Gene Summers, "You Said You Loved Me" c/w "Tomorrow," Alta 104 (rel. 1962)

Gene Simmons was a rockabilly mainstay in Texas long after the commercial appeal had faded from public view. Born in 1939, the Dallas-based singer first took the public stage in 1957, where he appeared on local TV and had some regional hits with his early singles "Nervous" and "School of Rock 'n' Roll." 

    He worked with a local group called The Rebels until 1961. He then switched to another Dallas-Fort Worth combo, The Tom Toms. Today's two recordings were his first efforts with this new group and were recorded early in '61 in Fort Worth's Clifford Herring studio. These sides offered a new direction for the vocalist. 

   "You Said You Loved Me" is an unknown beauty. A rolling mid-tempo ballad penned by Glenn David Keener, it retains the yearning feel of rockabilly in an updated setting. Rolling guitar lines reminiscent of Paul McCartney's "Blackbird," electric organ and gentle percussion frame a tender vocal well-played by Summers. He conveys hurt, confusion and woe with conviction and a graceful voice.

    The beauty of this intimate recording is haunting; this is a far piece from the hard-hitting style of Summers' early singles and looks into the future of popular music. Records such as this keep me compelled to explore unknown and obscure 45s. One never knows when a song like this will arise from the void.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/j1p13k09mt1nov0uehh58/2289a.mp3?rlkey=as0atitrp85b42htl4narookr&st=pqs9itlo&dl=0

"Tomorrow" is an attempt to do a Roy Orbison-style ballad. There is a Waiting for Guffman vibe to this over-ambitious side. It was first recorded in 1928 by dance band Eddie Thomas' Collegians and was co-written by Leopold Spitalny, Monty Wilhite and Walter Hirsch--three names far afield of rock 'n' roll.
    I won't fault the makers of this side for lack of ambition. They grasp for the elegance of Orbison's polished Nashville ballads and do their best to emulate the sound. A wonky orchestral arrangement often crowds Summer out of the sound-scape, but he's got game and does his best to deliver a sympathetic performance. I'm sure no one involved intended the results to be a tad wonky, but they are, and endearing for that quality. Had it been just another smooth, competent ballad with strings, it would hold little interest. "Tomorrow"'s flaws give it genuine appeal.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1x99f06vjs8h0pc9x7536/2289b.mp3?rlkey=dlr0ehbw7a8kuo5de3tc5x0it&st=v4i861n6&dl=0

Summers had a good musical career, though he never experienced the mainstream breakthrough performers hope to get. He capitalized on the rockabilly fandom of the 1970s and beyond, and was lauded by that community. Some of his songs have received multiple cover versions over the years, including a 1988 rendition of "You Said You Loved Me" by fellow Texas rockabilly Sid King. He passed on in 2021 and seems to've had a good life.

Tomorrow: soulful goodness by vocal group The King Pins, with one of their Federal singles from 1963. A #89 pop hit!