Judd Hamilton (born February 28, 1942) is an American singer, musician, former band leader, writer, film producer, actor, inventor, company director. As a musician he has recorded for the Dolton, Liberty, American International, United Artists and RCA Victor labels. He has made a contribution to the music of California, as well as the surf genre from his involvement with the T-Bones, and 1960s surf groups, the Avantis and the Ventures. As a film and television producer he was the executive producer for the film Maniac and The Last Horror Film, as well as the film's co-screenwriter, and the executive producer for The 7th Annual Sci-Fi Awards, a 90-minute TV special. His brother was the late Dan Hamilton of Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds fame. He was also married to English actress Caroline Munro for a number of years.
Judd Hamilton | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Judd Douglas Hamilton |
| Born | (1942-02-28) February 28, 1942 (age 80) Republic, Washington |
| Genres | Surf, Rock, Country |
| Years active | 1960s - Present |
| Labels | Dolton Liberty American International United Artists RCA Victor |
In 1960, Hamilton was a freshman at Wenatchee Valley College. He entered a talent show with a song he wrote. He was approached by local KMEL radio DJ Don Bernier who was in the audience that night. Berner ran an idea by Hamilton that he record with a band called The Furys. A few weeks later Bernier drove Hamilton and the band over to a Spokane radio station where they recorded a few tracks.[1] The resulting single was "I’m Not Around Anymore" backed by "Little Lost Angel", released on Julian J-101.[2][3] In 1961 the single was reported in Billboard Music Week in the June 5 issue single as having some sales potential.[4] It went into the KMEL Top 10.[1] After that Hamilton & the Furys appeared at Wenatchee's Roller Rink as the opening act for the Ventures and Bobby Vee. Venture guitarist Bob Bogle invited Hamilton to look him up if he was ever in Hollywood.[2] With that invitation Hamilton left college in 1961 and headed to Hollywood where he was invited to work as a roadie for the Ventures.[5] Within a year Bogle decided to record a single with Hamilton, "On A Night Like This" backed with "'Til I Found You", under the name of Shane. It was advertised in the June 23, 1961 issue of Billboard.[6][7]
In 1963, he recorded the Johnny Mercer classic "Dream", backed by the Ventures, along his own composition, "Your Only Boy" released on the Dolton label. It was given a four star rating which meant it had potential to be stocked by dealers and other outlets.[8][9]
In 1965, "No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)" by the T-Bones was climbing up the charts. The actual musicians that played on the recording were session musicians, the Wrecking Crew. Liberty Records wanted to promote the song. The problem was that the session musicians were doing too well where they were to take time out to go on the road. Hamilton was approached by Joe Saraceno, a producer for Liberty in November that year. He was given the job of putting together a band to play live as the T-Bones. He became the rhythm guitarist for the group and recruited his brother Dan as the lead-guitarist. He also got George Dee for the role of bass player, Gene Pello on drums and Richard Torres as keyboard and sax player. So a touring version of the T-Bones was formed.[10][11] When the group arrived back in Los Angeles, they were invited to play a benefit event at the Aquarius Theater. The other artists at the event included The Beach Boys, The Righteous Brothers, and Buffalo Springfield. By that time, Dan Hamilton and Richard Torres had left the band and were replaced by Tommy Reynolds, Joe Frank Carollo and Jay Allen. It was this version that Joe Saraceno brought into the studio to record Everyone's Gone to the Moon which would be the last studio album credited to the T-Bones. The photo of this line up appeared on the back of the album cover.
By June 1970, Hamilton had completed his part in the Paramount Pictures film A Talent for Loving while his next solo single, a Johnny Cymbal composition, "Rules" and "Someday Morning", was released on AIR, the label connected with American International.[12][13] He was one of the first acts that was signed to the label.[14]
In 1971, he had two singles released on the United Artists label, "Mixed-Up Guy" by "Whatever Happened to July" and "Rose by Any Other Name" by "Don't Be Afraid of the World". The following year he had "Long Road" by "C'Est La Vie" released on the label.[15]
Between 1975 and 1977, at least four singles were released with his wife Caroline Munro. Some were billed as Judd and Miss Munro. The couple divorced in 1982.[16]
In 1964 along with former Dolton Records label mate Bill Shaw, he was working for Regency Records as an A&R man.[17][18] One of the acts he recorded was Danny and the Memories who went on to be Neil Young's band Crazy Horse. He also brought together Pat and Lolly Vegas (later Redbone) his brother Dan, Leon Russell, Dave Gates (later Bread) and Gary Leeds (later the Walker Bros.) to record as the Avantis, producing "Gypsy Surfer" and the surf classic, "Wax 'em Down".[19][20] Backed with "Gypsy Surfer", it was released on Chancellor C-1144 and became a local hit. It was also picked by another label and bootlegged. The label was an infamous label called Astra.[19][21]
After recording the final T-Bones album Dan Hamilton rejoined the group for a Japanese tour with the lineup once again including the Hamilton Bros., along with Joe Frank Carollo and Tommy Reynolds. After the Japanese tour the T-Bones disbanded. Dan, Joe Frank and Tommy got back together in 1970 as Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds. With Judd now living in London and helping from behind the scenes the former T-Bones signed a record deal with ABC Dunhill and their first single, "Don't Pull Your Love Out", became a million selling gold record, reaching No. 1 on Cashbox and No. 3 on the Billboard charts in 1971. Reynolds left the group in 1972 and with new member Alan Dennison on keyboards they eventually signed with Playboy Records and their first single, "Fallin' in Love", became their next gold record hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Charts in 1975.[22][11]
In 1990, after spending twenty years in Europe, Hamilton had returned to Spokane. He started his own small recording studio and was looking forward to working on a project with his brother Dan as the Hamilton Brothers. It did not happen as Dan Hamilton died just before Christmas in 1994. In an interview that appeared in an article of the January 5, 1995 edition of the Spokesman-Review, there was a strong indication that Hamilton was going to produce a greatest hits CD on a Spokane label.[23]
Hamilton had a co-starring role in the Richard Quine 1969 Western, A Talent for Loving which starred Richard Widmark, Topol, Geneviève Page.[24] In 1978 he co-starred in the sci-fi film Starcrash alongside Caroline Munro, Christopher Plummer, David Hasselhoff, Marjoe Gortner, Joe Spinell. Along with Joe Spinell he was the executive producer for the 1980 horror film Maniac which starred Spinell and Caroline Munro.[25] In 1981 he co-wrote the screenplay, executive produced and co-starred in his last film The Last Horror Film, which starred Caroline Munro and Joe Spinell.[26][27]
| Act | Title | Cat | Year | Loc | Notes # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judd Hamilton and the Furys | "I’m Not Around Anymore" / "Little Lost Angel" | Julian Records J-101 | 1961 | US | [1] |
| Shane | "On a Night Like This" / "'Til I Found You" | Unity CP-2112 | 1962 | US | [6][7] |
| Judd Hamilton | "Dream" / "Your Only Boy" | Dolton Records No. 80 | 1963 | US | |
| Judd Hamilton | "Flight 103" / "Initials on a Tree" | Regency 111 | 1964 | US | |
| Judd Hamilton | "Rules" / "Sunday Morning" | American International A-151 | 1970 | US | |
| Judd Hamilton | "Sunshine Man" / "Baltimore" | American International A-163 | 1970 | US | [13][28] |
| Judd Hamilton | "We Love You Mr Pompidou" / "We Love You Mr Pompidou" (instr) | AMI Records 86031 | C 1971 | (France) | [29] |
| Judd Hamilton | "Mixed-Up Guy" / "Whatever Happened to July" | United Artists UP 35247 | 1971 | UK | |
| Judd Hamilton | "Rose by Any Other Name" / "Don't Be Afraid of the World" | United Artists UP 35311 | 1971 | UK | |
| Judd Hamilton | "Long Road" / "C'Est La Vie" | United Artists UP 35367 | 1972 | UK | [30] |
| Hamilton & Munro | "Come Softly to Me" / "Sad Old Song" | King Kong Records 52001 | 1979 | France | [29] |
| Judd And Miss Munro | "You Got It" / "Where Does Love Begin" | Aquarius AQ 3 | 1976 | UK | |
| Judd And Miss Munro | "Rhythm of the Rain" / "Sound of the Sun" | RCA Victor RCA 2753 | 1976 | UK | |
| Judd Hamilton And Caroline Munro | "Love Songs" / "Sound of the Sun" | RCA Victor PB 5021 | 1977 | UK | [30] |
| Act | Title | Cat | Year | Role | Notes # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Avantis | "Wax 'Em Down" / " Gypsy Surfer" | Chancellor 1144 | 1963 | Arranger for both sides | |
| The Avantis | "Surfin' Granny" / "Do the Surfin' Granny" | Regency RP 107 | 1964 | Co writer for side 1 Arranger for both sides |
|
| The Avantis | "Phantom Surfer" / "Lucille" | Regency 110 | 1964 | Co-writer side 1 Arranger both sides |
[31] |
| The T-Bones | "Fare Thee Well" / "Let's Go Get Stoned" | Liberty 55906 | 1966 | Co-writer side 1 | [32] |
| Spheres | Festivals and Suns | Spheres SP 001 | 1978 | Co-writer on "Savitri" | [33] |
| Jay Chattaway | Bande Originale Du Film "Maniac" | Milan A 120 151 | 1982 | Executive producer | [34] |
| Film | Actor role | Crew role | Director | Year | Notes # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Talent for Loving | Jim | Richard Quine | 1969 | ||
| Starcrash | Elle | Luigi Cozzi | 1978 | ||
| Racquet | Performer | David Winters | 1979 | ||
| Maniac | Executive producer | William Lustig | 1980 | ||
| The Last Horror Film | Alan Cunningham | Producer Writer |
David Winters | 1982 | |
| FantastiCozzi | Elle | Felipe M. Guerra | 2016 | Documentary [35] | |
| Title | Episode | Role | Crew role | Director | Year | Notes # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where the Action Is | Episode #2.99 | Himself Member of the T-Bones |
1966 | aired 28 January 1966 | ||
| Beat! Beat! Beat! | Hullabaloo - 31.01.1966 | Himself Member of the T-Bones |
1966 | aired 9 December 1966 | ||
| Dick Clark's American Bandstand | Episode #9.25 | Himself Member of the T-Bones |
1966 | aired 26 February 1966[36] | ||
| Cadet Rousselle | Episode dated 7 June 1973 | Himself | 1973 | (Talk show) aired 7 June 1973 | ||
| The 1980 Sci-Fi Awards | Writer Exec producer |
Myrl A. Schreibman | 1980 | TV Special 23 November 1980[35] | ||