Dick Hafner - DOWN AND OUT LIFE (Gold Star Studio) (1963)

Описание: NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED - (Silver Streak 316) Out of Los Angeles, this production of 'Down And Out Life' from May 1963, would be the first of three versions of the tune, all of which would be recorded in studio 'A' at Hollywood's Gold Star Studios. With a somewhat over the top, stereotypical lounge lizard vocal delivery, Dick Hafner actually sounds pretty cool singing over the uncredited Perry Botkin, Jr. arrangement. A few months later, with the title shortened to simply, 'Down And Out', George Freeman recorded his version and issued it on the Valiant label. The passing of time has made that version a highly sought after collectible among American Soul collectors. The third version from 1964, feature the square and squeaky-clean vocals of the Four Winds who were most known as The Wellingtons on ABC-TV's, 'Shindig!'. Their version utilized the same backing track heard on the George Freeman version without the use of the shaking maracas. Too bad.....
While neither version of this tune made the charts, they all certainly have their own musical beauty and most certainly deserved a better fate than ultimately languishing in obscurity.

(I'm always a fan of these tiny L.A. record labels and Silver Streak was most certainly a tiny record label. In December 2014, YouTube user, PAUL ROBIN, added this interesting bit of musical trivia regarding the label:
".....Hi Anthony,
I actually wrote both sides of a record released on this label by a "group" called the Goobers (Is It Worth It b/w The Breakaway). It was actually a friend of mine named Fred Schwartz and the label owner, Tony Savonne, who sang on the record too. Tony Savonne was "Tony" of Tony & Joe who recorded "The Freeze"
Paul Robin....."

Listen to the 1964 version by the FOUR WINDS (Wellingtons):    • Four Winds  (Wellingtons) - DOWN AND OUT  ...  
Listen to the 1963 version by GEORGE FREEMAN:    • George Freeman - DOWN AND OUT (Gold Star S...