Cancer Journal #62 Dec 22

 Do you know Archie Bleyer?  If you do, it's probably from a song he sang, "Hernando's Hideaway" although, as you are about to learn, there are plenty of other reasons why you just might know him.  Anyway, I ask because I own an overcoat that was specially tailored for him.  The provenance is established by a tag on the inside of an inside pocket with his name and a date, 1-26-60.  It's a camel hair dress coat made of cashmere.  I've been told and I believe that cashmere from 60 years ago is superior to what they call cashmere today.  You feel that coat and you know you are in the company of high quality.  When I wear the coat on an evening out, I am indiscriminate in who I ask to feel my coat.  People are slightly uncomfortable with being asked to violate my space in that way but when they touch it, the universal reaction is, "Oh, my!  Yes, that's so nice!"  The lining could use some repair.  I'm willing to live with that, at least for right now.  It's not hanging down below the hem.  The original was tailored with such care and skill around the pockets etc. and I don't want that messed with. 

The name of the tailor is on a tag in the overcoat, Arco & MacNaughton with a 5th Ave, New York City address .  I've googled it.  The only hit I got was for a jacket that President Eisenhower gave to an orderly at Walter Reed Army Hospital where he was treated in 1956.  They tailored it and it has a tag that sounds a lot like mine.  Good enough to establish the bona fides of the tailor as far as I'm concerned.  Eisenhower, oddly enough, will come up a second time in this story.

But back to Archie Bleyer.  Wikipedia identifies him as a "song arranger, band leader and record company executive".  He also sang in 1954. notably "Hernando's Hideaway" as I mentioned and "The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane" who turns out to be a nine day old baby girl (The times were better and worse than today).  Most of what I know of him, aside from the feel of his coat and some other personal particulars comes from Wikipedia.  You may want to go there if your curiosity is whetted by what I am about to write.

Archie Bleyer was music director for the Arthur Godfrey Show from 1946 to 1953.  That show was the dominant music variety show of the era.  Wikipedia suggests that Archie Bleyer had a lot to do with that.  In any case, the show suffered a sharp decline after Arthur Godfrey fired him.  At about the same time, he fired Julius La Rosa who had been a regular and a star attraction on the show.  Julius La Rosa may ring a faint bell for you if you are old enough.  He sang, "Anywhere I Wonder" and "Eh, Cumpari" which, if you were to hear, you would recognize.  Anyway, Arthur Godfrey pretty clearly had insecurity/power issues which took him down from a top perch but didn't remove him from the entertainment world.  You could see him occasionally on TV in the 1960s and early 70s, on other people's music variety shows, playing a ukulele.  I never much liked him.

Back to Archie Bleyer.  He formed Cadence Records which had big recording stars, Andy Williams, The Everly Brothers and The Chordettes who had been stars on The Arthur Godfrey Show until they too got fired.  Romance and eventual marriage between Archie Bleyer and one of the Chordettes may have had something to do with that.  The Chordettes were a girl barbershop quartette from Sheboygan Wisconsin.  They sang, "Mr. Sandman", their big hit, and "Lollypop, Lollypop".  (We are getting warm on why I have Archie Bleyer's coat).

Archie Bleyer was not comfortable with Rock & Roll.  In 1958, Cadence Records recorded an early instrumental Rock & Roll number called "Rumble" by Link Wray, mostly because his daughter really liked it.  You can find it on YouTube.  It has a raw vitality that would be troubling if what you want is easy listening.  It is the only strictly instrumental Rock & Roll music ever banned by radio stations. The problem, aside from the pounding beat, was the name.  "Rumble" was a term for fights between street gangs.  Some stations did not want to be a party to that.  The next Link Wray album offered to Cadence Records was buried by Archie Bleyer and did not resurface until the 21st Century, making Archie Bleyer a Rock & Roll villain.

The British Invasion was it for Archie Bleyer.  He decided he did not belong.  He sold Cadence Records to Andy Williams in 1964 and later moved to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, hometown of his wife, Janet Ertel of The Chordettes.  He brought with him a really nice camel hair cashmere coat.  I will hang you from a cliff and explain how I got that coat in the next part.