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Posted: |
Aug 24, 2016 - 10:14 PM
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By: |
acshore86
(Member)
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Hi Folks,
My first posting, but happy that it is one of merit... Much speculation has surround the Sal Mineo/Juliet Prowse cult vehicle, "Who Killed Teddy Bear?". Upon its limited release in 1965, the original 94-minute and some-odd-second film has suffered two edits; one being 90 minutes, the other at 87 minutes. Due to its low budget, credits for the vocalists in the film are for the most part a mystery. That is, up until now!
I contacted Al Kasha a week ago. He was so kind to me; his reputation as a devoted man to his craft and utmost kindness is, I assure you, of full truth. There are several different female vocalists who recorded the title song. The one used in the film - as documented back in 1965 and confirmed by Kasha in our conversation a week or so ago - was Rita Dyson. Dyson apparently was a performer at the Apollo with acts such as Jerry Butler and Lionel Hampton; even cutting an album with Hampton which may or may not have been released. I have a feeling she might have performed under a different name during her live act. She ended up operating a multicultural bookstore in the Los Angeles area of Pasadena but it folded in 1993. I finally tracked her down but she did not reply to my inquiry. Still, Kasha did confirm Rita as the singer in the film. Singer Mikki Young (more-often known as Claire Francis) who performed with Herbie Hancock recorded a cover for Polydor, as well as Leslie Uggams on Atlantic. When I worked for a radio station some odd years ago, I had the question posed to Uggams when she was our guest, and she stated she only did the song as a cover recording.
The three other songs in the film, "Born to Be Bad", "It Could Have Been Me", "Toothbrush and Comb", were sung by Al Kasha himself. Google some of his 45's, same voice. Kasha said he still has all the recordings done for the film and I suggested he release them. He told me he thought it was a good idea and was going to talk with his secretary.
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