did it go national ?? I recall the song, pretty clever as was Coyote..methinks I might have heard it as a commercial for Wendy's..but it's been many moons ago..
 
deltas69 said:
The second one sounds like it's on a Victrola..Don't think even Nipper would listen to it..but what is more curious is that someone would even post it to Youtube.. :eek:
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I actually have this one on 45, although the version that I have was after the tune was changed, apparently because of the possibility of being sued for the "Chattanooga Choo Choo" ripoff, although that one HAS to be public domain by now.

The then-county executive in Obion County in west Tennessee actually came up with a "Lucille" parody, "You Picked a Fine Time to Do It Ned Ray" after McWherter proposed a state income tax, but I don't think that it ever got recorded, and was actually controversial at the time, since McWherter's recently deceased mother's name was Lucille.
deltas69 said:
As a sidebar followup..was Coyote's "Where's the Beef" regional in the Mid Tenn area..or did it go national ?? I recall the song, pretty clever as was Coyote..methinks I might have heard it as a commercial for Wendy's..but it's been many moons ago..
Click to expand...
Actually found that one on youtube as well. I didn't live here in the Nashville area back then. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egGS8jONZ6Y
 
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