Ron Hicklin, Session singer- The Wrecking Crew of Singers
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- čas přidán 7. 04. 2020
- Ron Hicklin was one of those unsung heroes. (Pun intended) He and the singers brought life to so many artists and themes throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s. They worked right along with the Wrecking Crew musicians.
The Ron Hicklin Singers were a group of Los Angeles studio singers contracted and organized by Ron Hicklin. They are mostly known as the real singers behind the background vocals on The Partridge Family recordings.
In Los Angeles studio circles in the 1960s through 1980s, they were the vocal equivalent of (and often worked with) The Wrecking Crew, performing backup vocals on thousands of songs, TV and movie themes, and as lead (while remaining anonymous) singers on thousands of radio and television commercials.
The core group usually consisted of:
Ron Hicklin, lead tenor
Tom Bahler, tenor
John Bahler, tenor
Jackie Ward, alto
Sally Stevens, soprano
Gene Morford, bass
However, this core group was often augmented with other specialist vocalists such as:
Thurl Ravenscroft, bass (voice of Kellogg's Tony the Tiger of Frosted Flakes cereal for 50 years, and the vocalist for "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch"!)
Mitch Gordon
Jim Haas
Andra Willis
Linda Dangcil
The group performed themes for major motion pictures in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s:
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, "South American Getaway" written Burt Bacharach
Death Game, "Dear Old Dad" written by Jimmie Haskell with lyrics by Iris Rainer Dart
The Mosquito Coast, "Saviour, Like a Shepherd Lead Us" written by
William Batchelder Bradbury
Rosemary's Baby
The group also sang the themes for major hit-TV shows of the period:
Love, American Style, with lead vocalist John Bahler (opening theme
Batman
Flipper
That Girl, season 5 opening
Happy Days, for which Hicklin himself sang lead (opening theme
Laverne & Shirley, along with lead vocalist Cyndi Grecco (opening theme)
Wonder Woman, with John Bahler singing lead (season2 opening)
Angie, along with lead vocalist Maureen McGovern (opening theme) - Krátké a kreslené filmy
Very happily sang with Ron and Crew for many years. Excellence of craft and lots of laughs along the way.
Love all these great stories by the Wrecking Crew members. Thanks Denny for the great interviews. Can't help but lament at the general state of music these days and could only hope for a Wrecking Crew 2.
He seems like such a good guy!
I lived up the street from the Hicklins as a kid. I had no idea what his job was or about any of this amazing work. What a joy to hear him tell these stories.
I love listening to these legends stories
My friend's dad used to sing with Ron and a group of guy's in high school in the '50s. Ron went to LA and my friend's dad stayed in the area to be a carpet layer.
Great to hear the studio musicians talk about their experiences back in the day, working on the hits.
Ron Hicklin, you are amazing, a living legend! As a boy and a teenager growing up in the 70s and 80s, hooked on good 60s/70s pop, your recordings are an indelible part of my musical education and, indeed, of my life's soundtrack, Thank you so very much for your talent and the superb job!
What a talented guy . He gets a call at home to help out a singing session ,he races over to the studio without rehearsals or time to adjust and the song goes to number one ! That's a true gift ,right there .......Jeezo!
what a treasure, about time he got 2 minutes of fame!! he deserves more
The real lead singer of Gary Lewis and the Playboys.
Much respect to these men and women...
Again and again I keep hearing Leon Russell arranged... played on etc etc... I miss Leon!!!
My dad was a great trumpet player and in big bands when he was young and could have done session work had he known about it. After getting out of the service in WWII and on the east coast moving to California was some years away. By that time, a career as a musician went by the wayside; getting a job was the practical thing to do. It was always fun when he took out his trumpet and played for a fews minutes...he never forgot what he wanted to be and the music was always in him.
Ron Hicklin. What a talented and humble man.
I remember Ron for working with the Bahler Brothers, Shirley Jones and Jackie Ward on backing vocals behind David Cassidy's leads on the Partridge Family songs.
Such a great great guy. I'm honored to know him personally. He's signed my BUGSY MALONE album covers for me. Yeah, he's got album credits on that soundtrack too. Just Google this guy, he's a legend!!
This man, along with his singers and The Bahlers Sang on every recording you can think of. Just beautiful voices!, I try to post it as much as possible because i love the sound so much
Wonderful hearing these stories. Thank you.
Love this guy!!
Love American Style 💕🇺🇸💕 1970
NANANANANANANANANAN BATMAN had that record when i was a kid good to see who sang on it,
What a talent!
Damn I scratched my head wondering how he sang on Batman.
Only after he explained it that I realized YES, there was a vocal!
I cant believe they never mentioned all those "Partridge Family " albums.
Not to mention all the Monkee hits they doubled on. Ron and his singers basically did all the early vocal tracks with whatever lead Monkee singer the producer wanted.
For those of my Generation, here and in the UK, these guys were THE sound of radio logos and jingles and television show openings.
I keep and listen to Ray Conniff's albums every day where The Ron Hickiln singers formed the choir, they were fantastic, they were, in my opinion, the best choir that Ray Connifff worked with.
Wow!
This Diamond Ring is one of my favourite songs and didn't know Bone Howe arranged it but I did know about Snuff Garrett back in the 60s.
Yeah and I knew Leon Russell had played on it, but I was surprised he also arranged it. Leon always made it clear he couldn't stand the song itself!
Bones was the engineer Leon arranged it
Ron Hicklin was the predominant singer in the unison mix. Gary Lewis literally could not sing a note on key. Snuff Garrett buried him under Hicklin in the mix. That's why when you hear Gary Lewis live he sounds nothing like the singing on the record. It's Hicklin. Garrett created that sound using studio musicians. A real put up job. It was more fake than the Monkees.
I still have my album Gary Lewis, and the playboys greatest hits. I bought it back in the late 60’s, and for 50 years I never understood why it said on the back of the album cover, arranged by Leon Russell. Forever I wondered what Leon Russell had to do with Gary Lewis and the Playboys. Until I finally saw the Wrecking Crew dvd.
The notes under this video answer so many questions! I'd recommend everyone that enjoys this video read them.
"Word and music" - hilarious!!
Here is the real lead singer of Gary Lewis And The Playboys hits. Snuff Garrett overdubbed him on all the hits. Great singer.
The real lead singer of Gary Lewis and the Playboys.
When were younger we thought it was the peppermint trolley company singing the songs for the partridge family.
How about that credit! That's Earl Palmer on drums!! (Brady Bunch)
Hi Ron! 💕
Hicklin sang unison with Gary Lewis and the Snuff Garrett buried Gary Lewis voice in the mix.
Good job Glenn Campbell didn't take his advice!
Actually, Glen did. He still did session work for a while when his vocal career was beginning to grow big.
Was Ron the guy that sang the Happy Days theme from Seasons 3 through 10?
Unless you have a tin ear you always knew that Gary Lewis couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. And if you do have a tin ear then Mr. Hicklin proves my point.
Although I like Gary Lewis & his work you've never heard Gary tell this story have you?
This is the truth that Gary Lewis refuses to admit. Snuff Garrett buried him in the unison mix below Ron Hicklin. A total put up job by Garrett. Ron Hicklin sounds great.
I wish you were my neighbour...
Well, technically bat and man are two words (just kidding, his joke was great)
WAS THE RON HICKLIN SINGERS THE SINGERS IN THE 1975 MOVIE "THAT'S THE WAY OF THE WORLD" ?
So was Ron the primary on “this diamond ring”?
Yes. Snuff Garrett had Ron Hicklin sing along with Gary Lewis in unison. Then he buried Gary Lewis in the mix so that Hicklin's voice was predominant. Gary Lewis couldn't sing a note on key. This is why when you see Gary Lewis live he sounds nothing like the record.
Did.ron.sing.on.hugo.montenegro.songs?
That Gary Lewis song was a million seller, you would have thought that "somebody" would have paid Mr. Hicklin a bonus for this (more than the $25.00 he received)
All those years with Gary Lewis taking credit for Ron Hicklin's voice.