“HUGO” (WRITERS: MAT MATHEWS–LARRY KUSIK–WARREN VINCENT)
ARTIST: LINDA HALL
RELEASED 1964 ON 7” 45
“Hugo,” masterminded by three men and sung by a young woman,
was released in late June 1964, but the world still might not be quite ready
for it.
Mat Mathews was a Dutch-born accordionist who specialized in
jazz. Warren Vincent arranged and wrote a good deal of material for the Cricket
record label, which did children’s music. He also arranged strings and horns
for various Columbia Records artists.
Larry Kusik wrote lyrics for pop songs, most of which are
long forgotten; probably his best is Lou Courtney’s “The Man with the Cigar.” He
was perhaps best known for the “love themes” he wrote for the films Romeo and Juliet and The Godfather.
These three gentlemen created the charming sonic atmosphere of
“Hugo.” Mathews is responsible for the music and arrangement; his deft accordion
doubles with flutes to carry the melody, lending a continental feel to what is essentially
a tea-room cha-cha. Vincent produced the record. Meanwhile, Kusik surely penned
the teenage-themed spoken word piece that Linda Hall intoned over the
instrumental track.
As for what Ms. Hall spoke…it was fairly controversial for
1964 and may well have met some resistance on radio. But some stations began to
pick the record up in July. It went Top 20 in St. Louis and Top 10 in Honolulu and
received considerable airplay on stations in Denver, Richmond, Houston, Atlanta
Indianapolis, and Dallas/Fort Worth.
Columbia Records used a full-page ad in some of the trade
papers to respond to those concerned about “Hugo’s” spoken word track, reminding
radio programmers that they could flip the record over and play a version of the
nice, light European-styled tune without
lyrics.
While “Hugo” was listed as a “regional breakout” in Atlanta
and Houston in the August 15 issue of Billboard
magazine, the record spread slowly and never gained enough momentum in any one
place or at any one time to break into the national charts, though it did reach
the “looking ahead” 100–150 lists in both Cashbox
and Record World. The tender
sensibilities of listeners in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York, therefore, were
spared the moral dilemma that is “Hugo.”
Despite her good work on this song, not much is known of
Linda Hall. The following year, she did another record, “Beach Boy,” which also
fell short. After that, the trail goes cold; it’s not clear whether she is the
Linda Hall who recorded “You Don’t Have a Wooden Heart,” a cheap cash-in
attempt on Joe Dowell’s massive 1961 hit “Wooden Heart.”
You shared this with me before, and I thank you for that. I can't imagine that they expected it to be a hit, and am amazed that it charted anywhere at all. Pretty out there for the time!
ReplyDeleteSort of wonder if the title "Hugo" was meant as a tribute to Hugo Winterhalter, or if the title was unrelated to the music.
ReplyDeleteThis is actually my mother. She now resides in Belmont, NC. She had two children of her own and adopted me. Shes been happily married for 40+ years!
ReplyDeleteOh, my gosh. Thank you so much for responding! I did not get any notification and just saw this now. Please give her my regards and let me know if there's anything she would like to add to this account!
ReplyDeleteCheers.
Stu