The Hudson Brothers were an American musical group formed in Portland, Oregon, consisting of brothers Bill, Brett and Mark Hudson. They were discovered by a record producer while recording music at a local studio, and offered a recording contract. After releasing several garage rock singles in the late 1960s as the New Yorkers, the group began releasing material under the names Everyday Hudson, and Hudson.

They garnered fame as teen idols in the 1970s after their prime-time series debuted as a summer replacement for The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour in 1974. The resulting popularity led to their Saturday-morning half-hour sketch comedy series for CBS, The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show, which ran from 1974 to 1975. They also released several hit singles during this time for producer Bernie Taupin, including "So You Are a Star" (1974), "Rendezvous" (1975), "Lonely School Year" (1975), and "Help Wanted" (1976).

History

1965–1972: Formation and early singles

The Hudson Brothers had their beginnings as a trio composed of teenage brothers Bill, Mark and Brett Hudson in the early 1960s. The three brothers had been raised in Portland, Oregon, by their Italian American mother who was also a singer and encouraged the boys to play music. Early on, the three brothers had formed a band known as the My Sirs.

After winning several local "battle of the bands"-type contest, the group recorded several songs at a local recording studio, where they received the attention of a local promoter, who offered them a contract promoting Chrysler automobiles. They were subsequently renamed The New Yorkers, after the Chrysler model of the same name. In early 1967, their song "Things Are Changin'" was issued on a promotional-only 45 for the Chrysler 1967 Go Show (b/w a song by another group, the Fury 4), after which they signed with Scepter. Their first Scepter 45 was issued in the spring of 1967, "When I'm Gone" b/w "You're Not My Girl" (SCE-12190) on Scepter Records, which became a radio hit in the Pacific Northwest. This was followed in August 1967 with the single "Seeds of Spring" b/w "Mr. Kirby" (SCE-12199). The B-side was favored by DJs and became a top 10 hit in the Portland area and did well in other regional markets but did not chart nationally. Their final Scepter 45 was "Show Me the Way to Love" b/w "Again" (SCE-12207) in autumn, 1967. To support the singles, the group toured with several popular music acts, such as Buffalo Springfield, The Supremes, Johnny Nash, and The Buckinghams. It was later reissued when Playboy was acquired by CBS. One further Playboy single was released only in Canada, with "Lovely Lady" as the A-side.

1972–1979: Teen idols

One of the group's earliest appearances on television as The Hudson Brothers was in the summer of 1972, for the television game show What's My Line? In 1973, the group received the attention of producer Bernie Taupin, who signed them with Elton John's record label, The Rocket Record Company. Under the name Hudson, the US Rocket label released "If You Really Need Me" (MCA-40141), which was recorded in France and produced by Taupin and mixed by Andy Scott<!-- there is no page for this person but he is likely notable see https://www.discogs.com/artist/85229-Andy-Scott for a start-->. The B-side featured two songs, "America" and "Fight Back", and the record was issued in an attractive full-color picture sleeve. In the UK, the same sleeve was used for a different A-side, "Straight Up and Tall," b/w "America" and "Fight Back". After the group's 1974 success on the Casablanca label, their complete 1973 Rocket LP, "Totally Out of Control," was issued, and another single was issued, "Be a Man" b/w "Sunday Driver" (MCA-40317), which bubbled under in Billboard. The LP did not include "America" or "Fight Back."

thumb|upright|right|The Hudson Brothers and [[Bob Keeshan (bottom) on Captain Kangaroo, 1976]]

After the group appeared as guests of The Sonny Comedy Revue on ABC in early 1974, noted producer Chris Bearde was impressed by the brothers' stage presence and offered them their own variety hour on the CBS network for the summer slot vacated by The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. The Hudson Brothers Show aired Wednesday nights on CBS from July 31 to August 28, 1974. The show was so successful that CBS devised The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show, which aired on Saturday mornings, from September 7, 1974, to August 30, 1975, in a half-hour format. The group's television exposure resulted in the brothers becoming teen idols.

Their first release as The Hudson Brothers came in September 1974 with their single "So You Are a Star" on Casablanca Records (NES 0108), which peaked on the Billboard charts at #21 in November 1974. The group's second studio album, Totally Out of Control (1974), was released through The Rocket Record Company, and charted at #179 on the Billboard 200 in December 1974. Their third studio album, Hollywood Situation, simultaneously peaked at #174.

Ba-Fa charted on the Billboard 200 at #176 in January 1976.

The long (2:45) introduction to The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show was featured in 2021 in the Family Guy episode "And Then There's Fraud".

Members

Principal

  • Bill Hudson – guitar, vocals
  • Brett Hudson – bass, vocals
  • Mark Hudson – drums, keyboards, vocals
  • Kent Fillmore – guitar
  • Bob Haworth – guitar

Backing band

  • Barry Pullman – synthesizers
  • Phil Reed – guitar
  • Michael Parker – keyboards
  • Craig Krampf – drums, percussion

Timeline

Discography

References

Notes

Bibliography

  • Hudson Brothers at TV Party!

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