roger smith

Description

DISCLAIMER: All rights reserved to the production companies and music labels that distributed and produced the music and performance respectively. I've only added the footage as a tribute for historical, entertainment, and creative purposes with no financial gain. Copyright infringement not intended. The Cuff Links "Guided Missiles" Dootone 409 A 1956. Please Enjoy! Our story begins, logically enough, in Tripoli, Libya. Alfred Gaitwood became director of the Garden City Glee Club. Why a glee club in Tripoli? Because they were stationed there in the Air Force. Alfred had been in since 1949, and, although he liked music, had never before been interested in singing. The Garden City Glee Club toured bases in Europe, winning contests as they went. In 1953, Alfred was transferred to a reserve unit in Pittsburgh, hooking up with some local civilians, singing with them as the "Smoothtones". The Smoothtones recorded two songs, both written and led by Alfred for Lennie Martin's local Jem label: "Bring Back Your Love"/"No Doubt About It," released in June 1955. Alfred transferred to McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, California as a personnel Sergeant Major and started singing with some other airmen in the Service Club. They decided to get together to form the proverbial "group." The one thing that wasn't a problem was a name; Alfred had long before decided that a great name for a group was the "Cuff Links" (he had a yellow shirt with French cuffs and brown cuff links, from which sprang the idea). Alfred had been writing songs in his spare time. In the fall of 1956 the group traveled down to Los Angeles to audition for Dootsie Williams. Dootsie liked the group, but not the songs. Alfred wasted no time in composing some new songs, including "Guided Missiles" (which he polished off in about five minutes). The title was a natural for an Air Force man; guided missiles were just coming into vogue. The Cuff Links found a recording studio in Sacramento and made a dub of "Guided Missiles," which they sent to Dootsie. They got a telegram the next day saying he was coming to town to sign them (to a one-year contract with a one-year option). At the ensuing Dootone session in October of 1956, they re-recorded "Guided Missiles" and "My Heart," one that Alfred wrote. The Cuff Links' original baritone decided that he would be better off having a date the day of the "Guided Missiles" session; he later cried when the record actually came out and was a hit. The members that made it to the studio were: Robert Truesdale (tenor), John Saxon (first tenor, second tenor, and baritone), Marshall Lamb (high tenor), Ed Tyson (baritone - rushed in at the last minute), and Alfred Gaitwood (bass). "Guided Missiles" was led by Robert Truesdale, and "My Heart" by John Saxon. Another member of the group was Roger Smith, who played guitar and piano. Released in November 1956, "Guided Missiles/My Heart" was just gimmicky enough to become a hit in several regions, making #2 in Pittsburgh. The flip was a rocker with a wild instrumental ending that Dootsie chopped off for some reason. The record was reviewed as "fair" on December 15, along with Fats Dominos' "Blue Monday," Gene & Eunice's "Bom Bom Lulu," the Nutmegs' "A Love So True," Alan Freed's "Rock 'n' Roll Boogie," and the Arrows' "No End To True Love." Dootsie Williams took to sending expensive cuff link sets to DJs who pushed the record (no doubt in lieu of royalties to the group). Sticking around for a couple of months, it became a Tip in Los Angeles on February 16. With typical hyperbole, a March Dooto ad proclaimed that the record was "exploding" in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and New Jersey. Although in existence for several years, Dootone was finally forced to change its name by the Duotone Company (makers of phonograph styluses). Thus, "Guided Missiles" had the distinction of being both the last Dootone and first Dooto release. The change was announced the week of Jan...