The Foote Files: Songs That Mention Western Union
(CBS 11) - You know, I think most people know who Western Union is or at least somewhat familiar.
Founded in 1851 in Rochester NY, it was mainly engaged in the business of sending telegrams from one location to another. In 2006, they ceased doing that and became a communications/financial services company, located in Meridian, Colorado.
People and businesses use them today for transferring money from place to another. But during the 1960s, there were a couple of songs that included their name in the title.
Jerry Butler, an R&B singer formerly with The Impressions, had a song called "Hey, Western Union Man" in 1968. It hit #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 but #1 on the R&B charts for three weeks. I just heard this song recently for the first time in a while on Sirius XM 60s on 6. But probably the most famous song of the Top 40 era came from a band based in Dallas, Texas via Durant , Oklahoma!
The Five Americans were part of the "garage rock" genre: a gritty, unsophisticated and hard charging yet you want to turn it up loud. The band consisted of Mike Rabon (vocals), Norman Ezell (guitar), John Durrill (keyboards), James Grant (bass) and James Wright (drums).
Being local, they made appearances on Ron Chapman's dance show "Sump'n Else" which aired weekdays at 4:00 p.m. locally on WFAA-TV Channel 8.
Chapman was in between morning drive radio gigs at that time having left Gordon McLendon's powerhouse radio station KLIF, "The Mighty 1190" and did the TV show live from Northpark Mall in Dallas.
Chapman later joined KVIL-FM in January 1969 and became nationally famous for nearly 40 years.
The group charted four songs but their most successful one was "Western Union". It peaked at #5 on the Hot 100 in April 1967.
Written by Durrill, Rabon, and Ezell, produced by Dale Hawkins, released in January 1967, and running 2:20 on the Abnak label, the lyrics go like this:
Things went wrong today
Bad news came my way
I woke up to find
That I had blew my mind
Western Union man
Bad news in his hand
Knocking at my door
Selling me the score
Fifteen cents a word to read
A telegram I didn't need
Says she doesn't care no more
Think I'll throw it on the floor
Got your cable just today
Killed my groove I've got to say
Western Union
Dit, da dit, da dit
Dit, da dit, da dit
Dit, da dit, da dit
Dit, da dit, da dit
Dit, da dit, da dit
Dit, da dit, da dit
Dit, da dit, da dit
Dit, da dit, da dit
Three of the band members have passed away: Jim Grant, Norman Ezell and James Wright.
From best accounts, John Durrill lives in Los Angeles while Mike Rabon lives in Hugo Oklahoma where he has enjoyed a career in public school administration.
Enjoy this clip with Ron Chapman interviewing them before performing "Western Union" and the "Sound Of Love."