Helen Reddy - One Way Ticket (1968)

Chris Rayburn - One Way Ticket (1968)

(Stephen Lawrence - Bruce Hart)
 UK
Later version

Single on UK label Music Factory July 1968. Also released in USA on MGM.

Jazz-pop-soul singer Chris Rayburn (born c.1937, aka Christine Rayburn) was from Chicago’s South Side but worked for a few years in Europe. In Chicago in the early 60s she also sang as Tina Montez.

Her first album Chris Rayburn (1966) was recorded in London, with musical direction by British composer and musician Johnny Scott. She also released five singles in the UK 1964-69, on Parlophone, Music Factory and (as Christine Rayburn) Pye.

She guested on British TV shows 1963-68 including The Charlie Drake Show and Morecambe and Wise’s Two of a Kind.

Before her European sojourn, Chris Rayburn had a residency withThe Johnny Pate Trio at the Counterpoint Jazz Supper Club in Chicago (1961), and a season at notable New York jazz club The Left Bank (1962). By the mid-70s she was back in Chicago and appearing at local nightspots, including shows with The Chris Rayburn Trio 1975-76.

50 years later: Although her style was probably mainstream jazz with some cross-over into soul-tinged pop, Chris Rayburn’s British singles can now be found filed under Northern Soul, especially One Way Ticket (“Hard To Find UK Northern Soul“) and I Cried My Last Tear Over You (“fabulous 1964 Northern Soul sleeper“). In 2015 One Way Ticket was on Le Beat Bespoke #6, a collection of “rare underground dancefloor fillers” from Detour Records.

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One Way Ticket was arranged by Harry Robinson (1932-1996), the versatile and prolific Scottish film composer, music director, bandleader, arranger, scriptwriter and author, birth surname Robertson. One of his feats was to devise and record the novelty instrumental hit Hoots Mon (1958, #1 UK), released under the name Lord Rockingham’s XI. In complete contrast, he wrote the sublime string arrangement for Nick Drake’s song from Five Leaves Left,  River Man (1969) YouTube. 

The producer was Mike Hurst, a former member of The Springfields whom he joined before their peak success with Silver Threads And Golden Needles (1962,#20 USA), Island Of Dreams (1962, #5 UK) and Say I Won’t Be There (1963, #5 UK). He produced many big names in 60s British pop, notably Cat Stevens, whose early career he facilitated while producing his earliest chart successes and his first two albums on Deram 1966-67.

References, further reading: 1. Liner notes, Chris Rayburn (1966 album) at Discogs.com. 2. On Chris Rayburn performing as Tina Montez at The Counterpoint Supper Club, Chicago, see The Bulletin, February 2, 1961, p.6, facsimile at NewspaperArchive.com (subscription required). 3. (i) British newspaper TV guides (Chris Rayburn) accessed via Gale Primary Sources; (ii) Chris Rayburn at IMDb. 4. Chris Rayburn appearances 1961-2 and 1974-1982: ads and reviews in Chicago and New York press. 5. Interview with Harry Robinson (1994) at Movie Music International, via Wikipedia’s Harry Robertson article. 6. Mike Hurst biography and discography at mikehurst.com.

Mama Cass Elliot - One Way Ticket (1971)

(Stephen Lawrence - Bruce Hart)
 USA
Later version

Single on Probe. 

♫ Listen at YouTube

Cass Elliot (b. Ellen Naomi Cohen, 1941-1974) was known as Mama Cass from her membership of top pop-folk group The Mamas & The Papas who had six Billboard Top 5 hits 1966-67 including Monday Monday (1966, #1 USA)  and Dedicated To the One I Love (1967, #2). After The Mamas & The Papas broke up in 1968 Mama Cass pursued a succesful solo career with prominent TV appearances as a guest and in her own specials.

Further reading: Mama Cass bio by Greg Prato at All Music.