Saturday, April 26, 2008

The Five Americans - Western Union (1967)

Mp3 320\ 74 Mb
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The members of Five Americans first met in Durant, Oklahoma at South-eastern Oklahoma State University in 1962. Under the leadership of lead guitarist, Mike Rabon, they formed a group called the Mutineers. The band played local beer joints and frat dances until the summer of 1964, when Mike suggested that they go to Dallas to try and make enough money to pay for tuition for the following fall semester. With the onslaught of the "British Invasion" by bands with strange sounding names, the group also took on a new handle. They were not bugs or beasts of any kind, they were simply, Five Americans.
They achieved some local notoriety in a dive called the Pirate's Nook. There, they were discovered by a local record label called Abnak Records. John Abdnor, president of the label, took the group under his wing and provided them the resources to write and practice original songs. In the summer of 1965, they released an original tune entitled "I See The Light". The song went to the top twenty in Billboard Magazine and paved the way for a string of hits by the five. "I See The Light" was followed by "Evol-Not Love" which also charted in the top 40 nationwide.
Then came the biggest hit of all by the band, "Western Union". With Mike Rabon on lead vocal, this song, which was inspired by a Western Union telegram sign, went on to become number 6 on Billboard and number 3 on Cashbox. "Western Union" sold in excess of one million records and paved the way for the group to appear on American Bandstand twice and Where The Action Is 4 times as well as The Steve Allen Show.
"Western Union" was followed by a less gimmicky and more melodic song entitled "Sound Of Love" which charted in the top 40 as well. Then, bowing to pressure from DJ's the world over to write another communication song, they followed "Western Union" with "Zip Code", which also went top 40.
In 1969, after releasing "7:30 Guided Tour", which only made it to 96 on Billboard, the boys simply got tired of touring and of each other, and each went his own way. Mike Rabon signed with UNI records for one album and one single. Despite a good effort on Rabon's part, most of the promotion and attention went to the only other artist that UNI had signed at the time, Elton John. However, Rabon's group, Michael Rabon and Choctaw went on to become a very successful touring band through the mid-seventies in the South-Western states.
Eventually, Mike Rabon went back to college and got his masters degree in education and has been involved with school Administration and eventually became a music teacher in his home town of Hugo Oklahoma. He married and had two sons.
Bassist Jim Grant formed his own successful logo company in Dallas. One of his designs is the Chili's restaurant logo, a huge restaurant chain in the Southwest.
John Durrill was hired as the organ player for the Ventures, the group that strangely enough influenced The Five Americans in their early years. He also became a successful song writer, penning such hits as "Dark Lady" by Cher.
Guitarist Norman Ezell became a school teacher in Northern California and also a preacher.
Drummer, Jimmy Wright continued residing in Durant, Oklahoma where the Five got their start and played on commercial jingles from time to time.
The Five Americans where the first to achieve what no other group in Texas had done in 5 short years...selling millions of singles and albums. "Western Union" still gets airplay on oldies radio on average of 5000 times per month in the U.S. and Canada, and as of January of 1998, Western Union achieved the one million mark in airplay according to BMI, Broadcast Music INC.
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01. Wester Union02. Gimme Some Lovin'03. Husbands & Wives04. If I Could05. Sympathy06. Big Cities07. Sound Of Love08. I Put A Spell On You09. Tell Ann I Love Her10. Reality11. Now That It's Over12. See-Saw-Man13. Lovin' Is Livin' (Bonus)
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1 comment:

  1. I grew up with Wright's son. I didn't learn about his dad until last year. I could have throttled him. Love the music of the era and his dad had a chance to meet almost everyone who was anyone! On second thought, maybe that is why he didn't tell me - I may never have left them alone!

    ReplyDelete

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