They Gave Us All Kind of Thrills

Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show: Tonic For the Soul

Only Sixteen

I normally don’t Post much relating to the 1970’s or 80’s – Not that I am adverse to doing so – lots of exceptions with the Beatles – but you just have to draw the line somewhere

But then back a few days “Only Sixteen” came on the radio by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show or “Dr. Hook”.  Dennis Locorrie’s plaintiff vocal cried for a Dr. Hook Post!  Loved Sam Cooke.  But his original just can’t touch Locorrie’s.  I think Sam would have preferred something closer to the Dr. Hook version – I would like to think so.

Those intrusive background singers just didn’t belong on the same single with Mr. Cooke.  Wiki says that the song was “inspired” by a girl named “Eunice” who was the stepsister of Lou Rawls and the that it was intended to be recorded by actor Steve Rowland – Could be – since it was a record not penned by Sam but by Barbara Campbell.  But Barbara did provide Cooke with “Everybody Likes To Cha Cha Cha” prior to “Only Sixteen” and then gave him “Wonderful World” after.

Barbara Campbell – Steve Rowland – Sam Cooke

Many have passed through the ranks of the group Doctor Hook & The Medicine Show: Tonic for the Soul” – but really only three members defined the direction of the group,

Two of them were founders, George Cummings and Ray Sawyer.  Ray was the visual icon of the group with his cowboy hat, handle bar mustache and the eye patch – especially the eye patch.  George Cummings was the other original founder.  The two along with the third founding member, Billy Francis, formed the nucleolus of Doctor Hook – all three having come together in the South in a group called “Chocolate Papers”.

Chocolate Papers 

When Chocolate Papers disbanded, Cummings would stay in contact with Sawyer with the intention of putting something new together.  Cumming’s idea for naming the band “Dr. Hook…” was based solely on Ray Sawyer’s eye patch.

Ray had lost his eye in an automobile accident in 1967 – one that took place in the northwest – one that nearly took his life.But it is probably very safe to say that Dr. Hook would not had flourished nearly as long as it did if bass player Dennis Locorriere had not been added to the lineup.  His distinctive vocal style would eventually elevate him to the position of lead singer after the hits began to wain and the stage was set for Dr. Hook to ride on through the 1970’s into the early 1980’s.

Cummings – Sawyer – Locorriere – Francis – The Big 4

George Cummings started off his musical journey in when he joined a Mississippi group called “Darryl Vincent and the Flares in 1959.  That group had been around since 1956.  Then in the 1960’s he would form the “Chocolate Papers” naming the group after an enticing doobie wrapping.  The Papers, along with Ray Sawyer, would migrate to Chicago and it was soon after that Cummings decided to put together a new band.

Ray Sawyer was indeed Dr. Hook’s lead vocalist very early on – and took the lead for “The Cover of the Rolling Stone” but pretty much gave way to Dennis Locorriere’s plaintive and soulful-like leads on many of the hits which followed.

And yes, Dr. Hook did make the cover of the Rolling Stone (magazine).  The band’s manager Ron Haffkine contacted Rolling Stone magazine co-founder Jann Wenner after the release of “On the Cover”.  Wenner didn’t need much encouraging – He dispatched a very young writer – Cameron Crowe – just 16 years old (he graduated from high school at age 15) – to interview the band.  They got their caricature picture on the March 29th, 1973 issue.

Cameron Crowe

Early Dr. Hook songs were funky – raw with a humorous edge.  The group drew heavily – almost exclusively from 1971 starting off with “Last Morning” and running well into 1974 – benefiting from the pen of Shel Silverstein, a cartoonist poet and song writer who fit into the Dr. Hook persona perfectly.

Silverstein’s first collaboration with Dr. Hook was doing the soundtrack for the motion picture , “Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me”.  For the next four years nearly every hit recording was a Silverstein composition.

If you go on to read on-line interviews with George Cummings you will quickly learn that things did not end well for George, Ray and Dennis.  Cummings became and remains very bitter towards the band especially towards Ray and Dennis – both of whom post-Dr. Hook put together their own versions of the group and proceeded to tour under Dr. Hook related names.

As the songs became more pop in nature and occasionally leaning toward disco – Sawyer became disillusioned and finally broke away in 1983.

George and Dennis live on – Ray Sawyer passed away in 2018 at the age of 81.

Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show Selected Discography (with selected solo’s)

45 – Columbia 45392 – Last Morning b/w One More Ride – July, 1971

(Debut single)

45 – Columbia 45562 – Sylvia’s Mother Number 5 Hot 100 Number 2 UK b/w Makin’ It Natural – February, 1972

45 – Columbia 45667 – Carry Me, Carrie Number 71 Hot 100 b/w I Call That True Love – August, 1972

45 – Columbia 45732 – The Cover of the Rolling Stone Number 6 Hot 100 b/w Queen Of the Silver Dollar – October, 1972

45 – Columbia 45878 – Roland the Roadie and Gertrude the Groupie Number 83 Hot 100 b/w Put A Little Bit On Me – June, 1973

45 – Columbia 45925 – Life Ain’t Easy Number 68 Hot 100 b/w The Wonderful Soup Stone – August, 1973

45 – Columbia 10032 – The Ballad of Lucy Jordon Number 109 Bubbling Under Charts – 52 UK Charts b/w Make It Easy – September, 1974

45 – Capitol 4104 – The Millionaire Number 95 Hot 100 Number 52 UK Charts – b/w Cooky and Lila – February, 1975

Capitol 4171 – Only Sixteen Number 6 Hot 100  Number 55 Country Number 14 Adult Contemporary b/w Let Me Be Your Lover – October, 1975

45 – Capitol 4280 – A Little Bit More Number 11 Hot 100 Number 2 UK Number 15 Adult Contemporary b/w A Couple More Years Number 51 Country – May, 1976

45 – Capitol 4364 – If Not You Number 55 Hot 100 – 5 UK – 26 Country – 21 Adult Contemporary b/w Bad Eye Bill – November, 1976

45 – Capitol 4423 – Walk Right In Number 46 Hot 100 – 92 Country – 39 Adult Contemporary b/w Sexy Energy – April, 1977

45 – Capitol 4621 – Sharing the Night Together Number 6 Hot 100 – 50 Country – 18 Adult Contemporary b/w You Make My Pants Want To Get Up and Dance – August, 1978

45 – Capitol 4677 – All The Time In The World Number 54 Hot 100 – Number 82 Country – Number 41 Adult Contemporary – January, 1979

 

45 – Capitol 4705 – When You’re In Love With a Beautiful Woman Number 6 Hot 100 – 1 UK – 68 Country – 5 Adult Contemporary – April, 1979

45 – Capitol 4765 – Better Love Next Time – Number 12 Hot 100 – 8 UK – 91 Country – 3 Adult Contemporary – October, 1979

45 – Capitol 4885 – I Don’t Feel Much Like Smilin’ Number 80 Country b/w Years From Now Number 51 Hot 100 – 17 Adult Contemporary – 47 UK – June, 1980

45 – Capitol 4831 – Sexy Eyes Number 5 Hot 100 – 4 UK – 6 Adult Contemporary – 67 R&B b/w Help Me Mama – February, 1980

45 – Casablanca 2314 – Girls Can Get It 34 Hot 100 – 40 UK b/w Doin’ It – October, 1980

45 – Casablanca 2325 – That Didn’t Hurt Too Bad Number 69 Hot 100 b/w 99 And Me – March, 1981

45 – Casablanca 2347 – Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk Number 23 Hot 100 b/w The Turn On – February, 1982

45 – Casablanca 2351 – Loveline Number 60 Hot 100 – 19 Adult Contemporary b/w Pity The Fool – May, 1982

Dr. Hook Long Play Selected Discography

LP – Columbia 30898 – Doctor Hook Number 45 LP Charts – February, 1972

LP – Columbia 31622 – Sloppy Seconds Number 41 LP Charts – November, 1972

LP – Columbia 32270 – Belly Up Number 141 LP Charts – October , 1973

LP – Capitol  11397 – Bankrupt Number 141 LP Charts – July, 1975

LP – Capitol 11522 – A Little Bit More Number 62 LP Charts – May, 1976

LP – Capitol 11591 – Ray Sawyer – Ray Sawyer 1977

LP – Capitol 11859 – Pleasure & Pain Number 66 LP Charts – November, 1978

LP – Capitol 12018 – Sometimes You Win Number 71 LP Charts – November, 1979

 

LP – Casablanca 7251 – Rising Number 175 LP Charts – January, 1980

LP – Capitol 12122 – Dr. Hook Greatest Hits Number 142 LP Charts – December, 1980

LP – Casablanca 7264 – Players In The Dark Number 118 LP Charts – April, 1982

CD LP – Track 1001 – Dennis Locorriere – Out Of The Dark – 2000