B

Cuff Links, The

Band members Related acts

- Ron Dante - vocals (1970)
- Rupert Holmes - vocals (replaced Ron Dante) (1971-72)

- Abraham and Strauss (Ron Dante)

- The Archies (Ron Dante)
- Bo Cooper (Ron Dante)
- Ron Dante (solo efforts)
- Dante's Inferno
- The Detergents (Ron Dante)
- Rupert Holmes (solo efforts)

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title: Tracy

Company: Decca

Catalog: DL 75160

Year: 1969

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG

Comments: --

Available: 1

Price: $10.00

Throughout the early and mid-'60s singer Ron Dante recorded a series of little heard singles for a string of minor and major labels, including Almont, Music Voice, Musicor, and Columbia. His efforts attracted virtually no recognition and by 1968 he was paying his bills working as a backup singer and a demo maker - literally recording rough demonstration tracks for first line artists. Hired by Don Kirshner, he served as a replacement for Tony Orlando who'd grown tired of the faceless and thankless work and quit to pursue a solo career. While he continued to record isolated singles, by the late-'60s Dante had become an in-demand commodity, known as the king of "ghost groups". In addition to performing as the lead vocalist for various Kirshner created studio entities (notably The Detergents and The Archies), he also served as the hired voice of The Cuff Links.

The Cuff Links originated out of a song Paul Vance and partner Lee Pockriss had written. Convinced that the song "Tracy" would be a hit, vocalist Dante was hired to record it as a demo. The results were so impressive, Decca Records decided to release it as a single ("Tracy" b/w "Where Do You Go?" Decca catalog number 732533). The track quickly began generating massive airplay and recognizing potential profit, Decca executives quickly decided to fund an album of similar material. Produced and largely written by Vance and Pockriss (they were credited with seven of the eleven tracks), 1969's "Tracy" offered up a collection of bright and romantic top-40 pop. Reportedly recorded within a matter of days, propelled by Dante's likeable voice, material such as the title track (a top-10 hit), "Heather" and a verbatim cover of Jackie DeShannon's "Put a Little Love In Your Heart" offered up a smooth collection of radio ready pop. Perfect for AM radio, nothing on the album was going to radically change lives, but it represented pop as a professional product - think of it as aural dental floss. Supported by a pair of hits (the title track and the follow-up "When Julie Comes Around" b/w "Sally Ann (You're Such a Pretty Baby)" (Decca catalog number 732592) the parent album reached #138.

"Tracy" track listing:
1.) Tracy (Paul Vance - Lee Pockriss) - 2:14
2.) All The Young Women (Paul Vance - Lee Pockriss) - 3:05
3.) Heather (Lee Pockriss - Shelly Pinz) - 2:42
4.) Early In The Morning (Paul Vance - Leon Carr) - 2:16
5.) Put A Little Love In Your Heart (Jimmy Holiday - Randy Myers - Jackie DeShannon) - 2:28
6.) Lay A Little Love On Me (Paul Vance - Lee Pockriss) - 2:45
7.) When Julie Comes Around (Paul Vance - Lee Pockriss) - 2:44
8.) I Remember (Paul Vance - Lee Pockriss) - 2:41
9.) Sweet Caroline (Cood Times Never Seemed So Good) (Neil Diamond) - 2:45
10.) Where Do You Go? (Paul Vance - Lee Pockriss) - 2:57
11.) Sally Ann (You're Such A Pretty Baby) (Paul Vance - Lee Pockriss) - 2:46

Rating: ***(3 stars)

Title: The Cuff Links

Company: Decca

Catalog: DL 75235

Year: 1970

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG

Comments: minor ring wear; bullet hole

Available: 1

Price: $20.00

By the time Decca was ready to release a follow-up project, Dante no longer wanted to be associated with the endeavor. That wasn't about to stop the pursuit of corporate and personal profit. Released the following year, the cleverly titled "The Cuff Links" did nothing to tamper with the entity's now-patented bubblegum sound. Produced and largely written by Vance and Pockriss, the sophomore effort found 23 year old Rupert Holmes (who by chance had arranged the first album), replacing Dante. In spite of the change (or perhaps because of it), the results were indistinguishable from the debut Almost equally spread between bubble gum pop ("Jennifer Tompkins" and "Down In Louisiana") and lame-o ballads ("Thank You Pretty Baby" and "The Kiss"), the results exemplified early-'70s calculated radio product. That wasn't really a criticism. Sure, every note may have been crafted to maximize radio play, but most of the album reflected considerable care and even though it was clearly a throwaway effort, tracks such as the pro-ecology number "Mister Big (Oh What a Beautiful Day)" (always loved the background coughs) were far more effective and listenible than something like Val Stoecklein's Ecology project. Vance and Pockriss also hired a Cuff Links lineup to hit the road (singer Joe Cord, bassist Andrew Denno, keyboardist Rich Dimino, trumpet player Bob Gill, guitarist Dave Lavender, sax player Pat Rizzo and drummer Danny Valentine - these seven presumably the faces on the album's front and back covers - though the liner notes said there were nine members). The effort seems to have been wasted since, unlike the debut, the follow up vanished without a trace.

"The Cuff Links" track listing:
1.) Robin's World (Paul Vance - Lee Pockriss) - 2:44
2.) Thank You Pretty Baby (Paul Vance - Lee Pockriss) - 2:31
3.) Jennifer Tompkins (Paul Vance - Holmes - Florio) - 2:21
4.) Down In Louisiana (Paul Vance - Lee Pockriss) - 2:17
5.) Mister Big (Oh What a Beautiful Day) (Paul Vance - Lee Pockriss) - 2:50
6.) The Kiss (Paul Vance - Lee Pockriss) - 3:47
7.) Foundation of Love (Paul Vance - Lee Pockriss) - 2:33
8.) Bobbie (Paul Vance - Lee Pockriss) - 2:25
9.) Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) (Tony Macaulay - Barry Mason) - 2:29
10.) Run Sally Run (Paul Vance - Lee Pockriss) - 2:21
11.) Afraid of Tomorrow (Paul Vance - Lee Pockriss) - 2:52

With little success, The Cuff Links nameplate continued to released isolated singles for Decca and ATCO through 1972. Unfortunately, with public tastes moving on to other musical styles, follow-up singles such as "Run Sally Run" b/w "I Remember" (their final chart entry) and "Robin's World" b/w "Put a Little Love In Your Heart" did little. Dante and Holmes both went on to solo careers (see separate entries).

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