- Active: '40s, '50s
- Genres: Vocal Music
Biography
The dearth of recording and publishing credits under the name Frank Kelton is especially ironic considering how many songs were only recorded in the first place due to Kelton's pestering. He was active not only as a publisher in the '40s and '50s but as an actual song plugger, a go-between who would present lead sheets or arrangements of a client's song to whatever artists had the slightest interest in cutting a version. Correspondence involving Kelton reprinted in various music business biographies provides a candid glimpse of his activities. "...It's not easy to get a lead sheet made from the quartet arrangements," he warns a client who is trying to get country & western vocal group the Jordanaires to open their collective mouths, hopefully to say yes and record his song. "I will be with...Tex Williams this afternoon," Kelton continues, outlining his day in Nashville. "...I hope that things work out so we can tie up one or two originals that will be recorded on Capitol...things in general are moving okay...the Hill and Range competition is not easy to overcome here."Kelton did not focus only on the growing country & western scene. He was considered a leading publisher on Broadway, using that venue as a marketplace in order to pitch material to a wide variety of performers. In one triumph, Kelton brought a novelty song entitled "Angelina" to rowdy singer and bandleader Louis Prima during a Broadway run. The lyrics in themselves should have been enough to convince Prima that the song was primo: after all, how many ditties mention that wonderful luxury of ordering antipasto twice? Yet while still considering the prospect, Prima got a phone call from his mother, also named Angelina, in New Orleans. Taking advantage of fate, Prima sang the prospective number to her over the phone. Mama said to record it and the rest is history.
A sadder part of Kelton's history from the songwriter's perspective are the creative works that wind up never being recorded. In one case a publisher got frustrated and bypassed his song plugger, appealing directly to country maestro and radio personality Red Foley, specifying a date late in 1950 when contracts were signed involving the presumably weepy "Heavy Heart." "...Frank Kelton was in my employ and he assured me that you would record this song for Decca. "I feel that this is a great song and I hate to see it go to waste, so if you feel that you cannot make a record of it, I wish you would be kind enough to send me a release," the songwriter continues. The subsequent country and pop blockbuster entitled "Release Me" had nothing to do with this situation and "Heavy Heart" never got to beat, at least not on record. A half a century later, the best-known Frank Kelton seems to be the name of a character portrayed by Esai Morales on an episode of The Outer Limits. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide
