Jeff Barry

Part 2

The next phase in Jeff's career would bring the culmination of the last 8 years to a glorious new height. From 1966 until 1971, Jeff Barry wrote, produced, recorded, and promoted some of the biggest names in music. The music that came out of this period would forever establish Jeff Barry as one of the most influential and successful talents in pop music history. Barry was involved in such classic hits as "I'm a Believer", "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You", "How'd We Ever Get This Way", "Sugar, Sugar", "Jingle Jangle", "Lay A Little Lovin' On Me", "Montego Bay", & "Heavy Makes You Happy". In this period, Barry founded his own label, wrote over hundreds of songs, scored for tv, film, and radio, took on Broadway, made Riverdale USA the world's hometown and took on the Harlem Globetrotters too!

The World According to Jeff Barry 1967-1970 1967 - Brings Neil Diamond songs into the Monkees catalog and produces all Diamond tracks - Diamond produces huge hits as a solo artist and for the Monkees ("I'm A Believer" & "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" - Barry brings Ron Dante in to do background vocals for Neil Diamond's "Cherry Cherry". - marries Nancy Cal Cagno - signs with Lieber & Stoller at Unart Publishing - buys Century Sound Recording Studio and establishes "Steed Records"; signs with Dot Records to distribute - signs Andy Kim to "Steed" - Final Barry/Greenwich collaboration released: "Friday Kind of Monday" by the Meantime (revamped name for the Raindrops) -Barry signs The Keepers of the Light, Rich Kids, Jaqueline Carol, Louis St. Louis, Hank Shiftter and Alzo & Uddin to Steed. - Kirshner is fired by Screen-Gems - Kirshner approaches Jeff Barry to produce and write for new ghost group "The Archies" -Kirshner hires Barry; Barry signs with Don Kirshner Music, Inc. 1968 - Kirshner recommends Kenny Karen as lead voice for the Archies. Barry resists, and brings in Ron Dante to audition for Kirshner, who had previously employeed Dante as a promo singer. Kirshner okays the deal and Barry hires Dante - First single released by Steed is "My Babe"/"And I Don't Want Your Love" (Steed 701) by the Keepers of the Light. - Barry brings in Jeanie Thomas to do background vocals into Archies project. - Barkan/Adams brought into Archies project. - "How'd We Ever Get This Way" first Steed single to break US Top 40;reaches #21 -Barry song "Bang-Shang-A-Lang" by the Archies charts #22 in US - Barry brings Andy Kim into the Archies project 1969 - Barry/Kim song "Feelin' So Good (SKOOBY-DOO) by the Archies charts #53 in US - Barry hires Toni Wine for background vocals - Barry/Kim song "Sugar, Sugar" goes #1 world wide, "The Archie Show" holds the Nielsen rating for all time high daytime viewership (75% of American households tune into "The Archie Show" which is expanded to a full hour. - Barry signs with United Artists to score for the movie "Where It's At" - United Artists releases Jeff Barry single "Where It's At" backed with "Much Too Young" - Barry signs Robin McNamara to Steed - Barry begins to write with Bobby Bloom -Barry signs The Illusion to Steed - "Sugar, Sugar" is named song of the year. 1970 - Barry/Kim song "Jingle Jangle" goes gold world wide. - Barry signs deal with Screen Gems to produce final Monkees album -Barry hires Donna Marie for background vocals - Kirshner seeks more money from Filmations to do "the Archies" and is not satisfied with offer and signs deal with Hanna-Barbera. -Barry/Kim song "Who's Your Baby?" reaches US Top 40. - Barry produces Ron Dante's first solo album "Brings You Up". -Colgems releases Barry produced final Monkees album - Steed releases "Lay A Little Lovin' On Me" by Robin McNamara; reaches US Top 5 - Barry signs deal with RCA to produce musical numbers for a comedy special pilot for ABC called "the Klowns" starring Barry Bostwick. - Barry assigns final Archie's Funhouse obligations to Steed Staff writers Neil Goldberg and wife Nancy Barry, who also sing background vocals - Barry brings Merle Miller and Bobby Bloom into Archie's project - Barry/Bloom song "Sunshine" by the Archies released; charts US #53 - Barry writes and produces Kirshner project "the Globetrotters" - Barry's last Archie project: "Together We Two" with a few unreleased songs, and "the Archies Greatest Hits" -Kirshner releases Barry/Kim single "Let Me Bring You Up/How Do You Know by Ron Dante; bubbles under Hot 100. - Barry agrees to produce and score the Broadway musical "The Dirtiest Show in Town" - 3 re-releases by Bang label of Barry-produced Neil Diamond tracks "Shilo", "Solitary Man" and "Do It" re-enter the Top 40 (Diamond had recently signed with Uni Records) Kirshner releases Dante's solo album "Ron Dante Brings You Up" produced by Barry. -Barry/Bloom song "Montego Bay" by Bobby Bloom; reaches US top 10 -Last Barry/Kim single for Archies "Together We Two" is released; bubbles under national charts -Archies' Greatest Hits released late November final Barry produced album for Archies -Hit Parader runs story on Archies break-up which reveals Dante, Wine and Barry in public for first time

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