Where did they get that song?

Sources of Australian Pop Records from the 50s, 60s and 70s plus some Aussie originals and some New Zealanders

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What have they done to my song?

Melanie Safka

Obscure Originator Dept: The Del Satins

Love - Hate - Revenge (1968, #2 NZ) was the highest charting of five Top 10 singles for The Avengers. They could be confused with numerous other Avengers all over the world, but this was a Wellington band, another of those popular New Zealand bands that were unknown to most Australians. Our loss, clearly.

The original version, Love, Hate, Revenge (If I Want You To Cry) (1967), was by The Del Satins, a New York doo wop group who were heard by millions but known by far fewer.

According to the excellent Doo Wop Biographies & Discographies, The Del Satins were one of the finest white male doo wop groups of all time, but they received no credit on any of their 13 hit records.

Anyone familiar with Dion's run of successful solo records in the early 60s has heard The Del Satins. They were his regular backing singers, uncredited on songs like The Wanderer or Ruby Baby.

That's The Del Satins you hear behind Dion, repeating the doo wop line that is essential to his #1 hit Runaround Sue (1961). There are varying transcriptions: this sheet music shows Hayp, hayp, bum-da hady hady ...

None of The Del Satins' own ten singles 1961-67 charted Top 100 USA, although Feelin' No Pain (1963) appeared as a local hit in New York on Billboard's Breakout chart.

There's an epilogue: In 1968 The Del Satins, by then including two original members and recent recruit Johnny Maestro, merged with Rhythm Method to form a new band called Brooklyn Bridge, led by Maestro. They had a hit with Worst That Could Happen (1968 #3 USA), written by Jimmy Webb.

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