Chancellor Album Discography Chancellor Album Discography By David Edwards and Mike Callahan Last update: September 2, 2005 Chancellor records was established in Philadelphia in 1957 by Bob Marcucci and Peter DeAngelis. They were originally housed in a hotel, which had a restaurant called the Chancellor Room, from whence they got their name. The record company benefitted from the exposure they were able to get on the locally-based but nationally broadcast American Bandstand. Almost from the start, Chancellor was distributed by ABC- Paramount. Bob Marcucci was one of the great promoters in rock and roll. He could take good looking, ethnic type teenagers of questionable singing talent and promote them into rock and roll stars. The 1980 movie "Idolmaker" was loosely based on Bob Marcucci. The story of how he found Fabian has become a legend. According to Fabian, who was 14 at the time, " I lived next door to a friend of Bob's. My father had had a heart attack, and there was an ambulance in front of our house. Bob was passing by and thought that his friend might be in trouble. He rushed up, and discovered that his friend was OK.

He saw me, and asked if I'd ever thought about making records. I said that I hadn't, but he kept persisting. Several months later, I signed with him." Frankie Avalon was another of Chancellor's stars, actually signed even before Fabian. Although he fit the "teen idol" image, he had been an accomplished musician for years, playing trumpet for a Philadelphia combo named Rocco and the Saints (led by a schoolteacher). He had recorded starting in 1952 (for RCA) and made many television appearances by the time he decided he wanted to be a singer and signed with Marcucci, figuring if James Darren could be a singing star, why not try it himself? Both Frankie Avalon and Fabian put a long series of hits on the charts from 1958 to 1962, which pretty much kept the label afloat. By 1962, however, Fabian had stopped singing to concentrate on making movies. Frankie Avalon had also stopped having hits and was making a series of "beach" movies in Hollywood. With their two major stars gone, Chancellor faded.

They tried to make dance records, following in the footsteps of another Philadelphia label, Cameo-Parkway, but were not successful. For all the reputation for finding handsome teen idol-type singers, by the time 1962 rolled around, Marcucci was putting together groups like the Panics who had little of the national appeal of a Frankie Avalon or Fabian. A cover shot of the Panics shows sisters Cindy and Misty (with frightening makeup and expressions) dancing in front of an oldish looking saxophone player (Tony Ferri). [Sonny Richards (drums), Dick Sharp (guitar) and Peter Mastrangelo (keyboards) rounded out the group.] In this case, "The Idolmaker" failed. The hit "Party Lights" by Claudine Clark was pretty much the last gasp for Chancellor Records. Except for perhaps the earliest recordings, the Chancellor material was recorded in stereo. They issued several stereo 45s in 1959-60. Many of the label's hits, however, never made it to LP, and there have been consistent rumors over the years that some tapes were misplaced. The recent CD issues on Taragon are listed here as an indication of stereo availability on the label.

The Chancellor record numbers below are given with the mono number (e.g., CHL-5011) first, followed by the stereo number (e.g., CHLS- 5011). The earliest Chancellor label was pink with black printing, "CHANCELLOR" in block letters above the center hole, curved on the perimeter of the label. Deejay versions of this label were white with black print, and this design was used for the deejay labels considerably after the design changed to the black label. The second label is black with silver printing, above the center hole is "Chancellor" in red, above which is a crest in red, blue and yellow, with a white banner underneath reading "Que Je Surmonte" (French for "That I May Overcome," which was the motto of the Chancellor of Shieldhill in County Lanark, Scotland...quite an obscure reference, to be sure). Later, in the 1970s, Bob Marcucci was involved with Romar Records (the label name no doubt derived from RObert MARcucci), distributed by MGM.

Romar's label looked suspiciously like Chancellor's, even down to using the same logo with the crest used with the black Chancellor label, and even the "Que Je Surmont" motto. Romar reissued some of the Chancellor material. Today, Marcucci is still involved in the entertainment field, heading up Chancellor Entertainment . We would appreciate any additions or corrections to this discography. Just send them to us via e-mail . Both Sides Now Publications is an information web page, and we have no association with Chancellor Records. Chancellor Records is not currently active. Should you be interested in acquiring albums listed in this discography (which are all out of print), we suggest you see our "Frequently Asked Questions" page and follow the instructions found there. This story and discography are copyright 1999, 2003 by Mike Callahan. CHANCELLOR ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY Number - Title - Artist - [Release Date] (Chart) Contents Chancellor CHL/CHLS-5000 Series. Original issues of the first three albums had the pink label. CHL-5001 - Frankie Avalon - Frankie Avalon [2/58] Issued in monaural only.

Oooh! Look-A There Ain't She Pretty/Short Fat Fannie/Young Love/Young And Beautiful/Diana/At The Hop/Honey//I'm Walkin'/Litty Bitty Pretty One/Dede Dinah/The Stroll/My Mom/You're My Girl CHL-5002/CHLS-5002 - The Young Frankie Avalon - Frankie Avalon [1959] Stereo information not available. Pretty Eyed Baby/Too Young To Love/Fever/I Can't Begin To Tell You/Trumpet Instrumental (Bella del Mondo)/Hallelujah I love Her So//Undecided/The One I Love/Teach Me Tonight/Shy Guy/Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall/Hold Me CHL-5003/CHLS-5003 - Hold That Tiger! - Fabian [1959] (5-59, #3) Surprisingly, the hit "Tiger" is NOT on this LP!

Tiger Rag (S)/Hold Me (In Your Arms) (S)/Ooh What You Do (S)/I Don't Know Why (S)/Please Don't Stop (S)/Lovesick (S)/Gonna Get You (S)//Love Me Love My Tiger (S)/Don't You Think It's Time? (S)/Just One More Time (S)/Cuddle Up A Little Closer (S)/Steady Date (M)/Turn Me Loose (S) At this point, label changes from the pink design to the black design with the crest. Later issues of all three of the albums above have the black label. CHLX-5004/CHLXS-5004 - Swingin' On A Rainbow - Frankie Avalon [1959] (12-59, #9) Cover is gatefold type with 4 pages of Frankie Avalon pictures and a tear out poster of Frankie Avalon.

Swingin' On A Rainbow (S)/Secret Love (S)/She's Funny That Way (S)/Sandy (S)/Trouble With Me Is You (S)/Talk Talk Talk (S)//You're Just Too Much (S)/What's The Reason (I'm Not Pleasin' You) (S)/Try a Little Tenderness (S)/Birds Of A Feather (S)/Step In The Right Direction (S)/Them There Eyes (S) CHLX-5005/CHLXS-5005 - The Fabulous Fabian - Fabian [11/59] (12-59, #3) Cover is gatefold type with 4 pages of Fabian pictures and a tear out poster of Fabian.

Remember Me (S)/Ain't Misbehavin' (S)/Gotta Tell Somebody (S)/Everything Is Just Right (S)/Gimme A Little Kiss (S)/Learnin' (S)//Gotta Make You Mine (S)/I'm Sincere (S)/You'll Never Tame Me (S)/Any Ole Time (S)/Give (S)/You Excite Me (S) CHV-5006/CHVS-5006 - Hymns Of Heaven And Earth - Vatican Choirs [1960] Stereo information not available. Pange Lingua/Tantum Ergo/Mira Tuo Popolo/Panis Angelicus/Ave Maria/Oremus Pro Pontifice/Crux Fidelis/Tu Es Petrus/Inno A San Pietro/Statuit CHL-5007/CHLS-5007 - Guitar To Remember - Bill Faith [1960] Stereo information not available.

Holiday For Strings/Affair To Remember/Girl Next Door/With All My Heart/Mimi/Evening Rain/Trolley Song/Untouchable/Secret Love/Getting To Know You/Jeepers Creepers/Drizzle CHL-5008/CHLS-5008 - Great Pickin' - Al Caiola and Don Arnone [1960] Stereo information not available. Caravan/Cosmopolitan/Foggy Day/Like The Moon Above You/Lover Come Back To Me/On the Alamo/Birds Of A Feather/Tree In The Park/Blue You/Chinese Guitar/Stompin' At The Savoy CHL-5009 - The Hitmakers - Frankie Avalon/Fabian [1960] Issued in monaural only.

Why - Frankie Avalon/Bobby Socks To Stockings - Frankie Avalon/I'll Wait For You - Frankie Avalon/Just Ask Your Heart - Frankie Avalon/A Boy Without A Girl - Frankie Avalon/Venus - Frankie Avalon//Tiger - Fabian/Turn Me Loose - Fabian/Mighty Cold (To A Warm Warm Heart) - Fabian/This Friendly World - Fabian/I'm A Man - Fabian/Hound Dog Man - Fabian CHL-5010/CHLS-5010 - Introducing Linda Lawson - Linda Lawson [1960] Are You With Me/Where Flamingos Fly/But Beautiful/Me and My Shadow/You Don't Know What Love Is/Easy to Love/Meaning of the Blues/Mood Indigo/Like Young/Hi-Lili Hi-Lo/Make the Man Love Me/Up Pops Love CHL-5011/CHLS-5011 - Summer Scene - Frankie Avalon [1960] Inside sleeve has song titles and "Win a Date with Frankie Avalon" contest. Summer Scene (S)/Did You Ever See A Dream Walking?

(S)/If I Had You (S)/Swingin' Down The Lane (S)/On The Sunny Side of the Street (S)/It's Only A Paper Moon (S)/June Night (S)//For Me And My Gal (S)/If You Were The Only Girl In The World (S)/For Sentimental Reasons (S)/Over The Rainbow (S)/Love Letters In The Sand (S)/The Things We Did Last Summer (S) CHL-5012/CHLS-5012 - Good Old Summertime - Fabian [1960] Inside sleeve has song titles and "Win a Date with Fabian" contest.

Medley: In the Good Old Summertime-You Are My Sunshine-By The Beautiful Sea (S)/Five Foot Two (S)/Memories Are Made Of This (S)/Red Sails In The Sunset (S)/My Blue Heaven (S)/You Call Everybody Darlin' (S)//I Can't Believe You're In Love With Me (S)/By The Light Of The Silvery Moon (S)/Put Your Arms Around Me Honey (S)/Ain't She Sweet (S)/If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight) (S)/I Can't Give You Anything But Love (S) CHL-5013 CHJ-5014/CHJS-5014 - Apperception - Jimmy Wisner [1960] Stereo information not available, but probably true stereo. This album was reissued on CD outside the US (probably Europe) on 30 October 2001 on the Blue Moon label. Some tracks may have been remastered from the mono source rather than the stereo. Northcountry Distributors apparently distributed the CD in the US from the import market.

Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child/Love Look Away/My Old Flame/Laura/I'll Remember April/Apperception/Baby Shoes/Timeless/Wind/Stella By Starlight CHL-5015/CHLS-5015 - Tonight At 8:30 - Carol Lawrence [1960] Sleepin' Bee/Lazy Afternoon/It Never Was You/This is All Very New to Me/8 others CHL-5016/CHLS 5016 - College Confidential (Soundtrack) - Dean Elliot [1960] Stereo information not available. The Mexican version of the LP (shown at right), issued on Gamma/Chancellor GL-151-003 in 1963, shows a photo of Mamie Van Doren and is considerably more provacative than the US cover.

Main Title/Faux Pas/Make The Scene/Breakup/Blues Train/Mad Dad/Lazy Lady/So Be It (Blues)//Wild Ride/Gotta Be Hot Or Cold/Decision/Prelude & Lovers Quarrel/Let's Go/Raid/So Be It (Jazz)/End Title CHL-5017/CHLS-5017 - Wild! Wildwood! Recorded Live - Various Artists [1960] First cover is in the "exposé" theme made popular by Confidential Magazine in the 1950s, and is in keeping with theme of CHLS 5016, above. Stereo information not available. Boston Hop - Playboys/Hi Yo Silver - Playboys/One For My Baby - Playboys/Young George - George Young Group/Flyin' Home - George Young Group/What'd I Say - Cousins/Oh Marie - Cousins/When Your Lover Has Gone - Nite-Trons/When the Saints Go Marchin' In - Cousins and Nite-Trons CHL-5017/CHLS-5017 - Wild! Wild!

Twist: Recorded Live - Various Artists [1962] Reissue of Wild! Wildwood! with a new cover to take advantage of the "twist" dance craze. Stereo information not available. Boston Hop - Playboys/Hi Yo Silver - Playboys/One For My Baby - Playboys/Young George - George Young Group/Flyin' Home - George Young Group/What'd I Say - Cousins/Oh Marie - Cousins/When Your Lover Has Gone - Nite-Trons/When the Saints Go Marchin' In - Cousins and Nite-Trons CHL-5018 - A Whole Lotta Frankie - Frankie Avalon [1961] (10-61, #59) Issued in monaural only.

Why/Venus/Bobby Sox to Stockings/Don't Throw Away All Those Teardrops/I'll Wait For You/Don't Let Love Pass Me By/All Of Everything/Where Are You/Togetherness/Dede Dinah/Just Ask Your Heart/Perfect Love/Talk Talk Talk/Two Fools/Call Me Anytime/Ginger Bread/Tuxedo Junction CHL-5019 - Rockin' Hot - Fabian [1961] Issued in monaural only. Tongue Tied/Nobody/Somebody Else/Singin' The Blues/Little Meanie Jeanie/King Of Love//Hey Little Girl/Kansas City/A Special Kind Of Love/Written In The Book/My Babe/Tomorrow CHLX-5020 - Art Of Singing - Carlo Menotti [1961] (2-LP set) Issued in monaural only. Preparatory Exercises/Phrase Fragment/Arpeggio and Rhythm/Minor and Augmented Phrases.

With comments from Frankie Avalon, Lucille Ball, Pat Boone, Red Buttons, Bobby Darin, Dion, Maurice Evans, Fabian, Connie Francis, Julius LaRosa, Hal March, Peter Palmer, Carmel Quinn, Dick Rogers, and Dick Roman. CHL-5021 - The Veryest - George Young Revue [1961] Issued in monaural only. Secret Love/Basin Street/Theme For Jacqueline/Birth Of The Blues/Maleguena/Chantilly Lace//Bill Bailey/Mr. Wonderful/And The Angels Sing/Teach Me Tonight/I'll Walk Alone/Heavy Juice CHL-5022/CHLS-5022 - And Now About Mr.

Avalon - Frankie Avalon [1961] The Music Stopped (S)/Our Love Is Here To Stay (S)/Lotta Livin' To Do (S)/I Wish You Love (S)/Sail A Crooked Ship (S)/It Started All Over Again (S)//The Lonely Bit (S)/The End Of A Love Affair (S)/Can't You Just See Yourself (S)/What Is This Thing Called Love (S)/Opposites Attract (S)/Standing On The Corner (S) CHL-5023/CHLS 5023 - Dixieland With A Twist - Carpetbaggers [1962] Stereo information not available.

Ja-Da/Sweet Georgia Brown/Southern Style/Carpetbagger's Twist/Preacher/All Heart No Soul/Hand Me Down My Walking Cane/Some Of These Days/I'm a Ding Dong Daddy From Dumas/How Come You Do Me Like You Do/Rock A Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody/Alexander's Ragtime Band Pep Twist CHL-5024/CHLS-5024 - Fabian's 16 Fabulous Hits - Fabian [1962] Stereo information not available. Hong Kong/I'm A Man/Come On And Get Me/Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter/Kissin' And Twistin'/Stop Thief/Love That I'm Giving You/Tiger/Just Keep On Going/About This Thing Called Love/Got The Feeling/Strollin' In The Springtime/String Along/Hypnotized/Long Before/Turn Me Loose CHL-5025/CHLS-5025 - Italiano - Frankie Avalon [1962] Stereo information not available.

Italiano/Non Ti Scordar Di Me/Anema E Core/Non Dimenticar/Don't Ever Leave Me/Just Say I Love Her/Zingarella/You're Breaking My Heart/Solo Tu/Tornerai/You're My Rose/Capuccina CHL-5026/CHLS-5026 - Panicsville - Panics [1962] Stereo information not available. Bony Moronie/New Orleans Twist/Please Mr. Postman/French Twist/Money/Panicsville//Ram-Bunk-Shush/Swingin' Shepherd Twist/Lucille/Mystery Train/Twistin' Good/Peter Gunn Twist CHL-5027/CHLS-5027 - You Are Mine - Frankie Avalon [1962] Stereo information not available.

You Are Mine/I'll Buy That Dream/I'll See You In My Dreams/I Care For You/I'll Never Stop Loving You/Yes I'm In Love//The More I See You/Honestly I Care/Sunday Monday or Always/If I Had You/If You Were The Only Girl In The World/With You With Me CHL-5028/CHLS-5028 - Dance On The Wild Side - Various Artists [1962] Stereo information not available. Fat Backs And Greens - Playboys/Duck Walk - Playboys/Hey Mrs. Jones - Playboys/Flamingo - Cousins/Twistin' Marie - George Young Group/Night Train Twist - Playboys//Take A Chance On Love - Playboys/Booty Green - Playboys/Clappin' - Playboys/St. Louis Blues Twist - Cousins/Goody Goody - Cousins/Birdland Hully-Gully Twist - George Young Group CHL-5029 - Party Lights - Claudine Clark [1962] Issued in monaural only.

Party Lights/Foxy/Havin' A Party/Happy Birthday Baby/Disappointed/Dancin' Party//Freddy Blue Eyes/Your Love/My Turn To Laugh/What Kind Of Party/Somebody Else Is In My Place/Party Time CHL-5030 CHL-5031/CHLS-5031 - Christmas Album - Frankie Avalon [1962] Stereo content not available.

A Merry Christmas/Blue Christmas/Christmas Magic (The Meaning of Christmas)/White Christmas/You're All I Want For Christmas/Christmas Holiday//Christmas And You/Dear Gesu Bambino/The Christmas Song/Christmas Medley: The First Noel-O Little Town Of Bethlehem-Silent Night/I'll Be Home For Christmas/Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas CHL-5032/CHLS-5032 - Frankie Avalon Sings Cleopatra - Frankie Avalon [1963] Welcome Home/Don't Let Me Stand In Your Way/True, True Love/Who Else But You/If You Don't Think I'm Leaving/Dance the Bossa Nova/Heartbeats/Gotta Get a Girl/Married/Summer of '61/After You're Gone/Sleeping Beauty/Miracle 69800 Series: CHL-69801 - Young And In Love - Frankie Avalon [1960] Issued in monaural only. Special cover with red felt-like covering, die cut front to frame a picture of Frankie Avalon on the inner sleeve.

Young And In Love/Honestly I Care/Younger Than Springtime/Yes I'm In Love/I'll Never Stop Loving You/While We're Young//You Were Meant For Me/I'll Buy That Dream/With All My Heart/I Care For You/You Make Me Feel So Young/I'll See You In My Dreams CHL-69802 - Young and Wonderful - Fabian [1960] Issued in monaural only. Special cover with blue felt-like covering, die cut front to frame a picture of Fabian on the inner sleeve. Young And Wonderful/All Of Me/Think Of Me/It's A Sin To Tell A Lie/Take Me/It Had To Be You//Deed I Do/Suzie/I Wonder If They Know/All I Do Is Dream Of You/I've Got Nobody/Exactly Like You Sea Horse Records CHS-7000 Series: The following series was issued as "Sea Horse Records, a Division of Chancellor Records." CSH-7001 - Schnappsie - Marla Ray[1960] (Narration) Issued in monaural only.

Schnappsie Goes Ice Skating/Schnappsie The Race Driver/Schnappsie Goes to the Dog Show/Schnappsie and the Little Orphan CSH-7002 - Bat Masterson - Eddie Bracken [1960] Issued in monaural only. This record features six stories and six songs. Stories are marked with an asterisk (*). Bat Masterson Theme/*The Day Judge Freeman Was Killed/Six Gold Buttons On His Fancy Vest/*The Duel In the Bella Union/Bat Masterson Tap-a-Roo/*The Lynch Party//The Old Chisholm Trail/*The Hound Dog Gun Duel/Whoo-Pi-Ti-Yi-Yo/*The Palace Café/Little Bat Masterson/*The Stage to Killer's Creek CSH-7003 - World's Greatest Fairy Tales - Marla Ray [1961] (Narration) Issued in monaural only. RELATED ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY: United Artists UAS-6382 - Frankie Avalon's 15 Greatest Hits - Frankie Avalon [1964] Stereo information not available.

Venus/Why/Bobby Sox To Stockings/Dede Dinah/Ginger Bread/With All My Heart/Too Young To Love/Don't Let Love Pass Me By/Don't Make Fun Of Me/Where Are You/Who Else But You/A Perfect Love/You Are Mine/I'll Wait For You/Don't Throw Away All Those Teardrops Sunset SUS-5244 - Frankie Avalon - Frankie Avalon [1969] Stereo information not available.

More/Days of Wine and Roses/A Perfect Love/Where Are You/Venus//I'll Take Sweden/Moon River/Every Girl Should Get Married/Again/Why ABC ABCX-805 - Frankie Avalon 16 Greatest Hits - Frankie Avalon [1973] Venus (S)/Just Ask Your Heart (S)/A Boy Without A Girl (E)/I'll Wait For You (E)/Dede Dinah (E)/Ginger Bread (E)/Why (S)//You Are Mine (E)/A Perfect Love (S)/Togetherness (S)/Where Are You (E)/Swingin' On A Rainbow (S)/The Puppet Song (E)/Two Fools (S)/Don't Throw Away All Those Teardrops (S) ABC ABCX-806 - Fabian 16 Greatest Hits - Fabian [1973] Issued in monaural only.

Tiger/I'm A Man/String Along/Turn Me Loose/About This Thing Called Love/This Friendly World/Come On And Get Me/Hound Dog Man//Got The Feeling/Steady Date/I'm Gonna Get You/Long Before/Mighty Cold/Stop Thief!/Hypnotized/Kissin' And Twistin' Romar 2RMS-2003 - The Rockin' and Rollin' 50's and 60's - Various Artists (2-LP set) [1973] Why - Frankie Avalon (S)/Tear Drops - Lee Andrews & Hearts (E)/Turn Me Loose - Fabian (S)/It's All In The Game - Tommy Edwards (S)/Party Lights - Claudine Clark (M)//Tiger - Fabian (M)/With All My Heart - Jodie Sands (M)/Bobby Sox To Stockings - Frankie Avalon (M)/I'm A Man - Fabian (M)/Lightnin' Strikes - Lou Christie (M)//La Bamba - Richie Valens (E)/De De Dinah - Frankie Avalon (M)/Teen Beat - Sandy Nelson (E)/There's A Moon Out Tonight - Capris (E)/Party

 Doll - Buddy Knox (E)//Venus - Frankie Avalon (M)/Rhapsody In The Rain - Lou Christie (M, edited "falling star" version)/Hound-Dog Man - Fabian (M)/Teen Angel - Mark Dinning (S)/Why Do Fools Fall In Love - Frankie Lymon & Teenagers (E) TRIP TOP-16-21 - 16 Greatest Hits of Frankie Avalon - Frankie Avalon [1977] Reissue of ABC ABCX-805.

Venus (S)/Just Ask Your Heart (S)/A Boy Without A Girl (E)/I'll Wait For You (E)/Dede Dinah (E)/Ginger Bread (E)/Why (S)//You Are Mine (E)/A Perfect Love (S)/Togetherness (S)/Where Are You (E)/Swingin' On A Rainbow (S)/The Puppet Song (E)/Two Fools (S)/Don't Throw Away All Those Teardrops (S) SELECTED RELATED COMPACT DISCS: Taragon TARCD-1018 - The Chancellor Records Story, Volume 1 - Various Artists [1997] I Love My Girl - Cozy Morley (M)/With All My Heart - Jodie Sands (M)/Ginger Bread - Frankie Avalon (M, with countoff)/Turn Me Loose - Fabian (S)/Venus - Frankie Avalon (S, with studio talk and countoff)/I Cried - Joe Damiano (M)/Come On And Get Me - Fabian (S)/Just Ask Your Heart - Frankie Avalon (S)/Hound Dog Man - Fabian (S)/On My Honor - Hearts (M)/Sleeping Beauty - Frankie

 Avalon (S)/There Is A Boy - Maureen Gray (S)/The Masquerade Is Over - Five Satins (S)/I Wanna Thank Your Folks - Johnny Burnette (S)/Ashes - Screamin' Jay Hawkins (M)/The Telephone Game - Claudine Clark (M)/How About That - Dean Randolph (S)/Walk Me Home (From The Party) - Claudine Clark (M) Taragon TARCD-1019 - The Chancellor Records Story, Volume 2 - Various Artists [1997] Dede Dinah - Frankie Avalon (M)/The Happy Mandolin - Peter DeAngelis (M)/Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You) - Jodie Sands (M)/I'm Happy - Four Dates (M)/I'm A Man - Fabian (M)/Bobby Sox To Stockings - Frankie Avalon (S)/A Boy Without A Girl - Frankie Avalon (S)/Tiger - Fabian (S)/Why - Frankie Avalon (S)/Mr.

Twist - Fabulous Four (S)/Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea - Frankie Avalon (S)/I Don't Want To Cry (In Front Of You) - Maureen Gray (S)/Party Lights - Claudine Clark (M)/Lonely Heart - Five Satins (S)/Tag Along - Johnny Burnette (S)/Walkin' Through A Cemetery - Claudine Clark (M)/Cleopatra - Frankie Avalon (S)/Blue Summer - Royalettes (S) Thanks to Peter Bryan, Glenn Elliott, Sonny Drootin, and John Grecco. Turn him loose: Fabian, now living in Fayette, comes up for the Italian Festival Turn him loose: Fabian, now living in Fayette, comes up for the Italian Festival Friday, August 31, 2001 By Scott Mervis, Weekend Editor, Post-Gazette When industry people warn that today's teen pop stars can expect to have about three good years on top, they're using a model that goes all the way back to the '50s. Former teen idol Fabian will perform at the annual Italian Summerfest at 9:15 p.m. tomorrow.

Festival hours are noon to 11 p.m. tomorrow. Tickets are $8; $3 for kids 3 to 12. Call 412-323-1919. Fabian Anthony Forte -- who really only needs one name: Fabian -- was one of those three-year teen idols, starting his recording career in 1958 when he was 14 and wrapping it up at 17. "The record business is the least part of my career," says Fabian, who performs tomorrow at the Pittsburgh Italian Festival, "and that's what people remember me for." In fact, when he goes to the Giant Eagle near Connellsville, where he's settled with his wife Andrea, it's not unusual for the ladies at the bakery counter to break into "Turn Me Loose." That was his signature song and first Top 10 hit in 1959, when, in the wake of Elvis and Little Richard, he was thrust on the pop scene with two other Philly natives, Frankie Avalon and Bobby Rydell, as squeaky-clean alternatives.

Fabian had no intention of being a teen idol -- and no real talent -- when he was discovered on his stoop at the very moment his father was being taken away in an ambulance with a massive heart attack. "This guy drove by," Fabian says. "He had a friend who lived right next door. He thought it was his friend who was in trouble. He was one of the owners of Chancellor Records. Guys like Rick Nelson were making it, Elvis Presley, the GREAT Presley. He turned to me and said, 'Are you interested in being in the rock 'n' roll business?' I told him to go to hell." "Two months later, my dad was home but incapacitated and the disability check was only $45 a week. So this guy came back, asked me again. I said, 'I need to help my family out.' I was 14 1/2, the oldest son.

I said, 'If I can make some money, I can give it a try.'" With voice lessons, tight pants and white bucks, Fabian was groomed to be a pop star and sent out to the Dick Clark sock hop, where the girls screamed when he lip-synched "I'm a Man," his third single. "Turn Me Loose," another song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, put him on "The Ed Sullivan Show," where he was spotted by 20th Century Fox and signed to a seven-year movie contract. His screen debut was 1959's "Hound Dog Man," also the title of another hit single. By March of 1960, his recording career had run its course. Fabian broke his record contract, he says, because "I wanted to get away from these really possessive people." It didn't help that his name had come up during the payola scandal as an example of someone who benefited from the illegal pay-for-play practice. "They were trying to use me as an example to get people like Dick Clark, but they never got Dick Clark.

They got Alan [Freed], which was a shame, because he wasn't doing anything anyone else wasn't doing." At the time, Fabian was only a teen-ager, so he had no idea what was behind the pop-star machinery. "It was considered normal business practice. I don't believe my managers did it for me. They did it for like an overall record company situation. And if they did it, they were forced into it because other people were doing it." Fabian didn't have the kind of movie success Elvis or Frankie Avalon did, but he did star with John Wayne in "North to Alaska," with Bing Crosby in "High Time" and Jimmy Stewart in "Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation." In all, he's appeared in more than 20 films and made some memorable appearances in episodes of "Laverne & Shirley" and "Murphy Brown." Though he gave up the recording career 40 years ago, he hasn't stopped performing. He travels the country with "Fabian's Goodtime Rock 'n' Roll Show," featuring acts from the '50s and '60s, and as the Golden Boys with Avalon and Rydell.

In January, he will receive his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Although he can still play to screaming (older) fans, he enjoys the quiet life he leads in Dunbar, hometown of his wife and manager Andrea Patrick Forte, a former Miss Pennsylvania and Miss West Virginia. They have 20 acres and a fishing pond and he says, "The people are really nice. The way I dress around here, I wouldn't recognize myself. I'm always on my ATV in work clothes. And my tomatoes turned out very good this year. I'm very proud of that. I never grew tomatoes before." Meanwhile, as he's busy growing tomatoes and jetting off to Vegas or Atlantic City, the 58-year-old Fabian sees a new generation of teen idols currently ruling the pop charts. "I wish them well ... because at such a young age, a lot of things can happen to your mind," he says. "Hopefully they have some good advisers around them. And I hate to be corny, but I hope they have some good family. That's what I wish for them, because I know it's hard. Especially when things go south, a lot of guys don't make it.

When I see Britney Spears and 'N Sync, I'm pulling for them. They certainly don't need any money, but I'm still pulling for them emotionally." Fabian Fabian by • Artists - F , Music - 1950s Born Fabiano Forte in Philadelphia on 6 February 1943, he attended the same boys club as his neighbourhood friends Frankie Avalon and Bobby Rydell . All three had budding ambitions to become famous singers. In 1957 Fabian was introduced to Bob Marcucci and Peter de Angelis, who headed Chancellor Records in Philadelphia and was signed to a recording contract. De Angelis reasoned that with Fabian's good looks and just a moderate voice he was destined for major success. De Angelis recounted the story: "We were talking to Frankie Avalon and he said he knew a fifteen-year-old kid at Southern High who looked like a cross between Elvis and Ricky Nelson . So Bob went over to take a look. He was so pretty, we just knew he had to be a commercial proposition, so we signed him and taught him a few things vocally.

But he never really did go much on singing." His first single release in 1958 was Lillie Lou which failed miserably in the chart, but his follow-ups I'm A Man and Turn Me Loose established him as a major attraction. Shrewd guidance by Marcucci and de Angelis, along with brilliant packaging and publicity, kept the wheels of success in motion. Appearances on American Bandstand helped too. The girls went wild. Despite being hailed by one music journalist as "the worst pop star in the world", Fabian quickly became a teenage heart-throb. In 1959 he recorded his only million-selling single, Tiger. The same year he was signed to make his first movie, Hound Dog Man. Other films followed in rapid succession including High Time, North To Alaska and The Longest Day (1962). Fabian continued to enjoy a successful movie career, and appeared also on television, starring in the celebrated Bus Stop series in the 1960's. After 1970 he reverted back to his original name of Fabian Forte.

He never regained his former stature, but has continued performing for more than 40 years, eventually appearing in concert with Frankie Avalon and Bobby Rydell as 'The Golden Boys'. He posed for a nude photo spread in Playboy in 1974 but regretted it later, saying he looked "fat and stupid". The 1980 movie The Idolmaker was a thinly-disguised biography of Fabian (called "Caesare" in the film). In the movie version, singer Caesare - a pretty boy with very little singing talent - goes through a whirlwind of success in a short time, then abruptly fires his songwriters and quits his record label. Fabian threatened a lawsuit at the time of the film's release though the filmmakers insisted that the film presented only fictional characters. "Coincidentally", Bob Marcucci was a consultant on the film. RELATED ARTICLES

Question: Which record company signed Fabian?
Answer: Chancellor