Limehouse Blues
The Skip-Jacks (Stella Stevens, Estelle Mann and Morris Redding)
Orchestration - Sid Bass, Al Cohn and Ray Martin
Produced by Ethel Gabriel
RCA LSP-2200
1960
Obscure vocal album featuring great music by some of the top space age arrangers as noted above.
Apparently the "Skip-Jacks" made at least one other album on RCA title Let's Get Away From It All LSP-2060.
Stella Stevens was an actress who guested on several TV series and worked on films with Bobby Darin and Dean Martin as I recall. I remember her description of a Darin scene that had to be cut because Darin had gotten "excited" working with her in a Darin biography.
ReplyDeleteYou only listed three of the Skip-Jacks - there were five, including Will Bronson and Ron Martin. Ron is the sweet tenor you hear on the recordings and did a bit of vocal arranging, and Bill (Will) was my dad, was the baritone, and did most of the arranging. And this Stella Stevens is a different person than the actress. Our Stella was the voice of many commercials you've heard, including a Budweiser commercial that I heard as recently as maybe ten years ago. She was a real find for my dad when he was forming the group in 1957ish - a strong terrific lead who could cut that melody line right through those fabulous harmonies, and yet was not overpowering.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the best albums ever! I can listen to "Do It Yourself" over and over and over!
- Peggy Bronson Gardner, Branchville NJ
@Darfur Miller: You must have been thinking of Connie Stevens, Not Stella Stevens. Stella went on to marry a guy named George Stalters, who owned a couple of recording studios in NYC. Connie Stevens was, and I'm sure still is, a well known actress who appeared in a lot of movies and TV, including the last major project my dad, Will Bronson (leader of the Skip Jacks) worked on as the Choral Director. It was a Kraft Christmas special made for NBC called "The Littlest Angel", and starred several big stars, including Tony Randall, Connie Stevens, Cab Calloway, Fred Gwynn (Herman Munster)and Johnny Whitacker from the hit TV show "Family Affair". That said, Will Bronson and the Skip Jacks were a huge success story for our family and made a home at the famous Roxy Theater in downtown Manhattan, right up until the building got torn down for some reason. But they did lots of commercials for TV and radio, including beer and cigarette comercials which aired until they were banned in the early seventies.
ReplyDelete-Steve Bronson, Port Richey, Florida
@Steve Bronson: Hi Steve, I am wondering if you know what ever happened to Stella Stevens, my mom was a roommate of hers back in New York during the days at the Roxy and we were trying to find her. My mom has fond memories of The Skip Jacks, and if you have any information we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you, Bambi Corso, California
ReplyDeleteHi Bambi -
ReplyDeleteLast I knew, Stella Stevens (divorced from the above named George Stalter) was living on the east coast of Florida. Her step-son (also named George) lives in the Milford PA area and may be able to give you more info.
Surely no account of the fabulous Skip-Jacks should fail to mention that they performed two of the most popular and memorable themes for classic sitcoms of the 60s: The Flintstones and The Patty Duke Show.
ReplyDelete