Airdate – Sep 04, 2022
In 1935 local Pittsburgh bandleader, Stan Vintula, welcomed his son, Stanley Robert Vintula Jr. into the world. His son would soon be known by his stage name, Bobby Vinton.
While a young boy, Vinton began studying music. At the age of 15 he had his first band, a trio, originally named the Hilites. Vinton would soon go on his own and eventually signed with Epic Records, a label that produced his first 39 charted songs.
What is interesting to note is the fact that Vinton’s parting did not impede the careers of the two remaining members of the Hilites who would go on to have a national hit record in 1959 …
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The two remaining members of the Hilites, Mike Lazo and Gene Schacter, were drafted into the Army and sang at USO shows while stationed together in Korea.
In 1957, fresh out of the service, Lazo and Schacter teamed up with two Duquesne University music majors, song writer Jim Drake and saxophonist Tom Minito.
While performing at local record hops, their rich harmonies caught the attention of Jack Gold, who was managing Lou Christie at the time. Gold subsequently persuaded Dave Kapp to sign the quartet to his New York based Kapp Records label.
The initial 3 records the group cut for Kapp went nowhere and then fate kicked in one Friday at the Brill Building in June 1959.
Songwriters Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards literally finished writing a song and pitched Jack Gold that afternoon. Gold brought the rights to it for $500 on the spot and had the group on a plane to New York the next day. By the following Friday, the song was getting airplay on station WNEW.
It was released on the short-lived Climax label and, ironically, broke on the West Coast in San Francisco. In late August of 1959, the record peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #23.
A testament to a good song, it was covered by the Happenings in 1966 and went to #3 on the national charts.
A beautiful ballad that features great harmonies and expresses the anxiousness of someone in love, here is the original version by the Tempos who make it quite clear to their loved one of their wish to “See You In September,” this week’s Tom Locke moment in time.
YouTube video of this song:
