Phil Harris American Musician Quotations

Lou and I met while we were in high school in our senior year. We were in many of the same classes together and quite a few times we went over to his house to hang out.

In those days, it didn't take much imagination to come up with something that required great lyric development skills. You just thought of an experience that you might have gone through, and write it down.

We played in bars and other such establishments and anywhere where people would listen. Sometimes they did, and sometimes not. The outfits we wore were classics of the 50's.

Each one of us had a little story to tell and each recording was based on that. Lou played all of the music but we both sort of kicked around some cords during the writing phase.

We were not given any statistics as to how many records were pressed on the blue label. I used to ask Bob Shad how we were going to get paid from record sales and what I got for an answer was not to worry about the business end of the deal.

I remember seeing the song in some diners on the selection gadget that plays records at the table while you were eating. We were never told if the songs ever got on any charts.

He asked my girlfriend if we could come over and sing some of the songs that we had written, which we did. After he heard the songs, he said that he knew someone in the record business by the name of Bob Shad.

The skit was very successful based on the applause. After that show, the three of us decided to get together and try and come up with some songs that we could all participate in.

I have not followed Lou's career on a day to day basis, but am quite aware of it and he should be proud of all of his accomplishments.

He offered to put us under contract right then, and from what I can remember, we didn't hesitate to sign. After all, what did we have to lose?

These records did make the charts somewhere at about number 150 out of 160 releases. I can remember that it made the top of the charts in Atlanta GA.

I don't think that we met prior to our senior year, but we were probably in some of the same classes together without realizing it.