Our Randy Hamilton was born to sing songs like this. He and Danny Cox brought us “Spooky” last summer and we’ve been loving it ever since.
Especially when we added Sam St. Clair’s funky harmonica and Jack Nuckols’ tasty percussion.
About the Song
As reported here earlier, while The Classics IV made the lyrics famous with a chart-topper in the fall of 1967, the story of “Spooky” began several years earlier in an Atlanta club. Following a show sometimes in 1965, saxophonist Mike Sharpe (Shapiro) and his band mate pianist Harry Middlebrooks Jr. began riffing on the George Gershwin classic, “Summertime.”
As they improvised, they realized they had stumbled upon something special. As they continued, the duo developed their own melody, to which Sharpe randomly assigned the name “Spooky.”
The original version was recorded as a jazz instrumental featuring strange high voices to enhance the eerie vibe; it eventually peaked at No. 57 on the U.S. charts in January 1966.
Sharpe and Middlebrooks initially thought the song’s life cycle ended there, but a year later, The Classics IV added those lyrics about that “spooky little girl like you,” propelling the track to No. 3 on the Billboard 100.
Harry’s Story
Meanwhile, as “Spooky” was conquering the airwaves, co-writer Harry Middlebrooks was entering one of the most high-energy phases of his career: touring with Elvis Presley. It was the fall of 1970 when Middlebrooks received a call from Elvis’s producer, Felton Jarvis, inviting him to join The King’s first tour in 10 years.
Middlebrooks served a unique dual role on the road: he performed as part of the opening act to warm up the crowd and sang tenor in the backup quartet, providing the vocal harmonies essential to Elvis’s ‘70s sound.
In a moment of professional synergy, Elvis, who was fond of “Spooky,” actually performed a cover of the Sharpe-Middlebrooks’ hit during various live shows and rehearsals in 1970.
Beyond his most famous composition, Middlebrooks established himself as a prolific figure in the entertainment industry. He composed for television and penned more 300 tunes recorded by such diverse artists as Tom Jones, Liberace and The Oak Ridge Boys.
Middlebrooks recorded several albums for Reprise and Capitol Records and established himself on the club scene in Southern California, eventually singing at more 80 clubs.
He became an in-demand session and backup singer for Neil Diamond, Anne Murray, Marty Robbins and others. In particular, he relished his seven-year run backing Glen Campbell for his Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe concerts.
Another Helping of Randy Tunes?
So, has today’s podcast got you hankering for more tunes from Randy Hamilton? Coming right up!
Just drop by the free Radio Floodango music streaming service and click into the Randy Channel for a randomized playlist of Hamilton-centric songs from The Flood repertoire. Or just click here to take the express route!
