John Ettline was born 115 years ago
on the 12th day of March, 1906.
I learned from John's family
that he was a collector of
antiques. John purchased
many pieces from his
youngest brother Paul
who was an antiques
who was an antiques
dealer. Paul Ettline
always spoke very
highly of John.
John Ettline was a handsome
gentleman, a dapper dresser
and a great dancer. John was
a ladies' man, a man's man
and very much his own man.
John loved music and dancing, and so it's easy to understand
why he was inspired to buy the Shady Dell and turn it into
an ice cream parlor and juke joint for teenagers.
why he was inspired to buy the Shady Dell and turn it into
an ice cream parlor and juke joint for teenagers.
To celebrate John's birthday this year I picked
three songs I think he would have enjoyed.
three songs I think he would have enjoyed.
NINO TEMPO
& APRIL STEVENS
SDMM/SPMM frequent flyers
Nino Tempo and his singing sis
April Stevens are back, this
Nino Tempo and his singing sis
April Stevens are back, this
time to sing "I'm Confessin',"
an oft covered jazz and pop
standard first recorded by
Fats Waller in late 1929
and famously waxed by
Louis Armstrong in 1930.
Louis Armstrong in 1930.
A version by bandleader
Guy Lombardo reached
#2 in 1930. Other versions
were released by Rudy
Vallee(1930), Perry Como
(1945) and Les Paul and
Mary Ford (1952). In 1963
the song was a #1 hit for
Frank Ifield in the UK.
Dean Martin covered the
song on his 1964 album
Dream With Dean.
song on his 1964 album
Dream With Dean.
That brings us back to the under-
rated duo of Nino Tempo and
April Stevens who released the
single "I'm Confessin' (That I
Love You)" in April of 1964.
Great as it is, their record
lasted only one week on
the chart. Adding insult
to injury, it came and
went on the second
lowest rung of
the ladder - #99!
"I'm Confessin'
(That I Love You)" -
Nino Tempo & April Stevens
(That I Love You)" -
Nino Tempo & April Stevens
(Apr. 1964, highest chart
position #99 Hot 100)
THE DRIFTERS
I think John would appreciate this atypical release by The Drifters. In 1959
and 1960 Ben E. King's voice was most often heard on lead. From 1961 to 1963
it was the voice of Rudy Lewis you heard. This single features Charlie Thomas
on lead. The recording is also unusual because it doesn't feature a string section.
Instead, a prominent piano and bongo drums are used to produce a Cuban-style
cha-cha number. Soul singer and composer Jimmy Radcliffe sings backing
vocals along with four future female solo hit-makers - Cissy Houston,
Doris Troy, Dionne Warwick and her sister Dee Dee Warwick -
making this an all-star collaboration. Listen now to
and 1960 Ben E. King's voice was most often heard on lead. From 1961 to 1963
it was the voice of Rudy Lewis you heard. This single features Charlie Thomas
on lead. The recording is also unusual because it doesn't feature a string section.
Instead, a prominent piano and bongo drums are used to produce a Cuban-style
cha-cha number. Soul singer and composer Jimmy Radcliffe sings backing
vocals along with four future female solo hit-makers - Cissy Houston,
Doris Troy, Dionne Warwick and her sister Dee Dee Warwick -
making this an all-star collaboration. Listen now to
"Sweets For My Sweet!"
"Sweets For My Sweet" - The Drifters
(Oct. 1961, highest chart pos. #10 R&B/#16 Hot 100 & Cash Box)
SHELLEY FABARES
Again this year on his birthday, I think John will enjoy being
serenaded by America's sweetheart, Miss Shelley Fabares
aka Mary Stone, as she sings her sig song "Johnny Angel"
on her hit TV series, the family friendly Donna Reed Show.
serenaded by America's sweetheart, Miss Shelley Fabares
aka Mary Stone, as she sings her sig song "Johnny Angel"
on her hit TV series, the family friendly Donna Reed Show.
"Johnny Angel" - Shelley Fabares
(Mar./Apr. 1962, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100 & Cash Box)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOHN.
WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!
Happy birthday, John! Thank you for all that you did for Shady and the Dell Rats! You were an amazing influence that inspired a generation!
ReplyDeleteShady, great playlist and a wonderful way to remember John on his birthday.
Have a great day!
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteYou're the Early Bird to John Ettline's 115th birthday party, dear friend, and I thank you for coming!
I appreciate the kind words for John. They accurately describe this great man whom we all miss to this day. I'm glad you like the three songs I picked to celebrate this special occasion.
Have a safe and happy weekend, dear friend JM!
Just the words “ice cream parlor” makes me smile. Every neighborhood had them and I can still remember their wonderful smell. My money to put in the jukebox came from bringing back bottles to our local corner store. I would get a nickel for the large ginger ale bottles and two cents for coke bottles. It was a great feeling when the song I chose was played. I am sure that I played The Drifters music and Johnny Angel was definitely a favorite off this once very romantic teenager.
ReplyDeleteHi, Arleen!
DeleteIt's so nice of you to come, dear friend! I'm just now heading out the door to drive across the state and get my second COVID shot. I'll be back later in the day to write a complete reply to your kind comment. Please stand by and thanks for being here, Arleen!
Hi again, Arleen! I'm back from my trip across the state. I received my second dose of the Moderna vaccine and so far am feeling AOK. Thanks for your patience, dear friend.
DeleteI enjoyed your comment, Arleen. I always encourage friends to share stories of their youth the way I share mine. Thanks for helping me remember neighborhood ice cream parlors, malt shops and drugstore soda fountains. When I was a little boy, my mom frequently took me along shopping with her to the stores of downtown York. We always stopped for ice cream at the cafe on the second floor of a major department store, and sometimes in the snack bar section of discount department stores. Once a week or so the whole family hopped into the car and got ice cream floats and sundaes at Rutter Brothers dairy store or at Tommy's Soft Ice Cream, both establishments similar to modern DQ stores. I also thank you for reminding me of something I used to do - make extra spending money by gathering and returning glass soda bottles for refund. A few coins seemed like a lot of money back then because you could buy a lot with a litte. I also enjoyed your anecdote about selecting songs on the jukebox and deriving satisfaction from hearing them play. At the Dell, it made me happy to see kids get up and dance to a record I selected. Even then I loved to entertain friends any way I could.
Thank you again for your kind visit and comment, dear friend Arleen. Have a nice weekend!
Happy Heavenly Birthday John! I hope you take Helen and dance in the clouds to the songs Shady picked out in your honor. I always feel like I can sense the energy of that special time when the Dell was in it's prime. How fun it would be to go and see the kids, hear the music, taste the food and enjoy the time of being a teen. You bring it alive Shady when you honor these 2 special people that made such an impact on your life as well as the other Dell Rats. Again I will say as I have before, Shelly Fabares looks like should could have been the real daughter of Donna Reed. I loved that show. Not sure if it was in rerun when I did watch it since I was only 8 when that episode aired. Have a good weekend Shady!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteThanks for coming to John Ettline's b-day party, dear friend! As one of my longtime followers, you have been here for many of these special anniversary tributes. You always have such kind words to say and such an accurate feel for that special placed called The Shady Dell. It's as if you were actually a Dellette of the late 60s or early 70s. You would have had a great time there. I was just telling Arleen (above) how much pleasure it gave me when songs I picked on the jukebox were a hit with other Dell rats, inspiring them to get up and dance. The thought of John and Helen dancing in the clouds to the three songs I picked to play in today's post gives me that same feeling of joy. Thank you for planting that imagine in my mind.
I smile as I watch that scene from The Donna Reed Show. Donna has mixed reactions as her teenage daughter Mary sings words like: "How I tingle when he passes by" and "I dream of him and me
and how it's gonna be." Donna and Shelley really do look like real mother and daughter.
Thanks again for helping me pay tribute to John this year on his birthday, dear friend YaYa. Enjoy your weekend!
Probably helping St. Peter collect quarters at the gates to heaven. Jerre
ReplyDeleteHi, Jerre!
DeleteI'm happy you caught John's birthday post again this year, good buddy. Thanks for coming to his party!
Ha! Good one! I'm like to think that when John sees guys like you and me approaching the Pearly Gates, he will simply wave us through like he did at the Dell's entrance booth all those years ago.
Isn't it amazing how much that second picture looks like the Helen's snack bar at the Dell? I've searched the internet for years and that's the closest I've seen to what it actually looked like. If you gaze at the third picture and use your imagination, it looks like a view of Helen's jukebox taken from the restaurant section in the area of the ladies' room door. I'm so glad I found those two images!
Thanks again for being on hand again this year as we mark John Ettline's birthday. It is impossible for me to imagine him at age 115. Had he lived, he'd be one of the world's oldest humans by now. Guess we're all getting old, good buddy. Have a great weekend, Jerre, and look for my next post on Monday!
Wishing John a wonderful Heavenly Birthday! He's still looking our way, at the Dell and watching the now grown teens, that he and Helen gave a refreshing outlet to. John and Helen are rejoicing and resting in peace, knowing their efforts were, and still are remembered and appreciated with love!
ReplyDeleteYou picked some great songs, Shady, for the celebration. My favorite is "Johnny Angel", and it is a beautiful love song!
Thank you for this very nice tribute on John's birthday, Shady. Take care, dear friend and have a great weekend!
Hi, Suzanne!
DeleteI just got back from a trip to another city where I received my second vaccination against COVID-19. So far I am doing AOK. I want to tell you, tell everyone, how impressed I was with the efficiency of the whole process. The vaccination center was teeming with volunteers, so many of them that they nearly outnumbered the patients arriving for their shots. The volunteers were super friendly and helpful, I was in and out in no time, and the experience was a completely positive one from start to finish.
I'm thrilled to see you, dear friend! Thanks for coming by again this year as I observe the anniversary of John Ettline's birth. I still remember John as a man in his 50s and early 60s, younger than I am now. Therefore it is impossible for me to wrap my mind around a number like 115.
Your musings are very welcome this day, Suzanne. It's a beautiful thought to imagine the Ettlines resting in peace and looking down upon the young men and women they influenced and see what's become of them. I would feel honored knowing Helen and John appreciate my annual tributes marking the dates of their birth and death. Same with Margaret Schneider. Her birthday is coming up a month from now.
"Johnny Angel" has become an evergreen on the blog, so ideal for this occasion that I post it every year on this date, just as I always play "Two People In The World" aka "Helen's Song" on her birthday and "Unforgettable," on the date Helen died.
It's turned very warm in Florida. Our high temp today is in the low 80s but the humidity is delightfully low. I hope you and Scootie are well and in good spirits. Thanks again for joining me today, Stay tuned for another opportunity to ride the Shady Train coming up on Monday. Until then have a safe and happy weekend, dear friend Suzanne!
Happy birthday to John! He left a legacy.
ReplyDeleteHi, Alex!
DeleteYou're not the Early Bird this time, but I appreciate your visit and kind words all the same. Thanks for helping me celebrate John's birthday and have a safe and happy weekend, good buddy Alex!
Happy Birthday to John. March is a good month for birthdays (mine was on Wednesday). The Johnny Angel song is a staple isn't it? In reading your comments I see that you got your second Covid vaccine. Crossing fingers for you that you have the same reaction I did - NONE! I, too, was impressed with the efficiency of the place where I got mine, but then we shouldn't be surprised considering the efficiency of the man in chief now, right? Have a spectacular weekend my friend. Drink lots of fluids.
ReplyDeleteHi, Janet!
DeleteThanks for dropping in for my annual birthday salute to Dell owner John Ettline, dear friend, and happy birthday to you as well! Are you finally old enough to vote? :)
Yessum, I haven't found a better song or vintage clip to post for John's birthday than this one of Shelley Fabares singing "Johnny Angel" on The Donna Reed Show. It's ironic that the best clip I've found to use every year for my Father's Day salute to John is performed by her TV brother, Jeff Stone (Paul Petersen), as he sings "My Dad" on the series.
I don't know if you received the Moderna vaccine, but that's the one I got. Mrs. Shady warned me in advance that the second Moderna is the one responsible for most adverse reactions. It's been ten hours since I received my second dose and so far my only complaint is a little pain at the injection site. Thanks for keeping your fingers crossed for me. I totally agree that President Biden inspires tremendous confidence with the massive action he has taken and continues to take to beat the virus. His prime time address was sincere and presidential, a welcome and refreshing change from the chest pounding, self-serving, pathological liar who preceded him in office.
Thanks for reminding me to drink lots of fluids. I'm headed for the filtered water as soon as I submit my reply. Thanks again for being here on this special occasion, dear friend Janet. Please hug Benny for me and enjoy your weekend!
Happy birthday to John.
ReplyDeleteI love "Johnny Angel" but I feel compelled to point out that it's the rare high school auditorium that has an echo chamber.
Hi, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for joining us for this tribute to John Ettline on his birthday in heaven, good buddy!
I'm starting to think "Johnny Angel," the special boy who made Mary Stone feel all tingly inside, was, in reality, Phil Spector. :) After all it is Spector's girl group, Darlene Love and The Blossoms, on backing vocals, and members of the famed Wrecking Crew playing their instruments at the recording session which took place in the fall of 1961. My favorite Shelley Fabares record went nowhere on the chart. It's a cover of The Platters hit "My Prayer."
Thanks again for being here for John's b-day this year, good buddy Kirk, and have a great weekend!
I just love this tribute especially the very thoughtful one sung by the sweet Shelley. When did that episode air?? Donna Reed was just so stunning. I love the other 2 songs which I have never heard before. You know, each of us have a time when we really listened to the music and went dancing. We think of those times often. Mine was in the 1980s and yours are the 50s and 60s doubly special because of the Shady Glen. When you wrote about Guy Lombardo and the hits from the early 30s, it suddenly dawned on me, 33 years after my dad died, that those bands and singers were his hit parade. He talked fondly of Guy Lombardo who he saw at Crystal Beach. That was an amusement park that also had a “palace”...a dance hall where they did get many greats from the heyday of the 30s and 40s. I just thought it was such old music but he was 17 in 1930 and must have been going to many a dance hall. Let me know when you get the card as I know the mail is slower than molasses.
ReplyDeleteHi, Birgit!
DeleteHappy Saturday, dear friend! Thanks for coming to remember John Ettline on the anniversary of his birth all those years ago, 115 to be exact.
According to the IMDB, sweet Shelley Fabares introduced "Johnny Angel," the song that would become the biggest hit of her career, on the Feb. 1, 1962, episode of The Donna Reed Show.
Yessum, it's important for us to remember that every generation has its own music, its own hit parade, its own style or combination of styles that were popular in their youth. My folks were in their teens and twenties in the 1930s and 1940s. They never outgrew their love of big bands and the laid back male and female crooners who often fronted them. Even as senior citizens, my parents continued to go out dancing with friends every Saturday night to venues that played their kind of music.
Thanks for mentioning the wonderful card you're sending. I haven't yet received it, and I will continue to BOLO and notify you when it arrives. Again I thank you for your thoughtfulness. Your kind gesture will always be remembered, and the image of the card will remain in my right column for others to admire.
Thanks again for stopping by, dear friend BB. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Hey Shady,
ReplyDeleteLouis Prima also covered "I'm Confessin'," though he didn't release it as a single. I have it on his album *The Wildest!*. Nino and April did a really good job with it. It's similar to their megahit "Deep Purple," with April reading a verse and the harmonica (wonder who played it?) I guess that was the formula that worked for them.
We've both gotten into "The Donna Reed Show" this week: In honor of Carl Betz's birthday on Tuesday, my song of the day was Paul Petersen's "My Dad." That was one of the best scenes in what was the most family-friendly sitcoms of the late '50's and early '60's. A couple of years ago, the "Decades Binge" on the Decades network did "The Donna Reed Show," and I almost stayed up all night to watch it. I forgot how much I liked it when I was a wee lad. Oh, and Shelley Fabares won my latest Battle of the Bands with "Johnny Angel." Donna Reed watching Shelley sing the song reminds me of Carl Betz watching Paul Petersen sing his: on the verge of tears, but feeling the need to hold it together. I heard Shelley tell the story of making that record: I guess Paul, who was a singer who had already released a couple of songs, was ready to release a record, and the producers turned to her and said "What song are you going to do for your record?" Caught her completely by surprise...
John
Hi, John!
DeleteThanks for swinging over for my annual birthday tribute to another John - John Ettline - the owner of The Shady Dell!
Thanks for offering the tidbit about another artist who recorded "I'm Confessin'." Yes, Nino & April's version of "Confessin'" does sound like "Deep Purple." It's odd to me that the sibling duo achieved chart success with old school throwbacks at a time when records were increasingly being made for the youth market. Many people agree that the best recordings made by Nino & April were those of the mid 60s. Yet they flopped. It's hard for me to believe that "baby brother" Nino is now 86 years old, while "big sis" April will be age 92 next month!!!
I post that scene of Paul Petersen singing "My Dad" every year on Father's Day. That and Shelley's "Johnny Angel" are two of the most memorable song performances in series TV history. Yes, I read that Shelley did not regard herself as a singer and was reluctant to start making records. She was especially intimidated by Darlene Love and The Blossoms who joined her in the studio to lay down "Johnny Angel." I admit there are only a few Shelley Fabares recordings that I actually think are good: "Johnny Angel," "My Prayer," and the two many critics think are her best, released on the doublesider single "I Know You'll Be There" b/w "Lost Summer Love." Paul Petersen's grooviest record is the Beach Boys/Brian Wilson influenced "She Rides With Me." As was the case with Nino and April, the best recordings by Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen were poor sellers.
Hey, thanks again for joining me on this special occasion, good buddy John. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and I hope to see you again soon!
Tom,
ReplyDeleteI came by the other day and meant to comment but forgot. I trust you're doing better now after getting your second Covid shot. I know John would really like those swinging tunes but I betcha he'd love letting Miss Fabares sing to him. :) Happy Birthday to John in heaven! You're so nice to remember him every year.