The Crescents - Mr. Blue (1959)

(Dewayne Blackwell)
 Australia
#8 Sydney #14 Melbourne #3 Brisbane #2 Adelaide #2 Perth | #7 Australia

Entered charts November-December 1959. Co-charted in Adelaide with the original by The Fleetwoods.

Single on Leedon by Sydney vocal trio formed in 1958 by teenagers Mike Downes, Colin Loughnan, and Kel Palace (real name Palise). The Crescents were mentored by rock ‘n’ roll star Johnny O’Keefe who used them as back-up singers and had them on his TV show Six O’clock Rock. Mr. Blue, produced by O’Keefe, was the second and most successful release of eight singles and two EPs 1959-60. Downes left in 1961 and by the group’s disbandment in 1962 Barry Carroll and Alan Roberts had joined.

Another single, on Teen, from around the same time, is labelled as Mr. Blue by The Crescents but turns out to be an American recording from the Bell label by The Dreamers. However its B-side You Mean Everything To Me is an Australian recording by John Robson with Pat McCluskey and The Graduates.

In later years Mike Downes was on guitar in Ray Hoff’s Offbeats (1965) and Billy Thorpe’s Aztecs (1965-66). Multi-instrumentalist Col Loughnan was also in a number of bands, notably Melbourne jazz-rock band Ayers Rock, formed 1973.

Essential reading: Discussion of the two singles at 45cat. (Tony Watson, cited there, is a very reliable source.) An extract is posted at Discogs.com if you want a brief summary.

Other sources:
1. Ian McFarlane, The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop (1999): entries on The Crescents and Ayers Rock.
2. Band line-ups and dates from Chris Spencer et al, Who’s Who of Australian Rock, 5th edition (2002)
3. Milesago on Ayers Rock.

Further reading: Kimbo’s History of Australian Music has a lot more detail on The Crescents.

Thanks to John Pierce at 94.1FM’s Rock’n’Roll Milk Bar for suggesting this one.

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David MacBeth - Mr. Blue (1959)

(Dewayne Blackwell)
 UK
#18 UK

Single on Pye by singer from Newcastle upon Tyne. He toured with some big names, appeared on TV, and recorded throughout the 60s but this was his only hit. He went into cabaret, then worked as an agent before buying Grey’s Club in Newcastle.

Source: David MacBeth article at Wikipedia.

The Dreamers - Mr. Blue (1957)

(Dewayne Blackwell)
 USA

B-side on Bell, also on Gala in the UK. It was released in Australia on Teen, credited to local group The Crescents (see above).

The Four Preps - More Money For You And Me [medley, includes Mr. Blue] (1961)

(Various composers)
 USA
Parody
#17 USA #39 UK #5 Australia #13 NZ | #4 Sydney #4 Melbourne #3 Brisbane #2 Adelaide #25 Perth

Vocal harmony group The Four Preps had two original hits in 1958, 26 Miles (#2 USA) and Big Man (#3).

Parodies of rival groups were a feature in the Preps’ live shows. On More Money For You And Me they sing comic versions of The Fleetwoods’ Mr. Blue, The Hollywood Argyles’ Alley Oop, The Platters’ Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, The Four Freshmen’s Graduation Day, The Kingston Trio’s Tom Dooley, and Dion and the Belmonts’ A Teenager in Love.

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Looking at Australian chart placings for The Fleetwoods’ Mr. Blue and The Four Preps’ More Money For You And Me, it is fair to conclude that the parody was better known here than the original, although the song itself must have been just as well known, through the Crescents records.

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In More Money For You And Me the groups are joining the Peace Corps. It was followed by The Big Draft (1962, #16 Adelaide, #14 Melbourne, #18 NZ), where the pop groups are pictured being drafted into military service.

The same parody-medley format was later adopted by British comedy band The Barron Knights with Call Up The Groups (1964, #3 UK, #28 Australia, #3 NZ), using the same military conscription premise as The Big Draft. It was followed by Pop Go The Workers (1965, #5 UK, #40 Australia) and other variations.

See also The Four Preps – The Sphinx Won’t Tell (1962), also recorded in Australia by The Kinsmen.

References, further reading: 1. Four Preps history at This is My Story. 2. Four Preps biography by Bryan Thomas at All Music.