This Might Be It . . .

I have been on the search for YEARS and YEARS for a certain recording from the mid 1960s.

See, in the 60’s there was a singer named Billy J Kramer. He joined with a band called the Dakota’s over in England. With record producer George Martin (producer for the Beatles) and songs written by Lennon and McCartney, Kramer and the Dakotas were doing good!

Billy J Kramer came over to the US to see how he would do over here. Some great band members formed a US version of the Dakotas, including *drumroll please* my Marky, the drummer! Over here in the states, “Little Children” and “Bad to Me” both reached in The Top 10 on the music charts!! Shortly after, Billy J Kramer went back to the UK and rejoined his original band the Dakotas.

I have looked for years, scouring the internet for records with the United States’ Dakotas. Marky said they never made a full record. But I thought maybe I could find a mixed record of different songs from the era or something. I mean, there had to be SOMETHING out there that I could find with the man who raised me, playing drums on a radio chart topper!

Last weekend, when my daughter and I were on our road trip, we stopped at the James Dean museum. In the gift shop were several records for sale. Then I rounded the corner, and there boxes of 45’s.

*BA-DING* A lightbulb went off in my head. I had only been looking at full records. There would have been 45’s with the chart toppers!!! I hopped online and found some.

Now, I don’t know if this is it or not yet. I don’t have a record player. But Marky does! We’ll be playing this soon. My one thread of hope that I found the right recording here is that this one was made by Liberty Records. In the U.K. Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas were with Parlophone. Liberty Records is here in the US! This might be it!! I will find out soon!

Tonight I am thankful that I may have found the recording that I’ve been searching for, for over twenty years! I hope so! I hope so!