Seymour "Cy" Coben (4 April 1919 – 26 May 2006) was an American songwriter, whose hits were recorded by bandleaders, country singers, and other artists such as
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...
,
Tommy Cooper and
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy (; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, famed for playing Spock in the '' Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes originating Spock in the original ''Star Trek'' series in 1966, th ...
.
Biography
Early life
Coben was born in
Jersey City,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, United States, the youngest son of Harris ("Harry") Cohen and Nettie Brandt Cohen, and was originally named Seymour. His father was a wholesale meat supplier in New York City. Coben learned to play the trumpet and studied at a local music academy. In 1942 he had his first charting song with "My Little Cousin", which
Benny Goodman's orchestra and vocalist
Peggy Lee took to No. 14. Coben spent the next several years in the Navy, serving in the South Pacific as a pharmacist's mate. On his return in 1946, he resumed his song writing career. He wrote "A Good Woman's Love" for his wife Shirley Nagel, whom he married in 1948.
Post-war career
In 1947, Coben wrote a
novelty song
A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and wit ...
called "(When You See) Those Flying Saucers" which was released as a single by the
Buchanan Brothers
The Buchanan Brothers were two brothers, Chester and Lester Buchanan, who recorded country music during the 1940s on the RCA Victor label. They had a top ten hit, "Atomic Power", released in August 1946; this song was also featured in the 1982 mov ...
; his co-author was
Charles Randolph Grean
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...
, who was working for RCA/Victor. Grean was to become a long-time collaborator of Coben's. In 1949, Coben first visited Nashville and soon became a part of the music business there. In Nashville, Coben wrote for a variety of artists, but was especially associated with
Eddy Arnold
Richard Edward Arnold (May 15, 1918 – May 8, 2008) was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a Nashville sound (country/popular music) innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the ''Billboard'' cou ...
; he wrote "
There's Been a Change in Me" and "
I Wanna Play House With You," two No. 1 country hits for Arnold in 1951, and went on to write many other songs for him, often with Charles Grean, who was Arnold's manager - "
Eddy's Song", a No. 1 country hit in 1953; "Free Home Demonstration" (No. 4 country) in 1954, and others. Coben and Grean also wrote songs for other artists, such as their version of "
Sweet Violets", which charted for
Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, and television personality, and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during ...
and
Jane Turzy in 1951.
Coben wrote "
Nobody's Child" with Mel Foree;
Hank Snow
Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow (May 9, 1914 – December 20, 1999) was a Canadian-American country music artist. Most popular in the 1950s, he had a career that spanned more than 50 years, he recorded 140 albums and charted more than 85 singles on ...
recorded it in 1949.
Lonnie Donegan
Anthony James Donegan (29 April 1931 – 3 November 2002), known as Lonnie Donegan, was a British skiffle singer, songwriter and musician, referred to as the " King of Skiffle", who influenced 1960s British pop and rock musicians. Born in Scot ...
later brought it to the United Kingdom, and the Beatles recorded it during their early days playing in
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
.
Coben wrote many novelty songs; one of his biggest novelty hits was "The Old
Piano Roll Blues
The Piano Roll Blues or Old Piano Roll Blues is a figure of speech designating a legal argument (or the response to that argument) made in US patent law relating to computer software. The argument is that a newly programmed general-purpose digital ...
" (1950). He also wrote for
Homer and Jethro
Homer and Jethro were the stage names of American country music duo Henry D. "Homer" Haynes (1920–1971) and Kenneth C. "Jethro" Burns (1920–1989), popular from the 1940s through the 1960s on radio and television for their satirical versio ...
- "The Billboard Song" became a much-recorded favorite, and "Don't Jump Off the Roof, Dad" was later a hit for British comedian
Tommy Cooper. Coben wrote "How to Catch a Man" for country comedian
Minnie Pearl
Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon (October 25, 1912 – March 4, 1996), known professionally as her stage character Minnie Pearl, was an American comedian who appeared at the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years (1940–1991) and on the television ...
and it became one of her standards. In 1977 country-rock band The
New Riders of the Purple Sage recorded Coben's "Red Hot Women and Ice Cold Beer," in which Coben drew on his World War II experience in the U.S. Navy to describe what sailors wanted. His old collaborator Charles Grean was
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy (; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, famed for playing Spock in the '' Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes originating Spock in the original ''Star Trek'' series in 1966, th ...
's record producer, and Coben wrote several songs for him, such as "Alien" and "The Difference Between Us".
Reception in Europe
Coben's humor and sentiment translated well to the European market.
Bill Ramsey took Coben's "Souvenirs" to No. 1 in Germany in 1959, and Belgian star
Will Tura
Arthur Achiel Albert, Knight Blanckaert (born 2 August 1940 in Veurne), known by his stage name Will Tura, is a Belgian artist famous in Flanders and the Netherlands. Tura is a singer, musician (he plays the piano, guitar, drums, accordion and h ...
recorded a number of Coben tunes ("Show Me the Man"/"Waar is de man"; "The Great El Tigre"/"El Bandido"). "Goethe War Gut" charted in Germany for
Rudi Carrell
Rudi Carrell (born Rudolf Wijbrand Kesselaar; 19 December 1934 – 7 July 2006) was a Dutch entertainer. Along with famous entertainers such as Johannes Heesters and Linda de Mol, he was one of the most successful Dutch personalities active in ...
in 1978.
Later career
Comedian
Sheb Wooley's 1968 song "Country Music Hall of Fame" (as
Hee Haw
''Hee Haw'' is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with the fictional rural "Kornfield Kounty" as the backdrop. It aired first-run on CBS from 1969 to 1971, in syndication from 1971 to 1993, and on TNN from 1 ...
regular "Ben Colder") envisioned Coben as a Hall of Fame inductee. But Coben was never elected to the
Country Music Hall of Fame
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amas ...
or the
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1970 by the Nashville Songwriters Foundation, Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. A non-profit organization, its objective is to honor and preserve the songwriting legacy that is ...
, according to his friend "Cowboy"
Jack Clement
Jack Henderson Clement (April 5, 1931 – August 8, 2013) was an American singer, songwriter, and record and film producer.
Biography Early life
Raised and educated in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, Clement was performing at an early age, ...
, because "the young folks just don't know about him."
Coben retired to
Atherton, California. He died on May 26, 2006, aged 87.
Charting hits
*"My Little Cousin" (Coben/Happy Lewis/Sam Braverman) - No. 14 hit for Benny Goodman/Peggy Lee in 1942
*"There's No Wings On My Angel" (Coben/Arnold/Doug Melsher) - No. 6 Country/Western hit for Eddy Arnold, 1949
*"I Love the Guy" (Coben) - No. 10 pop hit for
Sarah Vaughan and No. 22 for
Fran Warren in 1950
*"Old Piano Roll Blues" - in 1950, charted for
Hoagy Carmichael
Hoagland Howard Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, actor and lawyer. Carmichael was one of the most successful Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the 1930s, and was among the first ...
and Cass Daley (No. 11);
Lawrence Cook (No. 13); Cliff Steward and the San Francisco Boys (No. 18);
Eddie Cantor,
Lisa Kirk
Lisa Kirk (born Elsie Kirk, February 25, 1925 – November 11, 1990) was an American actress and singer noted for her comic talents and rich contralto (her voice was called a husky alto).
Career
Born in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, she was raise ...
, and the
Sammy Kaye
Sammy Kaye (born Samuel Zarnocay Jr.; March 13, 1910 – June 2, 1987) was an American bandleader and songwriter, whose tag line, "Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye", became one of the most famous of the Big Band Era. The expression springs fr ...
Orchestra (No. 25);
Jan Garber
Jan Garber (born Jacob Charles Garber, November 5, 1894 – October 5, 1977) was an American violinist and jazz bandleader.
Biography
Garber was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He had his own band by the time he was 21. He became known as "The ...
and His Orchestra (No. 30); and
The Jubalaires The Jubalaires were an American gospel group active between 1940 and 1950. Previously known as the Royal Harmony Singers in 1936, the band was known for song verses delivered in a rhythmic, rhyming style that has been described as an early version ...
(No. 25). It also appeared on the soundtrack of the 1951 movie ''
Rich, Young and Pretty
''Rich, Young and Pretty'' is a 1951 musical film produced by Joe Pasternak for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Norman Taurog. Written by Dorothy Cooper and adapted as a screenplay by Cooper and Sidney Sheldon, it stars Jane Powell, Daniell ...
''
[David F. Lonergan, ''Hit Records, 1950-1975'', Oxford, UK: Scarecrow Press, 2005, p. 165.]
*"There's Been a Change in Me" (Coben) - No. 1 Country/Western hit for Eddy Arnold, 1951
*"I Wanna Play House with You" (Coben) - No. 1 Country/Western hit for Eddy Arnold, 1951
*"Meanderin'" (Coben/George Botsford/Charles R. Grean) - No. 28 pop hit for
Vaughn Monroe
Vaughn Wilton Monroe (October 7, 1911 – May 21, 1973) was an American baritone singer, trumpeter, big band leader, actor, and businessman, who was most popular in the 1940s and 1950s. He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for rec ...
in 1951
*"Something Old, Something New" (Coben/Grean) - B side of "I Wanna Play House with You", reached No. 4 for Arnold
*"
Sweet Violets" - arranged by Coben and Grean; No. 3 pop hit for
Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, and television personality, and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during ...
, 1951; another 1951 version by
Jane Turzy reached No. 11 on the Billboard jukebox chart, and Doris Drew took it to No. 22
*"Lonely Little Robin" (Coben) - No. 14 jukebox hit for The Pinetoppers in 1951; also No. 25 radio hit for
Mindy Carson
Mindy Carson is an American former traditional pop vocalist. She was heard often on radio during the 1940s and 1950s.
Early years
Carson grew up in the Bronx, graduating from James Monroe High School. After graduation, she took a position as typ ...
*"Never Been Kissed" (Coben/Grean) - No. 19 pop hit for
Freddy Martin
Frederick Alfred Martin (December 9, 1906 – September 30, 1983) was an American bandleader and tenor saxophonist.
Early life
Freddy Martin was born in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Raised largely in an orphanage and by various relatives, ...
in 1951
*"
Easy on the Eyes" (Coben/Arnold) - No. 1 Country/Western hit for Eddy Arnold, 1952
*"
Lady's Man
A ladies' man or lady's man is a man who enjoys spending time socially with women, who strives to please them and that women find attractive.
Ladies' man or lady's man may also refer to:
Literature
* ''Ladies' Man'' (novel), a 1978 novel by R ...
" (Cy Coben) - No. 2 Country/Western hit for
Hank Snow
Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow (May 9, 1914 – December 20, 1999) was a Canadian-American country music artist. Most popular in the 1950s, he had a career that spanned more than 50 years, he recorded 140 albums and charted more than 85 singles on ...
in 1952
*"Older and Bolder" (Cy Coben) - No. 3 Country/Western hit for Eddy Arnold in 1952
*"Do I Like It" (Coben) - No. 6 C/W hit for
Carl Smith in 1953
*"
Eddy's Song" (Charlie Grean, Cy Coben) - No. 1 Country/Western hit for Eddy Arnold in 1953
*"Free Home Demonstration" (Grean, Coben) - No. 4 Country/Western hit for Eddy Arnold in 1953
*"Beware of 'It'" - No. 9 C/W hit for
Johnnie & Jack
Johnnie & Jack were an American country music duo, composed of Johnnie Wright (1914–2011) and Jack Anglin (1916–1963). The duo became members of the Grand Ole Opry in the 1940s. Between 1951 and 1962, the duo released several singles on the ...
in 1954
*"Hep Cat Baby" - No. 7 Country/Western hit for Eddy Arnold in 1954
*"That Crazy Mambo Thing" - No. 10 C/W hit for Hank Snow in 1954
*"Would You Mind" - No. 3 C/W hit for Hank Snow, 1955
*"I Saw Esau" - No. 51 pop hit for
The Ames Brothers
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
in 1956
*"My Treasure" (Coben/Bill Templeton) - No. 31 pop hit for
The Hilltoppers in 1956
*"Souvenirs" (Coben) - No. 1 hit in Germany for
Bill Ramsey in 1959
*"Souvenirs, Souvenirs" (Coben) The
Johnny Hallyday
Jean-Philippe Léo Smet (; 15 June 1943 – 5 December 2017), better known by his stage name Johnny Hallyday, was a French rock and roll and pop singer and actor, credited for having brought rock and roll to France.
During a career spanning 57 ...
version of Coben's "Souvenirs", as adapted in French by Fernand Bonifay, was Hallyday's very first smash hit in France (#13), issued on June 13, 1960.
*"Don't Jump Off the Roof, Dad" - charted in the UK for
Tommy Cooper in 1961
*"That Greasy Kid Stuff" - reached No. 74 for Janie Grant in 1962
*"I'm a Walkin' Advertisement (For the Blues)" - No. 32 Country hit for
Norma Jean in 1964
*"The Great El Tigre (The Tiger)" (Coben) - No. 32 Country hit for
Stu Phillips in 1966
*"The Game of Triangles" (Coben) - No. 5 Country hit for Norma Jean,
Liz Anderson
Liz is a female name of Hebrew origin, meaning "God's Promise". It is also a short form of Elizabeth, Elisabeth, Lisbeth, Lizanne, Liszbeth, Lizbeth, Lizabeth, Lyzbeth, Lisa, Lizette, Alyssa, and Eliza.
People
* Liz Balmaseda (born 1959), Pu ...
, and
Bobby Bare in 1966
*"
Burning a Hole in My Mind" (Coben) - No. 5 C/W hit for
Connie Smith
Connie Smith (born Constance June Meador; August 14, 1941) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Her contralto vocals have been described by music writers as significant and influential to the women of country music. A similarity h ...
, 1967
*"Chet's Tune" (Coben) - No. 38 country hit by "Some of Chet's Friends" (a tribute to
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music ...
, who was a friend of Coben)
*"Nobody's Child" (Coben/Mel Foree)- charted for
Hank Williams Jr.
Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of southern rock, blues, and country. He is the son of ...
(No. 46 Country, 1967),
Karen Young (
UK No. 6, 1969)
*"
The Name of the Game Was Love
"The Name of the Game Was Love" is a single by Canadian country music artist Hank Snow. It was written by Cy Coben. The song peaked at number 1 on the ''RPM'' Country Tracks chart. It also reached number 16 on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Single ...
" (Coben) - No. 16 Country for Hank Snow in 1969
*"Johnny's Cash and Charley's Pride" (Coben) - No. 38 C/W for
Mac Wiseman
Malcolm Bell Wiseman (May 23, 1925 – February 24, 2019) was an American bluegrass and country singer.
Early life
He was born on May 23, 1925, in Crimora, Virginia. He attended school in New Hope, Virginia, and graduated from high school the ...
in 1969
*"A Good Woman's Love" (Coben) - charted for
Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed Hubbard (March 20, 1937 – September 1, 2008) was an American singer, guitarist, composer, and songwriter as well as an actor who appeared in more than a dozen films. His signature songs included " Guitar Man", " U.S. Male", "A Thi ...
(No. 12 Country, 1974)
*"Goethe War Gut" (Cy Coben, Charles Grean, Thomas Woitkewitsch) - charted in Germany for
Rudi Carrell
Rudi Carrell (born Rudolf Wijbrand Kesselaar; 19 December 1934 – 7 July 2006) was a Dutch entertainer. Along with famous entertainers such as Johannes Heesters and Linda de Mol, he was one of the most successful Dutch personalities active in ...
in 1978
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coben, Cy
American country songwriters
American male songwriters
Jewish songwriters
Musicians from Jersey City, New Jersey
1919 births
2006 deaths
20th-century American musicians
Songwriters from New Jersey
People from Atherton, California
20th-century American male musicians