Big Top Records

BigTop was a New York label owned by Julian and Jean Aberbach as a subsidiary of Hill and Range Music. It was run by their nephew, Johnny Bienstock (President) with Fred Beinstock named as Executive. 

BigTop's acts were a variety of pop music, rock and roll, and even comedy. They issued few albums, and much of their singles output was never issued on album by them. Their singles catalog included such acts as Del Shannon, Sammy Turner, Bobby Pedrick, Jr. [Robert John], Johnny & The Hurricanes, Ocie Smith [O.C. Smith], Travis & Bob, Don Covay, Maximillian, the Shepherd Sisters, Arlene Smith [of the Chantels], Don & Juan, Johnny Gibson, Cliff Richard, Lou Johnson, Miss Toni Fisher, Jamie Coe, the V.I.Ps, and Andrea Carroll. Some of the major acts, such as Sammy Turner, were from Hill and Range in New York. Others, such as Del Shannon and Maximillian [Max Crook, Shannon's instrumental accompanist and co-writer of "Runaway"], were from Detroit, managed by a duo of Balk and Micahnik. 

Harry Balk and the late Irving Micahnik were based out of Detroit and negotiated deals with BigTop as Embee Productions, including the Del Shannon and Johnny & the Hurricanes material, with rights reverting back to them after a short period of time. Balk was the "in studio" producer, with Micahnik more of the "wheeler-dealer." In the picture at right, Balk, Beinstock, and Michanik join Johnny & the Hurricanes in the studio during the recording session for The Big Sound of Johnny & the Hurricanes. [Back row, from left: Dave Yorko, guitar; Lionel "Butch" Mattice, bass; Johnny Beinstock, label executive; Irving Micahnik, manager; Johnny Pocisk (Paris), saxophone. Front row, from left: Paul Tesluk, keyboards; Bo Savich, drums; Harry Balk, producer.] 

Del Shannon was born Charles Westover in Coopersville, Michigan, in December, 1934. His career spanned radio (a US Army show in Germany), hit singles as a singer/songwriter, and later in the studio doing production work for other artists such as Brian Hyland. He had eight chart hits for Big Top, including his #1 debut 45 "Runaway" [Big Top 3067] in the spring of 1961. He followed this with "Hats Off to Larry" [Big Top 3075, #8 in summer, 1961], "So Long Baby" [Big Top 3083, #28 in fall, 1961], "Hey! Little Girl" [Big Top 3091, #38 in late 1961]. His next single, released in spring, 1962, "Ginny in the Mirror"/"I Won't Be There" [Big Top 3098], failed to make the top 100, peaking at #113. It looked like Del was done for, like so many other artists of the day whose "sound" eventually wore out its welcome with the public. His next single, "Cry Myself to Sleep" [Big Top 3112] only made #99 in June, 1962, despite a driving, pounding rhythm. But in the fall of 1962, he took a different approach, recording a Roger Miller tune, "The Swiss Maid" [Big Top 3117], which was a completely new sound and was rewarded by making #64. By early 1963, Del was back in the top sellers with "Little Town Flirt" [Big Top 3131], which reached #12 and revived his career. The followup, "Two Kinds of Teardrops" [Big Top 3143], only reached #50 here, but the flip side, "Kelly," was a hit in Europe. His popularity in Europe led to a tour, where he heard a new British group, the Beatles, do a song called "From Me To You." He decided to cover the song and his version [Big Top 3152] made #77 in the US, while the Beatles' own version on Vee-Jay here could not crack the top 100! Del Shannon left Big Top in the fall of 1963, forming his own Berlee label, a contraction of his parents' names. He had chart records into the 1980s, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He died in February, 1990. 

Johnny and the Hurricanes were formed in Toledo in 1958 as the Orbits, where they first recorded for the Twirl label for Harry Balk. By early 1959, they had signed with Morty Craft's Warwick label in New York, where they registered four chart hits ("Crossfire," "Red River Rock," "Reveille Rock," and "Beatnik Fly") before switching to Big Top in 1960. They had five minor chart hits for Big Top, including "Down Yonder" [Big Top 3036, #48], "Rockin' Goose"/"Revival" [Big Top 3051, #60/#97], "You Are My Sunshine" [Big Top 3056, #91], and "Ja-Da" [Big Top 3063, #86]. 

During 1962, Johnny and the Hurricanes toured Germany and appeared at the Star Club in Hamburg. We received a note from Tony Hendrik, owner of the Coconut label in Germany (Haddaway's "What Is Love," etc.), about Johnny and the Hurricanes' appearance: "I happened to discover your page when searching for Johnny and the Hurricanes. I ran a fan club in the sixties for them and had contact with Johnny Paris even in the late 80's. I met Irving Micahnik, their manager and co-producer, in Hamburg, Germany, in 1962 and 1963 , and recorded demos of German folk tunes for Johnny and the Hurricanes after a meeting with Rudy Slezak, the manager of Aberbach Music, Germany, and Irving Micahnik (songs that were never released, however). The concert of Johnny and the Hurricanes in December, 1962, at the Star Club, Hamburg, was unforgettable for me, as the Beatles were playing as one of the warm-up bands for the Hurricanes that night! I liked the Hurricanes' show very much, and when I asked Johnny Paris if they had records to sell, he said no, they were only touring! Quite a mistake, don't you think?? Kind Regards, Tony Hendrik" 

Johnny Paris later issued the Star Club recordings on his own Attila label. 

		The regular Big Top 45 label was pink with black print (far left photo). The promotional 45 label (near left photo) for BigTop had the same design as the commercial label, but was white with black print. BigTop also had a special 45 sleeve design.
		BigTop recorded most of their material in multi-track, although they didn't release it all on LP. One particular song, "Lavender-Blue" by Sammy Turner, does not appear to have been recorded in stereo, since the 1959 stereo 45 (far left photo) was rechanneled. BigTop's stereo 45s had a black label like the albums. Many of Sammy Turner's other singles, including "Always"/"Symphony" (near left photo) and "Paradise," have been issued on early stereo 45s in true stereo. The Del Shannon albums and the Johnny & the Hurricanes album were issued in true stereo, although the stereo version of "Runaway" is an alternate take and the stereo version of "Hey Little Girl" is missing some of the vocal overdubs of the 45.
		Big Top occasionally put out picture sleeves for their 45s. At far left is the sleeve for the Kenny & Corky single, "Nuttin' for Christmas." Kenny & Corky were a knockoff of the Chipmunks, with speeded up voices, and the single was played on the radio in some cities in 1959, although it did not chart nationally. At near left is the sleeve for Johnny & the Hurricanes' "Down Yonder."
		In 1965, BigTop started a new series, distributed by Bell Records. The Bell-distributed singles had a blue molded plastic label (see photo, far left). Big Top also distributed the Dunes label, primarily known for the hits by Ray Peterson. "Corinna, Corinna," shown near left, was produced by a young Phil Spector. Although Dunes did not issue an album, the Ray Peterson Dunes material later was issued on an album on MGM in true stereo.
		The Big Top album label was black with silver print, with the BigTop tent logo at the top. Around the bottom of the label, it read, "BIGTOP RECORDS, INC., NEW YORK, 19, N.Y." Stereo labels were the same design. LP-1302 had "STEREO" at the right of the center hole, while 1303 had "STEREO" both to the right and to the left of the center hole.

By the mid-1960s, BigTop was kaput. Balk and Micahnik had a falling out in 1965. Irving went on to manage Chubby Checker, Roberta Swede, Roberta Flack, and others. Harry went on to form the Impact label in 1966, along with a few other labels, including the short lived Inferno. He also controlled Twirl Records, which reissued some of the Del Shannon material. There was a Del Shannon "Greatest Hits" album planned for issue on the Twirl label, but it apparently never came out.