The VeeJay Story

Sid McCoy was responsible for another Vee-Jay first during 1961, as Eddie Harris’s album “Exodus To Jazz” stormed up the LP charts to #2, for the first Vee-Jay album to chart nationally, as well as the highest charting jazz album in memory.

Dee Clark’s #2 “Raindrops” was the label’s highest charting single to date and was accompanied into the top ten by the debut of Atlanta’s Pips.

Calvin Carter: The Pip’s record was a master acquisition from Atlanta, Georgia. The group went to New York and made a deal with Bobby Robinson (Fury Records); apparently the guy’s paper wasn’t strong enough to hold them. We didn’t want to give Bobby any hassle, so we both had “Every Beat Of My Heart.” Ours went top ten, though.

Robinson’s record topped out at #45, while the Vee-Jay version zipped up to #6. Later, of course, Gladys Knight & the Pips became a household word.

Calvin Carter: The Pearlettes were a group I found in Los Angeles. We did one record or so, but nothing happened.

Vee-Jay had another record out a few months later with a twist lyric of sorts: “Why don’t you come out, to my twist party?” West coast sales manager, Randy Wood (not to be confused with Dot Record’s founder), got a phone call from Frankie Valli of the Four Seasons. The former 4 Lovers’ lead played a dub of “Sherry” over the phone. Randy liked it so Frankie sent it to him. Randy took the dub to a local DJ Dick “Huggy Boy” Hugg, who played it on his program emanating from Dolphin’s of Holly wood record store.

When the store was flooded with calls, Bob Crewe, the group’s producer, negotiated a deal, which brought the Four Seasons to Vee-Jay. If “Duke Of Earl” had been the label’s biggest seller up till that time, “Sherry” quickly topped it. Unlike Gene Chandler, however, the Seasons followed up with smash after smash, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Walk Like A Man,” for three straight gold records.

Vee-Jay saved its biggest 1961 release for last. Bill “Bunky” Sheppard, an independent producer in Chicago, was handling both the Sheppards and the Dukays in a production partnership with Carl Davis in a company called Pam.

Bunky Sheppard: Pam was started back in the 50’s and 60’s when Carl and I were partners. Carl and I also had the Dukays at that time. I recorded both “Night Owl” and “Duke Of Earl” for the Nat label, and they preferred “Night Owl.” So I leased the “Duke Of Earl” master to Vee-Jay.

Calvin Carter: Gene Chandler was with the Dukays and Bill Sheppard had sent “Duke Of Earl” to the company they were with, and they passed on it. We recorded in the same studio, and I was in there one day and heard this coming out of the mastering room, “Duke Of Earl.” So I went in there and said, “What is that? Who in the hell is that?” Bill said, “That’s the Dukays,” and I said, “Well, who’s singing?” He told me it was Gene Chandler and I asked if he was signed with anyone. He said no and I said, “Let me have the record.” He said, “Hey, you got it.” It was our first million seller.

By mid 1962, Vee-Jay was being noticed as a potent force within the industry. EMI, the British owner of the U.S. Capitol label, approached Vee-Jay after Capitol had exercised their right of first refusal to turn down a couple of artists EMI had offered.

Calvin Carter: We were pretty hot. There was a #1 record in England and they asked if we wanted it, and of course we wanted it. It was “I Remember You” by Frank Ifield. We took the record, and as a throw-in, they had a group they didn’t want, and asked if we would take them too. The group turned out to be the Beatles, and we got a five-year contract on them as a pickup on the Frank Ifield deal.

Looking back over 1962, things couldn’t have been looking better as the year closed. Four million-sellers, hits by Chandler, Hooker, Reed, Butler, Ifield, Dee Clark and the Four Seasons. But dark clouds were forming on the horizon.

Meanwhile the Beatles were tearing up the British charts. “Love Me Do” had hovered in the 20’s from November to January.

With “Duke Of Earl,” Sheppard joined the Vee-Jay staff and brought the Sheppards to the label also. As for the Dukays, some fast shuffling was in order:

Bunky Sheppard: I took Gene out of the Dukays and put another person in and let Gene go out on his own as the Duke of Earl.

Vee-Jay tried an answer record (“Dutchess Of Earl” by the Pearlettes) and a Chandler follow-up (“Walk On With The Duke”), both of which failed.

Their next, “Please Please Me,” sailed to #1 in March, 1963. When Vee-Jay released it here, nothing happened. The Beatles' third British single, “From Me To You,” hit #1 in three weeks! Vee-Jay again released the single here, this time to a cover battle with Del Shannon, resulting in a flop for both.

In the spring of 1963, rumors started going around that Vee-Jay was in financial trouble, and not paying the Four Seasons their royalties.