While
attending school in Manhattan, one day during lunch I passed a brownstone
building which was the New York office of King Records. They had a few
album covers and photos in the window of artists I was familiar with.
I have no idea what possessed me, but I walked into the office and announced
to the secretary that I was a singer and piano player from Brooklyn who
was just passing through. Thats exactly what I said. Just
passing through. I remember it vividly. I added that I felt that
they should listen to me. I know she got a kick out of it.
After taking my name, she called her boss and said there is a very
young man named Artie Butler out here who is a singer and piano player
from Brooklyn just passing through, and he says we should listen to him.
I heard her boss laughing as he said ok, let him just pass through
my door.
I entered this long room with a man at a desk at the far end. He introduced
himself as Henry Glover and said you think I should hear you play
and sing? I said yes I do. He pointed to the rehearsal piano and
said ok Artie play and sing for me. Now you have to picture
this 13 year old very white kid from Brooklyn standing in the office of
King Records, which was a label that recorded some of the best black R&B
acts in the world. Artists like James Brown, Bill Doggett, Hank Ballard
and others of that stature. I could see the secretary and some other people
looking into the office totally amused. Anyway, I sang and played the
hottest version of Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart I could
come up with. After the second Zing went by, he stopped me and asked to
hear another song. I then proceeded to butcher the Cleftones hit Who
Wrote The Book Of Love. When I finished, he looked me straight in
the face and offered to sign me. I swear on everything holy that is exactly
what happened.
I never made it back to school that day, or the next three days either.
In about two weeks a contract arrived. I then got a call from a guy at
King Records who wanted to play me some songs. I went to his office, and
we picked two songs. Lock, Stock And Barrel and Naughty
Little Angel. Next he sent me to meet with an arranger. Can you
believe it? Me .. having another arranger? We worked on the songs and
set up a recording session. A week later Im recording in Belltone
studios in Manhattan. About two months later my record was released on
Deluxe Records, a subsidiary of King Records. I started hearing Lock
Stock & Barrel on the radio. I cant find the words to
describe that feeling. I also remember seeing my record in the Colony
Record Shop, which was the prominent record store on Broadway.
Am I dating myself by saying record store?
Now skip a few years, and there I am in the music business working with
Leiber and Stoller, playing piano and arranging for everyone in New York.
I get a call from Roulette Records to work for Henry Glover as an arranger.
The same Henry Glover from King Records. I broke up laughing. We recorded
a bunch of projects together before I left for Los Angeles in 1967. Artists
like Dinah Washington, Anita Humes etc.
We became very good friends. We often laughed at the day that I showed
up in his office while just passing through and sang Zing
Went The Strings Of My Heart. He told me what turned him on was
this young kid with guts and passion and fire in his eyes. As I listen
to Lock, Stock and Barrel and Naughty Little Angel
today, I can only laugh at myself for thinking I could sing. My voice
sounds like I was out of town when puberty arrived. However in retrospect,
it really wasnt about singing at all. It was about determination,
a vision and as Henry Glover said guts and passion.
The real lesson of course is if you have a vision or a dream, chase it.
Thats all Ive ever done, or know how to do. Guess what ..
the fire is still in my eyes. I have some brand new visions and believe
it or not as I write this Im still chasing dreams.