One Hit Wonders: Robin Ward & Terry Stafford

Welcome to Rock and Roll Flashback!  I'm Bill Price, and in this episode of One Hit Wonders, I’ll feature Robin Ward who had a million selling hit in 1963 and Terry Stafford, whose number three hit competed with the Beatles in early 1964.

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Transcript

In this episode of One Hit Wonders, I’ll feature Robin Ward who had a million selling hit in 1963 and Terry Stafford, whose number three hit competed with the Beatles in early 1964.

Jacqueline McDonnell who was known as Robin Ward was born in 1941 in Hawaii and later grew up in Nebraska. At the age of eight began singing in church with her two sisters. Once the trio won a national talent contest organized by Horace Heidt, they relocated to Los Angeles hoping to secure work in the music industry. When Jackie was thirteen years old, television station KTLA hired her to sing on a Your Hit Parade. She performed popular hit songs for four years, and eventually began a career singing on demo and released recordings.

In 1962 she sang the ”la la la” parts on Pat Boone’s million selling single “Speedy
Gonzales”. In 1963 producer songwriter Perry Botkin Jr hired Ward to record a demo at Gold Star Studios, of the song titled “Wonderful Summer”, a composition that was co-written by Perry and Gil Garfield. Although the recording was intended to be a demo for established singers, once the recording was completed, Botkin sped up the recording believing it would sound better with a higher voice pitch. Then bird and surf sound effects were added to complete the recording. Botkin believed it was good enough to be released as a pop single. However the sped up recording wound up sounding younger than twenty one year old Jackie. She then suggested using Robin, which was her daughter’s first name. In the fall of 1963, the single was released on the Dot Records label. As sales of the single surpassed one million copies the record reached the number fourteen position on the Billboard Hot 100 and in Canada it reached number thirty-one.

The next release was an album, however it only enjoyed limited success. In 1964 the second single release titled “Winter’s Here”, failed to make it on to the Hot 100.
When the singles success disappeared, she later focused on performing on several television programs, which included The Red Skelton Show, The Danny Kaye Show and The Carol Burnett Show. She also sang on commercials that numbered in the hundreds and on several television theme songs. Although her solo music career disappeared, she provided backing vocals on numerous recordings, which included Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Gordon Lightfoot, The Carpenters, Cass Elliot, Joan Baez and Barbara Steisand’s single titled “Stony End”. She also sang anonymously on the The Partridge Family recordings.

Here is Robin Ward’s number fourteen hit from 1963, “Wonderful Summer”.

Terry Stafford was born on November 22nd 1941 in Hollis, Oklahoma. At the age of
seven his family relocated to Amarillo, Texas. After graduating from high school in
1960, he briefly sang in a local rockabilly group. Then he moved Southern California with the intention of pursuing a music career. In Los Angeles, he was affiliated with A&M Records, but unfortunately it proved to be unsuccessful. Later Terry recorded a demo of a song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman titled “Suspicion”.

Interestingly, Elvis Presley had previously recorded the song at RCA’S Studio B in
Nashville, Tennessee in 1962. The Presley version only managed to peak at number 103. Terry’s version was recorded at the studio of producer Bob Summers, who played all of the instruments. Interestingly, Terry was noted for his vocal similarity to Presley. Terry and his manager then set out to pitch the demo to record labels in Los Angeles and local radio stations. KFWB disc jockey Gene Weed was impressed by the demo that he took it to the newly formed Crusader Record label. Interestingly, the recording had a rather unique rhythmic backing that sounded much like a trumpet, but in fact a French built electronic keyboard called an Ondioline, produced the sound. In January 1964 the single made its radio appearance in San Bernardino, California and later in February in Los Angeles. San Bernardino, which is located 60 miles east of Los Angeles, served as a test market for new Rock and Roll releases. If a single sold well, then it was released in larger markets. In March the single rose to number two and four on the hit parades of Los Angeles radio stations KRLA and KFWB. By April 4th 1964 “Suspicion” reached the number six position on the Billboard Hot 100. Interestingly, at that time the top five hits were by The Beatles. The following week, the single reached the number three spot and went on to sell over a million copies, earning a gold disc.

The follow up release titled “I’ll Touch a Star” only managed to reach the number
twenty-five position. Interestingly, both recordings were produced by Bob Summers who was the brother in law of guitarist Less Paul. Terry continued recording, but unfortunately was not able to duplicate the success of “Suspicion”. On March 17th, 1996, he passed away at the age of 54.

Here is Terry Stafford’s number three hit “Suspicion”.

This has been a look back at the careers of Robin Ward and Terry Stafford on One Hit Wonders. Until next time I’m your host Bill Price.