Brian Hyland

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Brian Hyland (born November 12 1943, in Woodhaven, Queens, New York) is an American pop recording artist who was particularly successful during the early 1960s. He continued recording into the 1970s.

1 Biography
2 Brian Hyland catalog consolidation
3 Album discography
4 Trivia
5 Reference
6 External links

[edit] Biography

Although not known as a major force in the history of rock and roll, Hyland did record three notable songs before his pop music success declined after 1970. He was one of several young American teen idol recording artists whose clean-cut image and sound thrived in the early 1960s, prior to the stylistic changes brought about through the "British Invasion" led by The Beatles in 1964.

In 1960, Hyland scored his first and biggest hit single, "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" written by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss<ref name="itsy">"Itsy Bitsy writer 'death' error", BBC News, September 28, 2006.</ref>. It was a novelty song that was as much about the 1960s beach and surf culture as it was about scantier female swimwear, and the males who appreciated it. The song was a smash hit, reaching # 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Hyland's other well-known hit during this period was 1962's "Sealed With a Kiss", an eventual oldies radio standard that reached # 3 on both the American and UK Singles Chart, and remained on the U.S. chart for eleven weeks. In 1975, "Sealed With a Kiss" was reissued as a single in the UK, and became a surprise # 7 hit (the song was later revived by Jason Donovan who scored a #1 hit with it in 1989). Another 1962 hit was "Ginny Come Lately," which reached # 21 on the U.S. chart and # 5 in the UK.

During his prime Brian Hyland appeared on national television programs such as "American Bandstand" and "The Jackie Gleason Show", and toured both internationally and around America with Dick Clark in the legendary "Caravan of Stars." The caravan happened to be in Dallas, Texas, on the day of the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963. Hyland saw the President and First Lady pass by in the motorcade minutes before the bullets struck. He had borrowed a camera from another singer on the tour, Bobby Vee, but Hyland forgot to take the lens cap off and missed an opportunity to obtain a photo prior to the assassination. That evening his concert was cancelled as the nation mourned. As a result, Hyland wrote the song "Mail Order Gun", which he recorded and eventually released on his 1970 album.

From 1963 through 1969, Hyland scored several minor hits, but none reached higher than # 20 ("The Joker Went Wild") on the U.S. pop chart. An album released in 1964 featured numbers that harkened back to the 1950s, such as "Pledging My Love" and "Moments to Remember" -- at a time when The Beatles were sweeping the music scene with a very different style. Hyland then went through a phase of recording country music and folk rock styles. Songs such as "I'm Afraid To Go Home" and "Two Brothers" had an American Civil War theme. He enjoyed using the harmonica on a few numbers, to good effect. His singing voice was excellent with a fine range, and he could certainly hold a note without wavering.

The so-called "Summer of Love" in 1967 radically altered the musical climate for short, cute pop songs, and Hyland would not have any songs chart again, with the notable exception of "Gypsy Woman". This was written by Curtis Mayfield, which Hyland recorded in 1970, and the track was produced by Del Shannon. "Gypsy Woman" reached # 3 on the U.S. pop chart.

As of 2006, Brian Hyland continues to tour internationally, with his son, Bodi, assisting on drums from time to time.

[edit] Brian Hyland catalog consolidation

From 1960 to 1977, Brian Hyland recorded a total of eleven albums for several different recording companies. A twelfth album, "Young Years," was a reissue. They included Leader Records, ABC-Paramount Records, Philips Records, Dot Records and Uni Records. Over the years, these record companies were consolidated and the recordings are now controlled by Universal Music.

1967 -- Leader Records ("Itsy Bitsy...") owner Kapp Records sold to MCA, Inc. and becomes co-owned with Uni Records ("Gypsy Woman").
1974 -- Dot Records ("Tragedy") sold to ABC Records ("Sealed With A Kiss")
1979 -- MCA Records buys ABC Records
1998 -- MCA parent Universal Music buys Philips Records ("The Joker Went Wild") owner PolyGram completing the catalog consolidation