Archie Bleyer: Hernando's Hideaway (1954)

 |   |  1 min read

Archie Bleyer: Hernando's Hideaway (1954)

The photo of Archie Bleyer here looks more like the portrait of buttoned-down but likeable banker or real estate agent. But he was at one time a middle-sized player in American music.

He was a bandleader, singer, producer from th Thirties onward and had his own label Cadence Records which he started in '52 and recorded the likes of Andy Williams.

He got especially lucky when he signed the Everly Brothers. He also released (reluctantly, because he didn't got for rock'n'roll) Link Wray's classic instrumental Rumble.

He also had a couple of hits himself, both in '54. They were gimmicky but memorable songs: The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane was one (The Ames Brothers and Dean Martin among others also covered it) and Hernado's Hideaway which was originally a show tune from the production The Pajama Game.

Bleyer's hugely popular version -- top five in the US -- was an ironic treatment of the song which had been written Jerry Ross and Richard Adler. It celebrates hookers, hard liquor and a certain sleaziness . . . which must have been very appealing in the uptight but loosening up Fifties. (Playboy had been launced theprevious year).

There also aren't too many songs with quite this much castanet work prominent. 

gillettThis track eappars on  the excellent, diverse 25-song collection Charlie Gillett's Radio Picks; Honky Tonk Volume 2 (Ace through Border) alongsde classics like Billy Swann's I Can Help, Roy Buchanan's Sweet Dreams, Irma Thomas' Ruler of My Heart, Dr John's Such A Night and Professor Longhair's Tipitina.

We've already picked out Elvis Costello's Wave a White Flag demo from it and because there are also some real obscurities on the album doubtless From the Vaults will explore this one again in the future.

For more one-off, oddities or songs with an interesting backstory see From the Vaults.

Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   From the Vaults articles index

The Mighty Sparrow: Jack Palance (1956)

The Mighty Sparrow: Jack Palance (1956)

Actually no, the great Trinidad calypso singer Mighty Sparrow isn't paying a tribute to the wonderful character actor Jack "pick up the gun" Palance (1919-2006). Rather, he is making... > Read more

Maxine Brown: Funny (1961)

Maxine Brown: Funny (1961)

There's something very satisfying about don't-care-anymore songs. The world is awash with the luvvy stuff but every now and again a song comes along which says, "Yep, but I'm over you".... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

Larry Carlton. Bruce Mason Centre, Auckland. June 6 2014

Larry Carlton. Bruce Mason Centre, Auckland. June 6 2014

There's an old joke about jazz promotion: if you want to make a million bucks, start with two mill. The amorphous audience is the great unknown. As some promoters have found, you can... > Read more

Jethro Tull, Al Stewart: Hanging on the telephone.

Jethro Tull, Al Stewart: Hanging on the telephone.

Rock journalists in this country need little reminding that we live a long way from the action. But the reminders come every time a record company or promoter says that deathless phrase,... > Read more