Archie Bleyer

Archie Bleyer (born June 12, 1909 in Corona , Queens , New York City , † March 20, 1989 in Sheboygan , Wisconsin ) was an American band leader , record producer and owner of the music label Cadence Records .

biography

Bleyer began playing the piano at the age of seven . In 1927 he went to Columbia College ( Columbia University ) and wanted to be an electrical engineer . In the second year of his studies he switched to music , but did not complete his training and became an arranger .

In 1934 he founded his own orchestra in Hollywood . Bleyer's big band released on Brunswick Records ; one of the singers of the band was Johnny Mercer , the later songwriter and co-founder of Capitol Records .

In 1946, Bleyer became the musical director of Arthur Godfrey for his radio and television shows, a position he held until 1953. In 1952 he founded the record company Cadence Records , whose first artist was Godfrey's protégé Julius La Rosa . In addition to the instrumental recordings of his band, records by other artists were also hits on the label . In 1954, the singing group The Chordettes delivered a number one hit with “Mister Sandman” , on which Archie Bleyer can also be heard. In the same year he married Janet Ertel, one of the singers of the Chordettes .

After initial success with Julius La Rosa's hits, Bleyer was also able to place records by artists such as Andy Williams and, from 1956, the Everly Brothers in the charts. Everly Brothers hits like “ Bye Bye Love ” or “ Wake Up Little Susie ” were produced by Bleyer in Nashville with country studio musicians, primarily with Chet Atkins .

Reluctantly, Bleyer signed the band of guitarist Link Wray in 1958 . He did not like the appearance of the guitarist, among other things because he pierced the membrane of the guitar speakers to achieve a special sound. Link Wray's first single Ray Men Rumble became a world hit.

When the musical landscape changed with the rise of the Beatles and the British Invasion , Bleyer couldn't accept that the business was changing. He sold Cadence Records in 1964 including all master tapes to Andy Williams. Today the Cadence catalog belongs to Sony BMG Music .

Archie Bleyer and his Cadence Records were the models for Phil Spector and his Philles record label .

Archie Bleyer died in 1989, a few months after the death of his wife, in her hometown of Sheboygan from complications from Parkinson's disease .

Hit singles

• 1954: Hernando's Hideaway (US # 2)
• 1954: The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane (US # 17)
• 1956: Rockin 'Ghost

Web links

• Archie Bleyer in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Biography at Black Cat Rockabilly (English)