Johnny Devlin - Hey Little Angel (1961)

(Johnny Devlin - Nat Kipner)
 Australia
Original version
#26 Melbourne

Single on Festival (the Australian label). Charted in Melbourne November 1961, recharted January 1962 (#38).

Johnny Devlin (b. 1938 in Raetihi) was a New Zealander who had been a pioneering rock’n’roll star in his home country. Devlin’s New Zealand success was in covering American rock’n’roll, and his repertoire included a range of astutely chosen covers, many away from the mainstream. However, most of his charting Australian records were originals, usually written or co-written by himself.

Devlin had sixteen songs on the Sydney charts alone 1959-1965. His biggest hits were:

• Turn The Lights Out Johnny (1959, #3 Sydney, #27 Melbourne, #2 Adelaide), an original rocker by Devlin;
• the novelty Got A Zack In The Back Of My Pocket (1960, #7 Sydney, #19 Brisbane, #8 Adelaide), written by Nat Kipner, (a zack was a sixpenny piece); and
• Stomp The Tumbarumba (1963, #5 Sydney, #5 Brisbane), by Devlin, a surf craze song that seems to refer to an inland New South Wales town.

As a songwriter, Devlin’s credits also include:

• Patsy Ann Noble – Good Looking Boy (1961, #16 Sydney #6 Melbourne #13 Brisbane #8 Adelaide), covered in the US by Teresa Brewer as Pretty Lookin’ Boy;
• Digger Revell & The Denvermen – My Little Rocker’s Turned Surfie (1964, #9 Sydney, #16 Brisbane); and
• Digger Revell’s Denvermen – Surfside, written with Nat Kipner (1963, #1 Sydney, #6 Melbourne).

See also: The Cicadas – That’s What I Want (1964), produced by Johnny Devlin; and Teen Beat by Johnny Devlin’s Devils, recorded in their own right.

Co-writer Nat Kipner (1924-2009) was an American stationed in Brisbane during World War II when he met his Australian wife-to-be. After the family returned to Brisbane in the 1950s, he went in with entrepreneur Ivan Dayman and producer Pat Aulton in Sunshine Productions, the parent company of the Sunshine label. Later, in Sydney, he  became A&R man and a major producer at Spin Records where he facilitated the Bee Gees’ sessions for their later, breakthrough, Australian singles.

His compositions include Giggle Eyed Goo, recorded by his son’s band Steve And The Board (1965, #4 Melbourne #34 Brisbane #44 Perth); and Too Much Too Little Too Late, written with John Vallins, a hit for Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams (1978, #1 USA).

References, further reading: 1. For the full flavour of Johnny Devlin mania from a New Zealand perspective, Bruce Sergent’s account is indespensable.  2. AudioCulture’s Johnny Devlin page adds a fine collection of images. 3. Milesago’s Nat Kipner tribute and history. 4. For more on Nat Kipner and son Steve at this site, see under Steve & The Board’s Rosalyn. 5. Nat Kipner page from Australians at War [archived page].

Additional details from Tony Watson and Terry Stacey, thanks.