Don Dannemann
Don Dannemann | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 9, 1944 Brooklyn, New York City, USA |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | musician, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1961-2008, 2016-present |
| Member of | The Cyrkle |
Don Dannemann (born May 9, 1944) is an American musician and jingle writer. He is the lead vocalist and guitarist for The Cyrkle.
Career
[edit]Dannemann formed The Rhondells in 1961 in Lafayette College, Pennsylvania.[1] They signed to Brian Epstein in 1966, were renamed to The Cyrkle by him[2] (the unique spelling of the name being done by John Lennon) and released their highest-selling song "Red Rubber Ball" (written by Paul Simon) the same year.[3] The song peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.[4] They were the only non-English band Epstein managed, and they toured with The Beatles during their final tour.[5]
Also in 1966, the band briefly went on hiatus when Dannemann enlisted in the US Coast Guard. When he returned, he had a Buzz cut and was often seen on television and promotional photographs with this hairstyle. He was the main songwriter along with Tom Dawes. After another hit with "Turn-Down Day", they disbanded in 1968, and had already split up by the time the 1970 film The Minx, which they had recorded the soundtrack for, had been released.[6]
In the 1970s, Dannemann and Cyrkle member Tom Dawes worked as professional Jingle writers. Dannemann wrote jingles for Continental Airlines and Swanson Foods, and also penned the "uncola" jingle for 7 Up.[7] Dannemann spent the next few decades working in advertising, and in the 1970s, opened the jingle business "Mega-Music" in New York City.[8][9] Dannemann retired in 2008 and moved out of NYC.
In the 2010s, original member Michael Losekamp successfully tracked down Don after over forty years.[10] He had just joined a pop band called The Gas Pump Jockeys that covered songs from the 1960s that had incorporated Cyrkle songs into their setlist following his entry into the band, and asked Don if he wanted to join the band as rename to "The Cyrkle" to start touring again to celebrate 50 years since "Red Rubber Ball". As of 2024, Dannemann and Losekamp are touring the USA with the current version of The Cyrkle.
References
[edit]- ^ Lyons, John F. (23 February 2021). Joy and Fear: The Beatles, Chicago and the 1960s. Permuted Press. ISBN 978-1-68261-933-9. Archived from the original on 2024-03-02. Retrieved 2024-03-02 – via Google Books.
- ^ Beatles' Manager To Handle U.S. Group, Port Arthur, Texas News, June 8, 1966, p. 34.
- ^ "Epstein Goes American - Forms Firm With Lawyer". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. June 18, 1966. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Google Books.
- ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book Of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 203. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ Beatles Show Acts Listed, Los Angeles Times, August 11, 1966, p. D13.
- ^ Heilman, Phillip. "One-hit wonder? Keyboardist from '60s band Cyrkle says Gators won't be". The Florida Times-Union. Archived from the original on 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ TV Star, Recording Star: The Power Of The Tube, Los Angeles Times, December 13, 1981, p. U104.
- ^ Gateway, Music (2019-08-22). "The Cyrkle". Music Gateway. Archived from the original on 2023-12-02. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
- ^ FabulousFlipSides (2019-04-15). "Fabulous Flip Sides – The Cyrkle Interview". Goldmine Magazine: Record Collector & Music Memorabilia. Archived from the original on 2022-11-25. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
- ^ Blundo, Joe. "Joe Blundo: Rock band The Cyrkle forms anew, circles back to its origins". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on 2024-03-02. Retrieved 2024-03-02.