Leon René
Encyclopedia
Leon René was an American
music composer
of R&B
and rock and roll
songs in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. He sometimes used the songwriting pseudonym Jimmy (or Jimmie) Thomas. He also established several record labels. René died in Los Angeles, California
at the age of 80.
he is perhaps best known for his hit song "When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano
". The song, written as a tribute to the annual springtime return of the Cliff Swallow
s to Mission San Juan Capistrano
in Southern California
, spent several weeks at the top of Your Hit Parade
charts during its initial release in 1940. The lyrics say:
The song has been recorded by such musicians as The Ink Spots
, Fred Waring
, Guy Lombardo
, and Glenn Miller
. A glassed-off room in the mission has been designated in René's honor and displays the upright piano on which he composed the tune, the reception desk from his office and several copies of the song's sheet music and other pieces of furniture, all donated by René's family.
René's other works included "When It's Sleepy Time Down South
" (with Clarence Muse
and brother Otis René), "Gloria
", and such rock staples as "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman
", "Rockin' Robin
", and "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus
".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
music composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
and rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
songs in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. He sometimes used the songwriting pseudonym Jimmy (or Jimmie) Thomas. He also established several record labels. René died in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
at the age of 80.
Career
Born in Covington, LouisianaCovington, Louisiana
Covington is a city in and the parish seat of St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,483 at the 2000 census. It is located at a fork of the Bogue Falaya and the Tchefuncte River....
he is perhaps best known for his hit song "When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano
When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano
When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano is a song written by Leon René and first recorded by The Ink Spots in May 1940.The Ink Spots' recording of the song reached # 4 on the US charts, and a recording by Glenn Miller reached # 2 the same year. Other recordings were made at about the same time by...
". The song, written as a tribute to the annual springtime return of the Cliff Swallow
Cliff Swallow
The Cliff Swallow is a member of the passerine bird family Hirundinidae — the swallows and martins.It breeds in North America, and is migratory, wintering in western South America from Venezuela southwards to northeast Argentina...
s to Mission San Juan Capistrano
Mission San Juan Capistrano
Mission San Juan Capistrano was a Spanish mission in Southern California, located in present-day San Juan Capistrano. It was founded on All Saints Day November 1, 1776, by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order...
in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, spent several weeks at the top of Your Hit Parade
Your Hit Parade
Your Hit Parade, is an American radio and television music program that was broadcast from 1935 to 1955 on radio, and seen from 1950 to 1959 on television. It was sponsored by American Tobacco's Lucky Strike cigarettes. During this 24-year run, the show had 19 orchestra leaders and 52 singers or...
charts during its initial release in 1940. The lyrics say:
The song has been recorded by such musicians as The Ink Spots
The Ink Spots
The Ink Spots were a popular vocal group in the 1930s and 1940s that helped define the musical genre that led to rhythm and blues and rock and roll, and the subgenre doo-wop...
, Fred Waring
Fred Waring
Fredrick Malcolm Waring was a popular musician, bandleader and radio-television personality, sometimes referred to as "America's Singing Master" and "The Man Who Taught America How to Sing." He was also a promoter, financial backer and namesake of the Waring Blendor, the first modern electric...
, Guy Lombardo
Guy Lombardo
Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo was a Canadian-American bandleader and violinist.Forming "The Royal Canadians" in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert, and Victor and other musicians from his hometown, Lombardo led the group to international success, billing themselves as creating "The Sweetest...
, and Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
. A glassed-off room in the mission has been designated in René's honor and displays the upright piano on which he composed the tune, the reception desk from his office and several copies of the song's sheet music and other pieces of furniture, all donated by René's family.
René's other works included "When It's Sleepy Time Down South
When It's Sleepy Time Down South
"When It's Sleepy Time Down South", also known as "Sleepy Time Down South", is a 1931 jazz song written by Clarence Muse, Leon René and Otis René. It was sung in the movie Safe in Hell by Nina Mae McKinney, and became the theme song of Louis Armstrong, who recorded it almost a hundred times during...
" (with Clarence Muse
Clarence Muse
Clarence Muse was an actor, screenwriter, director, composer, and lawyer. He was inducted in the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1973. Muse was the first African American to "star" in a film. He acted for more than sixty years, and appeared in more than 150 movies.-Life and career:Born in...
and brother Otis René), "Gloria
Gloria (doo-wop song)
"Gloria" is a doo-wop song written by Leon René in the 1940s.-"Exclusive" debuts:René began his own record label, Exclusive Records, in 1945, and the song was first recorded and released on the label that year by the Buddy Baker Sextet, featuring Duke Ellington's former vocalist Bob Hayward...
", and such rock staples as "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman
I Sold My Heart to the Junkman
"I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" is a 1962 hit single by The Blue Belles, written by Jimmie Thomas. The song is notable for having been originally recorded by another group and conflicting schedules leading the future Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles group to claim the song as their own...
", "Rockin' Robin
Rockin' Robin (song)
This article is about the song. For the wrestler, see Rockin' Robin ."Rockin' Robin" is a song written by Leon René under the pseudonym Jimmie Thomas and recorded by Bobby Day in 1958. It was Day's only hit single, becoming a number-two hit on the Billboard Hot 100...
", and "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus
Boogie Woogie Santa Claus
"Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" is a song written by rock & roll songwriter Leon René. It was most famously recorded in 1948 by Mabel Scott whose version placed within the top 15 of Billboard's Race Records chart. Patti Page covered the song in 1950 to little attention, but its B-side, Tennessee...
".
Labels
- During the 1940s, René ran the pioneering independent rhythm and blues labels Exclusive and Excelsior with his brother Otis. They had purchased their own record plant, but when the format changed from 78 rpm to 45rpmGramophone recordA gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
, they could not press the new speed and the labels went out of business in 1950. - Leon René set up the Class label in 1951, and issued successful recordings by his son Rafael "Googie" René, and Bobby Day (who also recorded as Bobby Byrd of The Hollywood FlamesThe Hollywood FlamesThe Hollywood Flames were an American R&B vocal group in the 1950s, best known for their hit, "Buzz Buzz Buzz".They formed as The Flames in 1949, in Watts, Los Angeles, at a talent show where members of various high school groups got together. The original members were Bobby Byrd , David Ford,...
and Bob & EarlBob & EarlBob & Earl were an American soul music singing duo in the 1960s, best known for writing and recording the original version of "Harlem Shuffle".-Career:...
). - In 1958, he set up the Rendezvous Record CompanyRendezvous RecordsRendezvous Records was a record label established in 1958 in Los Angeles, California. Its biggest successes were with "Bumble Boogie" and "Nut Rocker", recorded by members of its house band going under the name B...
, which produced hits by B. Bumble and the StingersB. Bumble and the StingersB. Bumble and the Stingers were an American instrumental ensemble in the early 1960s, who specialized in making rock and roll arrangements of classical melodies. Their biggest hits were "Bumble Boogie" and "Nut Rocker", which reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in 1962...
until it folded in 1963.
In popular culture
- Leon is the grandfather of Chris Rene, a contestant on the first series of the American The X FactorThe X Factor (U.S.)The X Factor is an American television music competition to find new singing talent. The show is produced by creator Simon Cowell's company SYCOtv. It premiered on September 21, 2011 on Fox....
. On September 21, 2011, Chris auditioned by singing his original song "Young Homie". He also sang a mix of "Let It BeLet It Be (song)"Let It Be" is a song by The Beatles, released in March 1970 as a single, and as the title track of their album Let It Be. It was written by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was their final single before McCartney announced his departure from the band...
"/"Young Homie" on November 22, 2011, in Week 5 of the live shows of the series.
Songs (selective)
- "When the Swallows Come Back to CapistranoWhen the Swallows Come Back to CapistranoWhen the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano is a song written by Leon René and first recorded by The Ink Spots in May 1940.The Ink Spots' recording of the song reached # 4 on the US charts, and a recording by Glenn Miller reached # 2 the same year. Other recordings were made at about the same time by...
" - "When It's Sleepy Time Down SouthWhen It's Sleepy Time Down South"When It's Sleepy Time Down South", also known as "Sleepy Time Down South", is a 1931 jazz song written by Clarence Muse, Leon René and Otis René. It was sung in the movie Safe in Hell by Nina Mae McKinney, and became the theme song of Louis Armstrong, who recorded it almost a hundred times during...
" (with Clarence Muse and brother Otis René) - "Gloria"
- "I Sold My Heart to the JunkmanI Sold My Heart to the Junkman"I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" is a 1962 hit single by The Blue Belles, written by Jimmie Thomas. The song is notable for having been originally recorded by another group and conflicting schedules leading the future Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles group to claim the song as their own...
" - "Rockin' RobinRockin' Robin (song)This article is about the song. For the wrestler, see Rockin' Robin ."Rockin' Robin" is a song written by Leon René under the pseudonym Jimmie Thomas and recorded by Bobby Day in 1958. It was Day's only hit single, becoming a number-two hit on the Billboard Hot 100...
" - "Boogie Woogie Santa ClausBoogie Woogie Santa Claus"Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" is a song written by rock & roll songwriter Leon René. It was most famously recorded in 1948 by Mabel Scott whose version placed within the top 15 of Billboard's Race Records chart. Patti Page covered the song in 1950 to little attention, but its B-side, Tennessee...
"
External links
- Class/Rendezvous Labels Album Discography — the recording company formed by René in Los Angeles in late 1951
- Back to the 50's with Leon René — interview with Leon René