Wayne Shanklin (June 6, 1917 – June 16, 1970) was an American singer, songwriter and producer. His best known compositions were "
", "
Chanson D'Amour (Song of Love)", and "
The Big Hurt".
Personal life
Shanklin was born June 6, 1916, in
Joplin, Missouri
Joplin is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, Jasper and Newton County, Missouri, Newton counties in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bulk of the city is in Jasper County, while the southern portion is in Newton County. J ...
to Virra (Storrs) and Nathaniel Shanklin Jr. He had one brother, Nathaniel Noel, and one sister, Dorothy.
He married Grace Bastin in 1934. They had five children: Carolyn, Barbara Faye, Darlene May, Pamela Judith, and Wayne Shanklin Jr. Wayne and Grace divorced in 1942. Later that same year he married Gloria Hansen. They had four children: Helen, Martha, Timothy Michael, and Thorne Scott Shanklin. Wayne and Gloria divorced on August 31, 1960. In 1960, there is a record of Wayne marrying a Trudy Hancock.
He married his longtime secretary, Victoria Helen Hamway, on January 25, 1965. On August 31, 1965, his youngest boy of many children, Edward Windsor Shanklin, was born.
Some sources state that Shanklin and
Miss Toni Fisher
Toni Fisher (born Marion Colleen Nolan; December 4, 1924 – January 11, 1999), also billed on her records as Miss Toni Fisher, was an American pop singer. She was known for her recordings of "The Big Hurt", "West of the Wall", "Maybe (He'll ...
were married at some point, but no record of the marriage is known to exist. Fisher's daughter, Chris Miller, later married Shanklin's son, Timothy Michael Shanklin. They had one known child.
Wayne Shanklin died June 16, 1970, from a heart attack in
Orange County, California
Orange County is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,186,989, making it the third-most-populous county in California, the sixth-most-populous in the United States, a ...
. He was survived by his many children, wife Vicki, ex-wives and common-law wives.
Music career
In the early 1950s, Shanklin wrote with
Al Sherman
Avrum Sherman (September 7, 1897 – September 16, 1973), pen name Al Sherman, was a Russian-American songwriter and composer active during the Tin Pan Alley era in American music history. Some of his most recognizable song titles include: "Yo ...
as well as Sherman's sons,
Robert
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
and
Richard
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Frankish language, Old Frankish and is a Compound (linguistics), compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' an ...
, who worked under
pseudonyms
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
at the time. Shanklin also contributed music to a number of films: "Kiss Me Quick" was featured in the 1957
Randolph Scott
George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor whose career spanned the years from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of ...
western ''
Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend
''Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Richard L. Bare and starring Randolph Scott, James Craig, Angie Dickinson and James Garner.
James Garner, who had a small role, said "it was always fun working with Di ...
'' and "I Leaned On A Man" was sung by
Virginia Mayo
Virginia Mayo (born Virginia Clara Jones; November 30, 1920 – January 17, 2005) was an American actress and dancer. She was in a series of comedy films with Danny Kaye and was Warner Brothers' biggest box-office money-maker in the late 1940s. ...
in ''
The Big Land
''The Big Land'' is a 1957 American Western film in Warnercolor directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Alan Ladd, Virginia Mayo and Edmond O'Brien
Plot
Back home in Texas following the Civil War, former Confederate officer Chad Morgan ( Alan ...
''.
Shanklin founded the independent record label
Signet Records in Los Angeles in 1959. One of the label's early successes was a song written by Shanklin, "
The Big Hurt", which became a #3 hit in early 1960 for
Miss Toni Fisher
Toni Fisher (born Marion Colleen Nolan; December 4, 1924 – January 11, 1999), also billed on her records as Miss Toni Fisher, was an American pop singer. She was known for her recordings of "The Big Hurt", "West of the Wall", "Maybe (He'll ...
, and is also claimed to be the first commercial use of the production phasing technique known as "
flanging
Flanging is an audio effect produced by mixing two identical signals together, one signal delayed by a small and (usually) gradually changing period, usually smaller than 20 milliseconds. This produces a swept comb filter effect: peaks and not ...
".
Shanklin wrote several hit songs, including "
Primrose Lane
"Primrose Lane" is a song made famous by country music singer Jerry Wallace. Originally released in 1959, the song rose to number 8 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The song was ranked #47 on '' Billboard'' magazine's '' Top Hot 100'' songs of 195 ...
" (1959), recorded by
Jerry Wallace
Jerry Leon Wallace (December 15, 1928 – May 5, 2008) was an American country and pop singer. Between 1958 and 1964, Wallace charted nine hits on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, including the No. 8 "Primrose Lane" that was later used as the theme ...
, and "
", recorded by
Frankie Laine
Frankie Laine (born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio; March 30, 1913 – February 6, 2007) was an American Singing, singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned nearly 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to hi ...
in 1951. Shanklin's best-known composition is the song "
Chanson D'Amour (Song of Love)". It was first recorded in 1958 in two competing versions by
Art and Dotty Todd and
The Fontane Sisters
The Fontane Sisters were a trio (Bea, Geri and Marge Rosse) from New Milford, New Jersey.
Early years
Born to an Italian family, their mother, Louise Rosse, was both a soloist and the leader of the St. Joseph's Church choir in New Milford. Bea ...
, both of which were successful.
Shanklin composed the original music for the 1961 film ''
Angel Baby'', starring
George Hamilton and
Mercedes McCambridge
Carlotta Mercedes Agnes McCambridge (March 16, 1916 – March 2, 2004) was an American actress of radio, stage, film, and television. Orson Welles called her "the world's greatest living radio actress." She won an Academy Award for Best Support ...
. Shanklin also wrote Miss
Toni Fisher
Toni Fisher (born Marion Colleen Nolan; December 4, 1924 – January 11, 1999), also billed on her records as Miss Toni Fisher, was an American pop singer. She was known for her recordings of "The Big Hurt", "West of the Wall", "Maybe (He'll ...
's 1962 single "
West of the Wall", which dealt with the partition of East and West Germany and the erection of the
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall (german: Berliner Mauer, ) was a guarded concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and East Germany (GDR). Construction of the Berlin Wall was commenced by the government ...
(although the same melody and arrangement were used previously for an obscure Fisher single on Signet called "Toot Toot Amore").
Covers
"
Chanson D'Amour (Song of Love)" was later covered by
The Lettermen
The Lettermen are an American male pop vocal trio. The Lettermen's trademark is close-harmony pop songs with light arrangements. The group started in 1959. They have had two Top 10 singles (both No. 7), 16 Top 10 singles on the Adult Contempor ...
in the 1960s and was revived with great success by vocal jazz quartet
The Manhattan Transfer
The Manhattan Transfer is a Grammy award–winning vocal group founded in 1969 that has explored a cappella, vocalese, swing, standards, Brazilian jazz, rhythm and blues, and pop music.
There have been two editions of the Manhattan Transfer, ...
in 1976. Also covered in 1958 by
Ray Hartley on harpsichord with the David Terry Orchestra and produced by RCA Victor's Eddie Heller.
"
" was covered (as an instrumental) by Australian teenage guitar prodigy
Rob E.G. in 1963, as well as by
Herman's Hermits
Herman's Hermits are an English beat, rock and pop group formed in 1964 in Manchester, originally called Herman and His Hermits and featuring lead singer Peter Noone. Produced by Mickie Most, the Hermits charted with number ones in the UK a ...
in 1967. Shanklin's son Windsor and his band Jaz Dyin recorded a cover of "Jezebel" in 1983.
"
Primrose Lane
"Primrose Lane" is a song made famous by country music singer Jerry Wallace. Originally released in 1959, the song rose to number 8 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The song was ranked #47 on '' Billboard'' magazine's '' Top Hot 100'' songs of 195 ...
" was used as the theme song for the 1971-72 sitcom ''
The Smith Family'', sung by
Mike Minor.
Shanklin's songs were used in several recent films: "Primrose Lane" in ''
Primary Colors
A set of primary colors or primary colours (see spelling differences) consists of colorants or colored lights that can be mixed in varying amounts to produce a gamut of colors. This is the essential method used to create the perception of a bro ...
'' (1998) and "Chanson D'Amour" in ''
Eyes Wide Shut
''Eyes Wide Shut'' is a 1999 erotic mystery psychological drama film directed, produced, and co-written by Stanley Kubrick. It is based on the 1926 novella '' Traumnovelle'' (''Dream Story'') by Arthur Schnitzler, transferring the story's sett ...
'' (1999).
Anna Calvi
Anna Margaret Michelle Calvi (born 24 September 1980) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her accolades include three Mercury Prize nominations, one Brit Award nomination, and a European Border Breakers Award. She has been noted by ...
covered "Jezebel" which was released on
Domino Records on October 11, 2010.
Discography
Singles
*"Up To My Pockets In Tomahawks"/"Plink-a-Plink (Melody For Mandolin)" (Fabor 4007, 1955)
*"I Leaned On A Man"/"Stop The Rain In Lover's Lane, For Me Cherie" (Coral 61793, 1957)
*"Little Child (Daddy Dear)"/"Somebody Up There Loves Us" (Coral 93 313, Germany, 1957)
*"Beach Boy"/"The Star Of Love" (Yankee Doodle 110, 1962) (Martha Shanklin with Wayne Shanklin & Orch.)
Album
*''The Modern Minstrel'' (Coral CRL 67124, 1957).
[The September 16, 1957 issue of ]Billboard magazine
''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...
(p. 56) reviewed the LP in the Folk section: "Wayne Shanklin plays 12 of his songs here including "Jezebel", "Company Money", "The Vanishing Navajo", etc. Material is strongly folk in feeling -- except for the fact that the themes are generally modern and relevant to present-day life. The performances are simple and affecting. He accompanies himself on the Lyric harp guitar."
:Side 1: "Jezebel", "Country Doctor", "Company Money", "The Vanishing Navajo", "Jockey Martin", "Little Child"
:Side 2: "Who Will Sing My Song", "Eyes Of Green", "Lonesome, Lonesome, Blues", "I Leaned On A Man", "The Ballad Of Sandy MacAfee", "Somebody Up There Loves Us"
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shanklin, Wayne
1916 births
1970 deaths
People from Joplin, Missouri
Songwriters from Missouri
American male composers
American music arrangers
Record producers from Missouri
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American composers
20th-century American male musicians
American male songwriters