Pop Archives

Ray Brown & The Whispers - Devoted To You (1965)

(Steve McLaren )
Australia Australia
#1 Sydney #1 Perth

Although the record shows the songwriting credit of Bryant, this is a different song from the Boudleaux Bryant composition Devoted To You recorded by the Everly Brothers.


On the album Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs.

As on the Ray Brown version of Devoted To You, the label wrongly credits Bryant as writer.


The album also included Pride, originally by Brent Edwards but recorded famously in Australia by Ray Brown & The Whispers.

Ray Brown and Billy Thorpe shared a manager, John Harrigan, at this time and both launched their careers from Sydney’s Surf City where Brown followed Thorpe into residency. (TS)


Further reading: 1. For more on Billy Thorpe at this site see, for example, his major Australian hit Poison Ivy. 2. Milesago’s Billy Thorpe history.

Version alert from Terry Stacey.


The Dennisons - Devoted To You (1964)

(Steve McLaren )
UK UK
Original version

On Decca various artists album At The Cavern (1964).

As on the Australian versions of Devoted To You by Billy Thorpe and Ray Brown, the label mistakenly credits Bryant as the writer. Australian copyright outfit APRA-AMCOS has previously shown Steve McLaren of The Dennisons as the writer but now credits “Dennisons”.

The Dennisons were a Liverpool band who had two charting singles in the UK: their own composition Be My Girl (1963, #46) and Rufus Thomas’s Walkin’ The Dog (1964, #36).

Drummer Clive Hornby plays the part of Jack Sugden in the long-running BBC serial Emmerdale Farm (aka Emmerdale). He also pops up in an early Minder episode, The Bengal Tiger.

Further reading: 1. The Dennisons history and discography from British Beat Boom [archived page]. 2. Dennisons page at Discogs.com.


The Everly Brothers - Devoted To You (1958)

(Boudleaux Bryant)
USA USA
Red herring
#19 Sydney #25 Brisbane #7 Perth

SAME TITLE BUT NOT THE SAME SONG AS 'DEVOTED TO YOU' BY RAY BROWN & THE WHISPERS.

Also recorded by Helen Merrill, The Beach Boys, Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt, The Seekers.