(Buck Ram - Al Nevins - Morty Nevins - Artie Dunn)
Australia
#3 Sydney #2 Melbourne #3 Brisbane #2 Adelaide #2 Perth
Single on Parlophone August 1965.
Co-charted with another Australian version by Digger Revell.
In Sydney, Brisbane and Perth this was a double-sided hit with My Girl Josephine (Dave Bartholomew – Antoine ‘Fats’ Domino), a remake of Fats Domino’s 1960 original (#14 USA, #32 UK), aka Hello Josephine.
Billy Thorpe (1946-2007): British-born singer, guitarist and songwriter whose family emigrated to Brisbane in the 1950s. Based in Sydney from 1963, ‘Thorpy’, with The Aztecs, had numerous pop hits in a variety of styles, but at the end of the 60s, then in Melbourne, he fronted a loud, rocky, blues-based formation of the Aztecs that contrasted with his earlier pop idol image. Later, his solo and business career took him to Los Angeles, and he wrote two popular autobiographical books, Most People I Know (Think That I’m Crazy) and Sex And Thugs And Rock’n’Roll [AbeBooks link].
Further reading: Paul Culnane’s account of Billy Thorpe’s career at Milesago.
(Buck Ram - Al Nevins - Morty Nevins - Artie Dunn)
Australia
#3 Sydney #2 Melbourne #3 Brisbane #2 Adelaide
Single on RCA July 1965.
In the same year Digger Revell charted with another song associated with The Platters, My Prayer.
Digger Revell (born Gary Hildred) had a number of hits in 1963-64 as lead singer of Digger Revell & The Denvermen, including My Little Rocker’s Turned Surfie (1964). The Denvermen charted in their own right with a series of surf instrumentals in 1963, including Avalon Stomp and Surfside (#1 Sydney, #6 Melbourne). Digger Revell went on to a successful solo career, moving eventually into the country music scene.
The B-side is by Digger Revell And The Denvermen, I’m Gonna Send You Back To Georgia, a version of Timmy Shaw’s Gonna Send You Back To Georgia (A City Slick) (1963). It is better known through The Animals’ version Gonna Send You Back To Walker, the B-side of their debut single Baby Let Me Take You Home (also covered by Australian bands).
Further reading: 1. There’s a fine Teenagers Weekly cover photo of The Denverman with commentary at Trove’s Women’s Weekly Archive. 2. Article at TE Online about a 2003 appearance by Digger Revell in the Hunter Valley, NSW.
(Buck Ram - Al Nevins - Morty Nevins - Artie Dunn)
UK
On live EP on Parlophone, Billy Plays The States February 1965, also a US single on Imperial.
Could this recording by a Merseybeat star have have suggested the song to the Aussies? The EP also included Tennessee Waltz, recorded in ’66 by Ray Brown & The Whispers.
Further reading: Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas from British Beat Boom (archived
page).
Version alert and hypothesis from Terry Stacey.
(Buck Ram - Al Nevins - Morty Nevins - Artie Dunn)
USA
#1 USA #3 UK #1 Sydney #2 Melbourne #1 Brisbane #1 Adelaide [5AD] #1 Perth
Co-written in the 1940s by The Platters’ manager and producer Samuel “Buck” Ram.
The Platters were a chart-topping black vocal group brought together in 1953 by arranger-composer-manager Buck Ram with lead tenor Tony Williams. Their numerous Top 40 hits began with Only You (1955, #5 USA) and included four #1s: The Great Pretender (1955), My Prayer (1956), Twilight Time (1958) and Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.
In 1961 Sonny Turner replaced Tony Williams who had left for a solo career. See I’ll Never Smile Again (1961).
Reference: Jay Warner, American Singing Groups (2006)
(Buck Ram - Al Nevins - Morty Nevins - Artie Dunn)
USA
Original vocal version
Decca 10-inch 78 rpm disc recorded 11 January 1945, with vocals by Teddy Walters
This is probably the earliest version with vocals.
Teddy Walters (1920-1958) was a Philadelphian singer and guitarist who was in several well-known orchestras including those of Ray Noble, Gene Krupa, Tommy Dorsey and Jimmy Dorsey as well as smaller jazz combos. He recorded with Ella Fitzgerald and had a solo hit with Laughing On The Outside (Crying On The Inside) (1946, #4 USA).
Teddy Walters sources: 1. Discogs.com biography. 2. Chart data in Joel Whitburn’s Pop memories, 1890-1954
[Internet Archive]
Recommended reading on Teddy Walters: Profile at bandchirps.com is detailed and well footnoted.
Of the five earliest versions I am aware of, only Jimmy Dorsey’s has vocals, the other four are
instrumentals:
• The Three Suns (released May 1944, original version)
• Shep Fields & His New Music (released Dec 1944)
• Roy Eldridge & His Orchestra (Jan 1945)
• Les Brown & His Orchestra (Feb 1945)
Discographic sources: 1. Second Hand Songs’ list of Twilight Time version (with release dates and links to audio). 2. Site search of 78discographies.com. 3. Releases chronology at The Originals.
(Morty Nevins - Albert Tepper (Al Nevins) - Arty Dunn)
USA
Original version
10-inch 78 rpm disc on Hit May 1944.
As Arnold Rypens at The Originals points out, nearly all early versions were instrumentals.
WRITER CREDITS
Ram-Nevins-Nevins-Dunn
This is the usual writer credit on recordings of Twilight Time, matching the original copyright of 15 May 1944.
The writers are Al Nevins, his brother Morty, and their cousin Artie Dunn – all from The Three Suns – with Samuel “Buck” Ram, the notable musician-arranger-songwriter-manager-producer.
Nevins-Tepper-Dunn
On the Three Suns’ record, Al Nevins is credited under
his real name, Albert Tepper. Buck Ram is not included,
probably because his lyrics are not heard on this instrumental.
THE AL IN ALDON
After leaving The Three Suns in the mid-50s and releasing his
own records, Al Nevins joined with Don Kirshner to
form the publishing and production company Aldon Music. Operating out of 1650 Broadway in the neighbourhood of the Brill Building, Aldon became
a major influence on the the course of pop music from the late 50s until its sale to Columbia in 1963.
… a shrewd move for young Kirshner as Nevins proved a mentor as much as a business partner. Kirshner returned the favor by bringing Nevins into the world of pop and rock, effectively modernizing his career.
The Nevins-Kirshner partnership, from Tom Kemper, The Monkees: Made in Hollywood (2023)
Further reading: Maybe start with The Three Suns biography by Jason Ankeny at All Music.
Pop Archives
Australia's premier song history site since 2004
Website by Lyn Nuttall. © Lyn Nuttall 2004-2024. Chart positions courtesy of Gavin Ryan’s Australian Chart Books and Dean Scapolo’s Complete NZ Music Charts. Special thanks to Terry Stacey for information, corrections and suggestions. Thanks also to Tony Watson, Philippe Edouard, Dave Overett.., More…
