One Righteous Brother

One of my favorite stories ever! 
Don't play the song until you've read it ok?

Enjoy!
Danny Davenport

NOW Hit the play button
and listen to this AWESOME record!

You may have never heard it before,
but it's for sure one of my all time favorites!

Here now is ... "Oh Wee Baby I Love You" - Bobby Hatfield
one half of ... "The Righteous Brothers"

Warner Bros signed him at one point and released one single that I remember. They sent him out on a road trip to visit radio and meet press etc etc. They picked Atlanta for one of the cities, I don't know why, but that was my turf and I have never been so excited when I found out.  This is part of the process that went into building a hit record.  Especially a new release from an unknown artist, but actually for superstars as well.  Nothing is guaranteed in the music business.  If you're hot at the moment you will usually get a shot with a new record, but you still have to work for it.  Very similar to book publishers and writers. 

After the tour was announced, I spent the next few weeks preparing my territory for the visit.  Setting up specific dates and times to bring him by for interviews, lunches, dinners etc.  Somtimes these promo trips are fun and exciting and sometimes not so much fun.  Artists can be difficult for any number of reasons.  Most are very appreciative of your efforts and then some "expect" it.  You just go with the flow and work around the difficult situations.  I didn't have any idea which way this one would go, but this was one of my favorite artists of all time and I would do my best for him. 

Finally, the bid day came and was up early and out the door.  I arrived at the Holiday Inn downtown Atlanta early and sat in my car in the parking lot waiting for the time I was supposed to pick him up.  I did not want to be late.  Not today.

I knocked on his door and he opened it immediately.  He looked NOTHING like I expected.  He had on a broad brim hat, suade fringe jacket, jeans and matching suade knee high moccasan boots with fringe around the top that matched his jacket and hat and hair down to his shoulders.  I was taken back by how good looking this guy was.  I mean, I don't think I've ever seen anyone with eyes like that.  Such a stunning blue and the whitest teeth ever behind the magic smile.

"Hi Danny" .. OMG ... he even knew my name!  All was well in my life after that and we left on a day long trip around Atlanta working radio with his new release.

We hit all the appointments we had set up and did a great job at all of 'em.  Got a few spins on radio to expose the new record during the interviews and told stories with the Atlanta Journal and a few other print outlets. 

After the work was done we stopped and picked up a six pack of beer and just rode around I-285 in my new Ford Granada I had just bought.  Just me and this amazing artist I'd met only a few hours earlier and we had a blast!

He was glad to have a record out on WB and was having a great time out on the road.  For what ever reason, we hit it off great and started telling stories about our past and I told him about my old band, The Blazers.  He had been in a garage band himself and seemed to relate to my stories almost as much as his own.  i guess all bands had similar feelings back then.

I also told him that "Unchained Melody" was one of my favorite songs and his version was one of the best vocals I had ever heard .... I guess he was in a rare mood or just feeling great to be on the road again, but for what ever reason, he just began to sing it right there in the car accapella .... the whole song.  I died ... right there at the wheel of the Granada on I-285.  It was one of the most special things that ever happened while I was in the music business.  There's just no way I can tell you how great that was.  Where's the recorder, or video camera when you need one!  I loved him before that, but after that day, he was truly something special.  A genuine nice guy and I actually felt like a real friend.

Later that day we ended up at WFOM radio in Marietta where all the Promotion guys met on Monday nights and then went to dinner.  He did nothing with the ladies that day or night but you would NOT believe how he attrackted women! After dinner we went back to WFOM to the meeting room and played poker till about 1 am and then took him back to his hotel dropped him off. 

Sadly, I never saw him in person again after that day.

When he died a few years ago, I relived that day and cried like a baby. You just don't meet many superstars like him, or people in general for that matter.  He gave special a new meaning to me.

I hope this makes you look and think about him in a new light. He never got the attention he deserved when he died.

I loved this guy.  I still do!

The song we worked that day is included here below. Check it out!  I still have one of the original Warner Bros. promo singles I had left over from that trip and its on my jukebox right now.

Danny

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrK5u5W8afc&feature=related

This is a great version of "Unchained Melody" on You Tube.