Songs Not Issued as Hit singles

Prepared by Paul Urbahns

It may seem a little strange for a company interested in economy to record songs and then not issue them. This has happened a few times on Hit Records. The reason certain songs were not used on the Hit label is unclear, but all the following songs were recorded at sound-a-like sessions. The most likely explanation is the songs were initially recorded to replace others in the rack. However if a single in the racks continued to sell, it would be held over another month to avoid the cost of pressing and distributing replacements.

The following is compiled from songs that were recorded by Hit Records of Nashville but not issued as Hit singles. There is only one Tennessee Music original included on the list.

Your Cheating Heart (Master 6045), a sound-a-like of the Ray Charles version of the Hank Williams song is sung by Herbert Hunter and issued on Spar 723. In June 1962, the record received a four star rating by Billboard magazine, and according to Ted Jarrett sold over 50,000 copies. Apparently recorded at the same session as I Can't Stop Loving You (Master 6043), issued on Hit 14. If Your Cheating Heart had been issued on Hit it would have sold over 100,000 copies. Herbert Hunter also recorded a Ray Charles sounding version of Hank Williams I Can't Help It (Master 6046), which served as the B side to Your Cheating Heart. Your Cheating Heart by Ray Charles served as the B side to his Dec 1962 hit recording You Are My Sunshine, issued several months after the Herbert Hunter version. Ray Charles' You Are My Sunshine (Master 6100) was issued as a sound-alike on Hit 41 sung by Earl Gaines and Lucille Johns.

Moon River (Master 6041) by The Merits issued on Giant 1010, sounds like an instrumental arrangement of the Jerry Butler record. It makes me wonder if this was intended as another Herbert Hunter vocal, but Hunter was not available so they recorded it instrumentally.

Stay At Home (Master 6671), a really cute recording by Connie Landers written by Bobby and Betty Russell, recorded in April 1965. This Tennessee Music original is squarely in the Lesley Gore style of the day. The track was probably intended to be issued on Hit, as it does not appear to have been issued on Spar. It remains as a highly collectable album track.

MODERN SOUND 1044 CONTAINS FOUR HIT RECORDS SOUND-A-LIKES NOT ISSUED ON SINGLES.

See You In September (Master 6881), performed in the style of The Happenings and recorded about January 1967. Mame listed next is the apparent planned B side.

Mame (Master 6884), performed in the style of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.

Can't Take My Eyes Off You (Master 7106), performed in the style of Frankie Valli was recorded about October 1967. The Valli original went to number 1 on Cashbox and number 2 in Billboard. Why it was not issued on a single with those chartings is a mystery.

Don't Go Out Into the Rain (Master 7107), performed in the style of Herman's Hermits.

C'Mon Marianne (Master 7109), performed in The style of the Four Seasons is the third song of this month not issued as a single.

Come On Down To My Boat (Master 7108), performed in the style of Every Mother's Son, is the fourth unissued Hit single recorded in October 1967.

Gentle on My Mind, performed in the style of Glenn Campbell and recorded in September 1968. The Glenn Campbell original was heard on radio stations both pop and country all over the United States. Campbell was a hot media person as he had just finished hosting the Smothers Brothers summer replacement show titled, The Summer Brothers Smothers Show. Based on this he was preparing his own CBS program that debuted in January 1969. Gentle on My Mind stalled after just entering the national Top 40 pop charts, and this may account why it did not make a Hit Records single. The song was recorded at a Country and Western session and eventually used as the title track for a Modern Sound album. A sound-a-like version of the follow-up Glenn Campbell hit Wichita Lineman was issued on Hit 350.

So for the Hit Records collector, you need to look for these songs that, for forever reason, were not issued on Hit singles.

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