The Cyrkle
Encyclopedia
The Cyrkle was a short-lived American
rock and roll
band
active in the mid-1960s. The group charted two Top 40 hits, "Red Rubber Ball
," and "Turn Down Day". They still receive significant airplay on oldies
radio stations across the United States.
in Easton
, Pennsylvania
. The other members were Earl Pickens on keyboards and Marty Fried on drums. They were originally a "frat rock" band called The Rhondells but were later discovered and managed
by Brian Epstein
, who was better known as manager of The Beatles
. Epstein's business partner was New York attorney Nathan Weiss, who heard the band in Atlantic City, New Jersey
, on Labor Day
in 1965. He became their manager and renamed them. John Lennon
provided the unique spelling of their new name, which is a reference to the circular roundabout located in downtown Easton
. They were produced
by John Simon.
In the summer of 1966, they opened on fourteen dates for the Beatles during their U.S.
tour. On August 28, they headed the opening acts performing prior to The Beatles at Dodger Stadium
. The other artists who appeared were Bobby Hebb
, The Ronettes
, and The Remains
. Before touring with The Beatles, The Cyrkle had a successful engagement at the Downtown Discotheque in New York City
. They were also on the bill for the final Beatles concert at Candlestick Park on August 29. 1966.
The Cyrkle is best known for their 1966 song
"Red Rubber Ball
," which went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart
. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
. It was co-written
by Paul Simon
of Simon and Garfunkel
and Bruce Woodley
of The Seekers
. It was released on the Columbia
record label
. The band had one more Top 20 hit, "Turn-Down Day," later in 1966. After the release of their debut album, Red Rubber Ball, they recorded a second album, Neon, in late 1966, and a movie
soundtrack
, The Minx, in 1967. They followed that with various singles
and then disbanded in late 1967.
Both Dawes and Danneman became professional jingle writers after The Cyrkle disbanded. Dawes later wrote the famous "plop plop fizz fizz" jingle for Alka-Seltzer
. Danneman wrote jingles for Continental Airlines and Swanson Foods. He penned the original 7Up Uncola song. In 1977, Dawes produced Foghat
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
active in the mid-1960s. The group charted two Top 40 hits, "Red Rubber Ball
Red Rubber Ball
"Red Rubber Ball" is a pop song which became a hit in the 1966 version recorded by The Cyrkle....
," and "Turn Down Day". They still receive significant airplay on oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
radio stations across the United States.
Career
The band was formed by guitarists and lead singers Don Dannemann and Tom Dawes (bass guitar), who met while studying at Lafayette CollegeLafayette College
Lafayette College is a private coeducational liberal arts and engineering college located in Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. The school, founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter,son of General Andrew Porter of Norristown and citizens of Easton, first began holding classes in 1832...
in Easton
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The other members were Earl Pickens on keyboards and Marty Fried on drums. They were originally a "frat rock" band called The Rhondells but were later discovered and managed
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
by Brian Epstein
Brian Epstein
Brian Samuel Epstein , was an English music entrepreneur, and is best known for being the manager of The Beatles up until his death. He also managed several other musical artists such as Gerry & the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black, The Remo Four & The Cyrkle...
, who was better known as manager of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. Epstein's business partner was New York attorney Nathan Weiss, who heard the band in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
, on Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
in 1965. He became their manager and renamed them. John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
provided the unique spelling of their new name, which is a reference to the circular roundabout located in downtown Easton
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
. They were produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by John Simon.
In the summer of 1966, they opened on fourteen dates for the Beatles during their U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
tour. On August 28, they headed the opening acts performing prior to The Beatles at Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
. The other artists who appeared were Bobby Hebb
Bobby Hebb
Bobby Hebb was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his writing and recording of "Sunny".-Biography:...
, The Ronettes
The Ronettes
The Ronettes were a 1960s girl group from New York City, best known for their work with producer Phil Spector. The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett ; her older sister, Estelle Bennett; and their cousin Nedra Talley...
, and The Remains
The Remains
The Remains were a mid-1960s rock group from Boston, Massachusetts, led by Barry Tashian, who later was harmony vocalist and guitarist for Emmylou Harris and part of the duo, Barry and Holly Tashian...
. Before touring with The Beatles, The Cyrkle had a successful engagement at the Downtown Discotheque in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. They were also on the bill for the final Beatles concert at Candlestick Park on August 29. 1966.
The Cyrkle is best known for their 1966 song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
"Red Rubber Ball
Red Rubber Ball
"Red Rubber Ball" is a pop song which became a hit in the 1966 version recorded by The Cyrkle....
," which went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. It was co-written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
by Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
of Simon and Garfunkel
Simon and Garfunkel
Simon & Garfunkel are an American duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They formed the group Tom & Jerry in 1957 and had their first success with the minor hit "Hey, Schoolgirl". As Simon & Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965, largely on the strength of the...
and Bruce Woodley
Bruce Woodley
Bruce William Woodley , is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. He was a founding member of the successful pop-folk group The Seekers, and co-composer of the anthemic song "I Am Australian"...
of The Seekers
The Seekers
The Seekers are an Australian folk-influenced pop music group which were originally formed in 1962. They were the first Australian popular music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States...
. It was released on the Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. The band had one more Top 20 hit, "Turn-Down Day," later in 1966. After the release of their debut album, Red Rubber Ball, they recorded a second album, Neon, in late 1966, and a movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
, The Minx, in 1967. They followed that with various singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
and then disbanded in late 1967.
Both Dawes and Danneman became professional jingle writers after The Cyrkle disbanded. Dawes later wrote the famous "plop plop fizz fizz" jingle for Alka-Seltzer
Alka-Seltzer
Alka-Seltzer is an effervescent antacid and pain reliever first marketed by the Dr. Miles Medicine Company. It was developed by Treneer in Elkhart Indiana. Alka-Seltzer is marketed for relief of minor aches, pains, inflammation, fever, headache, heartburn, sour stomach, indigestion, and hangovers,...
. Danneman wrote jingles for Continental Airlines and Swanson Foods. He penned the original 7Up Uncola song. In 1977, Dawes produced Foghat
Foghat
Foghat are a British rock band that had their peak success in the mid- to late-1970s. Their style can be described as "blues-rock," or boogie-rock dominated by electric and electric slide guitar. The band has achieved five gold records...
.
Discography
with U.S. Billboard (BB), U.S. Cashbox (CB), and Canadian (CAN) chart peak positions.Singles
- 1966 – "Red Rubber BallRed Rubber Ball"Red Rubber Ball" is a pop song which became a hit in the 1966 version recorded by The Cyrkle....
" (BB #2, CB #3, CANCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
#1) / "How Can I Leave Her" – Columbia 43589 - 1966 – "Turn Down Day" (BB #16, CB #18, CAN #16) / "Big, Little Woman" – Columbia 43729
- 1966 – "Please Don't Ever Leave Me" (BB #59, CB #50, CAN #31) / "Money To Burn" – Columbia 43871
- 1967 – "I Wish You Could Be Here" (BB #70, CB #57) / "The Visit (She Was Here)" – Columbia 43965
- 1967 – "Camaro" / "SS 396" (By Paul Revere & The Raiders) – Columbia Special Products 466
-
- Promotional single created exclusively for Chevrolet dealers
- 1967 – "We Had A Good Thing Goin'" (BB #72, CB #65) / "Two Rooms" – Columbia 44108
- 1967 – "Penny Arcade" (BB #95, CB #61) / "The Words" – Columbia 44224
- 1967 – "Turn Of The Century" (BB #112) / "Don't Cry, No Fears, No Tears Comin'" – Columbia 44366
- 1968 – "Friends" / "Reading Her Papers" – Columbia 44426
- 1968 – "Red Chair Fade Away" / "Where Are You Going?" – Columbia 44491
- 19?? – "Red Rubber BallRed Rubber Ball"Red Rubber Ball" is a pop song which became a hit in the 1966 version recorded by The Cyrkle....
"/"Turn Down Day" – Columbia Hall Of Fame 33103
- Promotional single created exclusively for Chevrolet dealers
Albums
- 1966 – Red Rubber Ball (BB #47, CB #47) – Columbia CL 2544 (Mono) / CS 9344 (Stereo)
- 1967 – Neon (BB #164, CB #81) – Columbia CL 2632 / CS 9432
Compact disc re-issues
- 2001 – Red Rubber Ball – Sundazed SC 11108
- 2001 – Neon – Sundazed 11109
-
- Both reissues feature the original album tracks plus outtakes, demos, and non-LP singles tracks.
Members
- Tom Dawes – (born July 25, 1944, AlbanyAlbany, New YorkAlbany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
– died October 13, 2007, New York, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
) – lead vocals, lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Don Dannemann – (born May 9, 1944, BrooklynBrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) – lead vocals, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Marty Fried – (born Martin Fried, 1944, WaysideWayside, New JerseyWayside is an unincorporated community located within Ocean Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey.-Notable residents:Notable current and former residents of Wayside include:...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
) – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, vocals – (now a bankruptcyBankruptcyBankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
lawyerLawyerA lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in SouthfieldSouthfield, MichiganAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which 0.04% is water. The main branch of the River Rouge runs through Southfield. The city is bounded to the south by Eight Mile Road, its western border is Inkster Road, and to the east it is bounded by Greenfield Road...
, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
) - Earle Pickens – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(first album) – (now a general surgeonSurgerySurgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
in GainesvilleGainesville, FloridaGainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
) - Michael Losekamp – keyboards, vocals (second album) – (now an engineer for AT&T and an active musician in Columbus and Dayton, Ohio) http://www.whiterabbitband.com/new_page_2.htm
- Jon Alexander – (born April 29, 1950), Brooklyn, New York (keyboards)