Dick Jacobs

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For the real estate developer and former Cleveland Indians owner, see Richard Jacobs.

Dick Jacobs (29 March 1918 - 20 May 1988) was a musician, conductor, arranger, orchestrator, music director and an artists-and-repertoire director for several record labels (Coral, Decca, Brunswick and Springboard) who helped Jackie Wilson, Buddy Holly, Bobby Darin and others form their careers in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

He graduated from New York University and served in the Army during World War II, then returned to the city and spent several years arranging for Tommy Dorsey, then partnered with Sy Oliver to pursue freelance arranging work. When he was hired to be the musical director for the television series, Your Hit Parade, he replaced most of the existing studio orchestra members with his own choices including Dick Hyman, Don Lamond, Al Caiola and Jerome Richardson. At that point, the Hit Parade orchestra became one of the first on-screen orchestras to become integrated. In 1953 he produced a number of acts, including the McGuire Sisters and Teresa Brewer, and by 1958 had a hit single, the theme tune from the movie, "Kathy-O."

Jacobs brought a lush instrumental orchestral sound to a number of rock and roll songs of the late 1950s, notably those for Buddy Holly and Cirino Colacrai and his vocal quartet the Bowties. Eventually retiring in the late 1970s, he authored a reference book on popular songs and songwriters, "Who Wrote That Song?"

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Some 45 rpm records:

CORAL 61606 MAIN TITLE & MOLLY-O/BUTTERNUT 1956

CORAL 61692 SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD/"THEME FROM ""EAST OF EDEN""" 1956

CORAL 61724 PETTICOATS OF PORTUGAL/SONG OF THE VAGABONDS;ONLY A ROSE 1956

CORAL 61794 BIG BEAT/TOWER'S TROT AND THEN YOU DO THAT STEP 1957

CORAL 61864 FASCINATION/SUMMERTIME IN VENICE 1957

CORAL 61907 PLACE PIGALLE/LOVELY LADIES OF MILANO 1957

CORAL 61951 7-11 (MAMBO #5)/MARCHIN' DRUMMER BLUES 1958

CORAL 62086 A TOUCH OF PINK/HAPPY PEOPLE OF MONTERREY 1959