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The Casinos – Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye (1967) #6 Pop Singles
The Casinos lead singer Gene Hughes, IMHO, has a beautiful, beautiful singing voice. And “TYCTMG” , written by the talented singer/songwriter John Loudermilk, just couldn’t help but move up the Billboard charts to #6 in 1957 as performed by the nine piece ensemble “The Casinos” that were formed from the group “The Legends.”
Read all about the detailed formation of the group here at Cincinnati’s Own The Original Casinos Website. This is where I found the great Fraternity Records promotional photo of the group that I have posted above.
It is unfortunate that this song was their first and last hit.
Now let’s fast forward more than 35 years later.
I truly love this video from one of those Fabulous PBS Doo-Wop Specials. I hope it stays around awhile and doesn’t vanish as so many do.
Mr. Gene Hughes sounds great singing lead on his classic. I recall watching this when it originally aired and I have watched it many, many times since (I need to save up for the video — don’t I?)
It is wonderful that he got to perform again to a group of adoring fans before his untimely death following complications from a car crash in 2004.
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“Dick and Dee Dee were well-known American musical entertainers. Dick St. John (born Richard St. John Gosting, 1940 – died December 27, 2003), was the male half of the duo, and Dee Dee Sperling (real name Mary) was the female half. First working together in school, the duo were not romantically linked.
They teamed up in the 1950s, but their first major hit was the rock and roll song “The Mountain’s High” (1961). It reached the number two spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent two weeks in runner-up position, held out of number one by Bobby Vee’s “Take Good Care of My Baby.”
Their recordings were created with four voice tracks. Each of them sang two separate harmony lines. Dick sang the highest and lowest parts including the falsetto, and Dee Dee sang in the middle notes. It was a unique and popular sound. “(Source)
The duo had a #2 pop hit with “The Mountain’s High,” in 1961 but “Thou Shalt Not Steal, composed by John D. Loudermilk, is my favorite Dick & Dee Dee tune. It was their second biggest hit charting #13 Pop in 1965.
“By 1969, both singers had married other people and the duo disbanded.
Dick St. John died in 2003 after falling from the roof of his home. In 2006, Dee Dee Sperling published a book about her experiences as half of Dick and Dee Dee, entitled “Vinyl Highway.”" (Source)
You may see information about the new Dick & Dee Dee’s performances and Dee Dee’s Book at the Official Website.
Thou Shalt Not Steal Composed by John D. Loudermilk
(parenthetical lyrics are Dick’s falsettos)
Thou shalt not steal, no no
Thou shalt not steal
That’s what the good book says
Thou shalt not steal
Thou shalt not steal, no no
But someone is stealin’ you away from me
I wonder if he really don’t know any better
(Maybe he don’t know)
But he’ll reap exactly, what he sows
(Yeah he gonna reap just what he sows)
If he don’t, he’ll find out someday when (yeah yeah yeah)
Somebody steals you from him (hear me call you now)
Thou shalt not steal (no no no)
Thou shalt not steal
That’s what the good book says
(repeat & fade):
Thou shalt not steal (no no no no)
Dick and Dee Dee perform their hit “Thou Shall Not Steal” from the British show Ready Steady Go!.
I hope you enjoyed the song as much as I do. It brings back great childhood memories whenever I hear it.
