Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music, Inc. (sometimes referred to as Hecht-Lancaster-Buzzell Music Publishing, and later known as Hecht & Buzzell Music, Inc. and Colby Music, Inc.) was an American music publishing company founded by film producer

Harold Hecht Harold Adolphe Hecht (June 1, 1907 – May 26, 1985) was an American film producer, dance director and talent agent. He was also, though less noted for, a literary agent, a theatrical producer, a theatre director and a Broadway actor. He was ...

, his brother-in-law

Loring Buzzell Loring Bruce Buzzell (October 3, 1927 – October 20, 1959) was an American music publisher and record label executive. Together with film producer Harold Hecht and actor Burt Lancaster, he formed a series of music publishing imprints in the m ...

, and Hecht's business partner, actor/producer

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor. Initially known for playing tough characters with tender hearts, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-year caree ...

."Buzzell Ties with Hecht & Lancaster"
''Billboard'', March 16, 1957. p. 8. Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music was solely associated with the

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...

(ASCAP). The three partners also founded the music publishing company Calyork Music, Inc. (sometimes referred to as Calyork Music Corporation or Calyork Music Publishing), which was solely associated with

Broadcast Music, Inc. Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is a performance rights organization in the United States. It collects blanket license fees from businesses that use music, entitling those businesses to play or sync any songs from BMI's repertoire of over 22.4 milli ...

(BMI). Hecht, Lancaster, and Buzzell also briefly operated their own record labels, Calyork Records and Maine Records, which were active in the late 1950s. Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music, Calyork Music, Calyork Records, and Maine Records were divisions of Hecht and Lancaster's film production corporation

Norma Productions Norma may refer to: * Norma (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) ** Norma Lizbeth Ramos, a Mexican bullying victim Astronomy *Norma (constellation) * 555 Norma, a minor asteroid * Cygnus Arm or Norma Arm, a spiral ...

. Compositions published by Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music and Calyork Music have been recorded by dozens of artists and have in turn been released by such record labels as

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...

MGM Records MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings (later LP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the ...

ABC-Paramount Records ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! Records, Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquire ...

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...

London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...

United Artists Records United Artists Records was an American record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B. History Genres In 1958 ...

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. Mercury Records released ...

RCA Victor Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...

Jubilee Records Jubilee Records was an American independent record label, specializing in rhythm and blues and novelty records. It was founded in New York City in 1946 by Herb Abramson. His partner was Jerry Blaine. Blaine bought Abramson's half of the company ...

Coral Records Coral Records was a subsidiary of Decca Records that was formed in 1949. Coral released music by Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly, the McGuire Sisters and Teresa Brewer. Coral issued jazz and swing music in the 1940s, but after Bob Thiele became head ...

Top Rank Records The Rank Organisation (founded as the J. Arthur Rank Organisation) is a British entertainment conglomerate founded in 1937 by industrialist J. Arthur Rank. It quickly became the largest and most vertically integrated film company in the Unit ...

Date Records Date Records was a sub-label of Columbia Records which had two different incarnations. The first incarnation was a short-lived rockabilly label in 1958 which included a release by Billy "Crash" Craddock. The more significant incarnation was rela ...

Kapp Records Kapp Records was an independent record label started in 1954 by David Kapp, brother of Jack Kapp (who set up American Decca Records in 1934). David Kapp founded his own label after stints with Decca and RCA Victor. Kapp licensed its records to L ...

, Apollo Records,

Everest Records Everest Records was a record label based in Bayside, Long Island, started by Harry D. Belock and Bert Whyte in May 1958. It was devoted mainly to classical music. History The idea for starting a label was related by electronics inventor Harry ...

and Cabot Records; as well as their own imprints Calyork Records and Maine Records.

History

Origin, Cromwell Music association, and Leigh Music

Following

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Hollywood's Golden Age started to fade. After a 1948 ruling that major studios could no longer own theater houses and thereby monopolize production, distribution, and exhibition, things changed greatly."Pic Industry in Wholesale Climb on Indie Bandwagon"
''Billboard'', November 25, 1957. p. 28. More room was awarded to independent producers, and fewer relied on long-term deals with major studios. Talent agent

and actor

formed

, a film production company, in the summer of 1947. But income in the movie business box office, although far from poor, continued to dwindle, because of stiff competition from radio and television. By the mid-1950s most households owned a television, and the producers who could afford it started producing shows for that market. A similar situation was happening in the music business, as most households owned at least one phonograph. All the major studios either bought out existing record labels or started their own. The studios also began exploiting the

soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ( ...

, which had before then mostly been an M-G-M musical fad, but caught on with all types of films in the mid-1950s. In January 1955,

Hecht-Lancaster Productions Hecht-Hill-Lancaster was a production company formed by the actor Burt Lancaster in association with his agent, Harold Hecht, and James Hill. In 1948 Lancaster and Hecht formed Norma Productions (named after his wife), which later became Hecht- ...

, by then the leading independent film production unit in Hollywood, announced that it was extending its operations into music publishing, entering into a partnership with Howie Richmond's Cromwell Music, Inc. company. The contacts were made through Loring Bruce Buzzell, Hecht's brother-in-law (the brother of his first wife, Gloria Joyce Buzzell), who worked for Richmond at Cromwell Music. Loring and Gloria's father, Samuel Jesse Buzzell, had been a music patent attorney, and their uncle,

Edward Buzzell Edward Buzzell (November 13, 1895 – January 11, 1985) was an American film actor and director whose credits include ''Child of Manhattan (film), Child of Manhattan'' (1933); ''Honolulu (1939 film), Honolulu'' (1939); the Marx Brothers fil ...

, was a successful film director. Both Hecht and Buzzell had worked for

Irving Mills Irving Harold Mills (born Isadore Minsky; January 18, 1894 Odessa, Ukraine – April 21, 1985) was a music publisher, musician, lyricist, and jazz promoter. He often used the pseudonyms Goody Goodwin and Joe Primrose. Personal life Mills ...

' Mills Music, Inc. company earlier in their careers. Buzzell was also a field man for the

(ASCAP) and in July 1954 married singer

Lu Ann Simms Lu Ann Simms (born Lucille Anne Ciminelli; July 11, 1932 – September 21, 2003)Original data: Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936–2007. was an American singer well known in the 1950s. A performer since the age of three, she became a ...

(née Lu Ann Ciminelli), who got her big break performing on the

Arthur Godfrey Arthur Morton Godfrey (August 31, 1903 – March 16, 1983) was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer. At the peak of his success, in the early to mid-1950s, Godfrey was heard on radio and seen on television up to six days ...

show and had since then released a series of successful singles through

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

. Hecht-Lancaster Productions first published the music from their film '' Marty'' in April and June 1955 through Cromwell Music. This gave way for a series of interpretations by various artists of ''Martys theme song."Reviews of New Pop Records"
''Billboard'', May 7, 1955. p. 44.
''Billboard'', May 21, 1955. p. 52."Reviews of New Pop Records"
''Billboard'', June 4, 1955. p. 34. Hecht-Lancaster Productions' next film soundtrack, '' The Kentuckian (1955 film), The Kentuckian'', composed by

Bernard Herrmann Bernard Herrmann (born Maximillian Herman; June 29, 1911December 24, 1975) was an American composer and conductor best known for his work in film scoring. As a conductor, he championed the music of lesser-known composers. He is widely regarde ...

, was published through

Frank Loesser Frank Henry Loesser ( "lesser"; June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals ''Guys and Dolls (musical), Guys and Dolls'' and ''How to Succeed in Business ...

's publishing company, Frank Music, Inc. It is unknown what kind of deal Hecht and Lancaster worked out with Frank Loesser, or if Hermann had a publishing deal directly with Loesser. In June 1956, it was announced that Hecht, Lancaster, and Buzzell had formed their own music publishing company, Leigh Music, Inc., which would be co-publishing music from their 1956 film ''

Trapeze A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes, metal straps, or chains, from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning (rigged from a single point), swinging or ...

'' with Cromwell Music. The name of the company was based on Buzzell's daughter Cynthia Leigh Buzzell (Hecht and Lancaster frequently named their companies after their children). On July 6, 1956, the title song, ''Trapeze'', was co-published through Cromwell Music and Leigh Music. By the second song co-published, ''Lola's Theme'', on August 24, 1956, Leigh Music had been renamed Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music, Inc. The new company was listed under the same address as Cromwell Music: 151 West 46th Street, New York City. ''Lola's Theme'' also received various interpretations and singles."Review Spotlight on", ''Billboard'', July 14 1956, p36
/ref>"Special Release", ''Billboard'', July 14 1956, p32
/ref>"Coming Up Strong", ''Billboard'', July 21 1956, p38
/ref> In mid-July 1956, the Hollywood-based Record Releasing Corporation approached Hecht-Lancaster Productions regarding a music deal, though no information surfaced as to future plans.

Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music and Calyork Music publishing companies

The new company remained silent for the next six months, until a press announcement was made in March 1957. By then, Hecht-Lancaster Productions had made James Hill a full partner in the company and changed its name to Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions, which was a subsidiary of

, but Hill was not included in the music venture. The announcement revealed that Harold Hecht, Loring Buzzell and Burt Lancaster had formed a publishing company with plans to publish the scores of Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions films and non-film-related pop music. Two separate publishing firms were announced in the March 1957 press release. Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music, Inc. was to be solely associated with

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...

, while Calyork Music, Inc. was to work exclusively with BMI (Calyork Music's CAE/IPI number is 4901911). The name Calyork was a combination of California, where Hecht and Lancaster were based, and New York, where Buzzell was based and where Hecht and Lancaster were originally from. The partners intended to alter between the companies for each release, starting with the soundtrack to Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions' ''

The Bachelor Party The Bachelor Party is a 1957 drama film directed by Delbert Mann, adapted by Paddy Chayefsky from his 1953 teleplay. Plot Charlie Samson is a hard-working married bookkeeper in Manhattan, struggling to advance himself by attending night scho ...

'' through Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell, and then the soundtrack to ''

Sweet Smell of Success ''Sweet Smell of Success'' is a 1957 American film noir Satire (film and television), satirical drama (film and television), drama film directed by Alexander Mackendrick, starring Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison, and Martin Milner, ...

'' through Calyork. Both Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music and Calyork Music were under the umbrella of Norma Productions. In the summer of 1957, Howie Richmond announced that he was interested in acquiring overseas distribution of the Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell soundtracks.

Notable releases and success

The soundtrack to

' film ''

'' was released by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

in June 1956 (catalog CL 870), to a degree of success. But it was the film's and soundtrack LP's theme song, ''Lola's Theme'', that became a radio favorite. It spanned three successful singles interpreted by different bands; in June 1956 Columbia Records released a Muir Mathieson Orchestra version featuring ''Lola's Theme'' on the A-side and ''Mike and Lola's Love Theme'' on the B-side (catalog Columbia 40725). This was followed in July by a

release of

Steve Allen Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 – October 30, 2000) was an American television and radio personality, comedian, musician, composer, writer, and actor. In 1954, he achieved national fame as the co-creator and ...

's version featuring ''Lola's Theme'' on the A-side and ''Conversation (on the Telephone)'' on the B-side (catalog Coral 61681). Later that same month, a third single was released by

of Ralph Marterie and His Orchestra's version featuring ''Lola's Theme'' on the A-side and ''Yes Sir, That's My Baby'' on the B-side (catalog Mercury 70197). Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music and Calyork Music went on to publish songs for every future Norma Productions (and its subsidiary companies) films. Their films include ''

'' and ''

'' in 1957, ''

Run Silent, Run Deep ''Run Silent, Run Deep'' is a novel by Commander (later Captain) Edward L. Beach Jr. published in 1955 by Henry Holt and Company, Henry Holt & Co. The story describes World War II submarine warfare in the Pacific Ocean, and deals with themes of ...

'' and ''

Separate Tables ''Separate Tables'' is the collective name of two one-act plays by Terence Rattigan, both taking place in the Beauregard Private Hotel, Bournemouth, on the south coast of England. The first play, titled ''Table by the Window'', focuses on the ...

'' (which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) in 1958, '' Cry Tough'', ''

The Rabbit Trap ''The Rabbit Trap'' is a 1959 American drama film directed by Philip Leacock based on a 1955 ''Goodyear Television Playhouse'' teleplay by JP Miller.Take a Giant Step ''Take a Giant Step'' is a 1959 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Philip Leacock. The plot concerns a black teenager living in a predominantly white environment and having trouble coping as he reaches an age at which the realities of ...

'' and ''

Summer of the Seventeenth Doll ''Summer of the Seventeenth Doll'' is an Australian play written by Ray Lawler and first performed at the Union Theatre in Melbourne on 28 November 1955. The play is considered to be the most significant in Australian theatre history, and a " ...

'' in 1959 and finally, '' The Unforgiven'' in 1960. It is now practically impossible to know all of the various interpretations of songs copyrighted and published by Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music and Calyork Music, as some may only have been performed live with no documentation, others may have been recorded but not released, while others may have been recorded and released but did not chart. However, most of the movie soundtracks have been well discussed, even in negative criticism. The company's first official single, the theme song from ''

'', was composed and performed by Alex North but was not successful."Pop Charts"
''Billboard'', April 27, 1957. p. 56. ''Theme Song from The Bachelor Party'' appeared on the B-side of an

7" showcasing Alex North's theme for ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' is an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 134 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of t ...

'' on the A-side (catalog Victor 6896). The company's second offering, which featured music from ''

'', was extremely well received and was also of significant importance in the soundtrack category."2 Soundtracks for Same Flick"
''Billboard'', June 17, 1957. p. 29. ''Sweet Smell of Success'' marked the first time that a film had two different soundtracks, each featuring completely different music. Thus, ''Sweet Smell of Success'' spanned two soundtrack LPs and two promotional singles. The first soundtrack LP was released in July 1957 by

(catalog DL 8610) and featured the jazz score composed by

Elmer Bernstein Elmer Bernstein ( '; April 4, 1922August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor. In a career that spanned over five decades, he composed "some of the most recognizable and memorable themes in Hollywood history", including over 150 orig ...

. That same month, the lead single was released by Decca Records with the songs ''The Street'' and ''Toots Shor's Blues'' (catalog Decca 30379)."Pop Records Reviews"
''Billboard'', July 15, 1957. p. 90. The second soundtrack LP featured music composed and performed by the

Chico Hamilton Quintet ''Chico Hamilton Quintet'' is a live album by drummer and bandleader Chico Hamilton, released on the Pacific Jazz label.

, who also appeared in the film. Decca Records released this LP in August 1957 (catalog DL 8614) and promoted it with a single by Mark Murphy featuring ''Goodbye Baby'' on the A-side and ''The Right Kind of Woman'' on the B-side (catalog Decca 30390). In October 1958 the Clifton Productions film (a subsidiary of Norma Productions) ''

'' yielded three singles of its theme song. The first was performed by

Vic Damone Vic Damone (born Vito Rocco Farinola; June 12, 1928 – February 11, 2018) was an American traditional pop music, pop and big band singer and actor. He was best known for his performances of songs such as the number one hit "You're Breaking My ...

, released by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

(catalog Columbia 41287); the second was by

Eydie Gormé Eydie Gormé ( ; born Edith Gormezano; August 16, 1928 – August 10, 2013) was an American singer who achieved notable success in pop, Latin, and jazz genres. She sang solo and in the duo Steve and Eydie with her husband, Steve Lawrence, on a ...

, released by

(catalog ABC 9971); and the third was by Lu Ann Simms, released by

(catalog Jubilee 1092)."Music as Written"
''Billboard'', October 27, 1958. p. 13. The Columbia Records single became Damone's best-selling record. Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music's most significant song was ''

May You Always "May You Always" is a popular song by Larry Markes (lyrics) and Dick Charles (pseudonym of Richard Charles Krieg), published in 1958. The biggest hit version in the United States was by the McGuire Sisters where it peaked at No. 11 on the '' ...

'', composed by Dick Charles and

Larry Markes Lawrence Wolcott Markes (September 24, 1921 – May 19, 1999) was an American comedian, singer and screenwriter. Markes was born in Brooklyn, New York, and decided at an early age to become a writer. Soon after graduating from the University ...

in the fall of 1958. It was first recorded by the

McGuire Sisters The McGuire Sisters were a singing trio in American popular music. The group was composed of three sisters: * Ruby Christine McGuire (July 30, 1926 – December 28, 2018) * Dorothy "Dottie" McGuire (February 13, 1928 – September 7, 2012) * P ...

, who were friends of Lu Ann Simms and had worked with her on the Arthur Godfrey show and attended Simms and Buzzell's wedding. The version recorded by the McGuire Sisters, released by

(catalog Coral 62059), peaked at number 11 on

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...

chart on January 26, 1959, and became the best-selling record of 1959; the song also became the second-best-selling sheet music in the United States and a top ten in Britain."Reviews of New Pop Records"
''Billboard'', November 24, 1958. p. 42. Other artists who have recorded the song include

Vince Hill Vincent Brian Hill (16 April 1934 – 22 July 2023) was an English traditional pop singer, best known for his cover version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein show tune " Edelweiss" (1967), which reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. He record ...

and

Ken Dodd Sir Kenneth Arthur Dodd (8 November 1927 – 11 March 2018) was an English stand-up comedy, comedian, actor and singer. He was described as "the last great music hall entertainer" and was primarily known for his live stand-up comedy, stand-up pe ...

, both for

EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...

, The Kays for Gala Records,

Barbara Cook Barbara Cook (October 25, 1927 – August 8, 2017) was an American actress and singer who first came to prominence in the 1950s as the lead in the original Broadway musicals '' Plain and Fancy'' (1955), ''Candide'' (1956) and ''The Music Man'' ( ...

for

DRG Records MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch"), formerly known as Koch Records and Entertainment One (eOne) Music/Records, is an American independent record label and music management company based in New York City. It was formed in 1987 as a music div ...

, John Warren, Joe "Mr Piano" Henderson and The Jean-Ettes, all for

Pye Records PYE or Pye Records is an independent British record label. It was first established in 1955 and played a major role in shaping rock 'n' roll and pop music history. The Pye name was dropped in 1980 due to trademark issues, after which it produced ...

Maureen Evans Maureen Evans (born 23 March 1940, Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh pop singer who achieved fame in the 1950s and 1960s. Career Evans career began as a singer with Waldini's Gypsy Band in the mid-1950s, mainly doing summer seasons at UK holiday re ...

for

Embassy Records Embassy Records was a UK budget record label that produced cover versions of current hit songs, which were sold exclusively in Woolworths shops at a lower price than the original recordings. The original label was active between 1954 and 1965, a ...

, Carol Williams for Melcot Music,

Anita Bryant Anita Jane Bryant (March 25, 1940 – December 16, 2024) was an American singer and anti-gay rights activist. She had three top 20 hits in the United States in the early 1960s. She was the 1958 Miss Oklahoma beauty pageant winner, and a brand ...

for Columbia Records, Tammy Jones and

Bobby Vinton Stanley Robert Vinton (born April 16, 1935) is an American singer and actor, who hosted his own self-titled TV show in the late 1970s. As a teen idol, he became known as "The Polish Prince", as his music paid tribute to his Polish heritage. One ...

, both for

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...

, Page Morton for M-G-M Records,

Dave Garroway David Cunningham Garroway (July 13, 1913 – July 21, 1982) was an American Celebrity, television personality. He was the founding host and anchor of NBC's ''Today (American TV program), Today'' from 1952 to 1961. His easygoing and relaxing style ...

and Sandy Stewart for Dick Charles Recording, Harry Harrison for

Amy Records DJ copy of Kinetic Energy 1969 Amy 45 Amy Records was a record label formed in 1960 as a subsidiary of Bell Records. Artists who had success on Amy included Al Brown's Tunetoppers with "The Madison" (Amy 804 charted #23), a dance tune in 1960, J ...

, The Gatlin Brother for Branson Entertainment,

Eddy Arnold Richard Edward Arnold (May 15, 1918 – May 8, 2008) was an American country music singer. He was a Nashville sound (country/popular music) innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the ''Billboard'' country music charts, second onl ...

for RCA-Victor Records,

Ian McNabb Robert Ian McNabb (born 3 November 1960) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Previously the frontman of the Icicle Works, McNabb has since embarked on a solo career and performed with Ringo Starr, Neil Young/Crazy Horse (band), Crazy ...

for This Way Up,

The Mills Brothers The Mills Brothers, sometimes billed The Four Mills Brothers and originally known as Four Boys and a Guitar, were an American jazz and traditional pop vocal quartet who made more than 2,000 recordings that sold more than 50 million copies and g ...

for

Dot Records Dot Records was an American record label founded by Randy Wood (record producer), Randy Wood and Gene Nobles that was active between 1950 and 1978. The original headquarters of Dot Records were in Gallatin, Tennessee. In its early years, Dot sp ...

Johnny Gilbert John Lewis Gilbert III (born July 13, 1928) is an American show business personality who has worked mainly on television game shows. Originally a nightclub singer and entertainer, he has hosted and announced a number of game shows from variou ...

for Janel Records, Deep River Boys for

Fontana Records Fontana Records is a record label that started in the 1950s as a subsidiary of the Dutch Philips Records. Fontana Distribution, an independent label distributor, takes its name from the label. History Fontana began in the 1950s as a subsidi ...

, Jack Scott for Jade Records, and

Dorothy Squires Dorothy Squires (born Edna May Squires, 25 March 1915 – 14 April 1998) was a Welsh singer. Her early successes were achieved with " The Gypsy", " A Tree in the Meadow" and " I'm Walking Behind You" by her partner Billy Reid, and " Say It w ...

for Esban Records. The theme song from '' The Unforgiven'', titled "The Unforgiven – The Need for Love", was composed by

Dimitri Tiomkin Dimitri Zinovievich Tiomkin (May 10, 1894 – November 11, 1979) was a Russian and American film composer and conductor. Classically trained in Saint Petersburg before the Bolshevik Revolution, he moved to Berlin and then New York City after t ...

with lyrics by

Ned Washington Ned Washington (born Edward Michael Washington, August 15, 1901 – December 20, 1976) was an American lyricist born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Life and career Washington was nominated for eleven Academy Awards from 1940 to 1962. He won the Be ...

and was very successful with many recordings by popular artists in the early 1960s. It was recorded by

Don Costa Dominick P. "Don" Costa (June 10, 1925 – January 19, 1983) was an American conductor and record producer. He discovered singer Paul Anka and worked on several hit albums by Frank Sinatra, including '' Sinatra and Strings'' and '' My Way'' ...

Tito Rodríguez Pablo Rodríguez Lozada (January 4, 1923 – February 28, 1973), better known as Tito Rodríguez, was a Puerto Rican singer and bandleader. He started his career singing under the tutelage of his brother, Johnny Rodríguez. In the 1940s, both m ...

and Roy Liberto, all three for United Artists Records,"Review of This Weeks Singles"
''Billboard'', March 28, 1960. p. 57.

The McGuire Sisters The McGuire Sisters were a singing trio in American popular music. The group was composed of three sisters: * Ruby Christine McGuire (July 30, 1926 – December 28, 2018) * Dorothy "Dottie" McGuire (February 13, 1928 – September 7, 2012) * P ...

for Coral Records,"Review of This Weeks Singles"
''Billboard'', April 11, 1960. p. 44.

Clyde Otis Clyde Lovern Otis (September 11, 1924 – January 8, 2008) was an American songwriter and record producer, best known for his collaboration with singer Brook Benton, and for being one of the first African-American A&R executives at a major label. ...

for Mercury Records,"Mercury Records Ad"
''Billboard'', May 9, 1960. p. 9.

Ronnie Hilton Ronnie Hilton (born Adrian Hill; 26 January 1926 – 21 February 2001) was an English singer. According to his obituary in ''The Guardian'' newspaper, "For a time Hilton was a star – strictly for home consumption – with nine Top 20 hits be ...

and Gloria Lasso, both for

His Master's Voice His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone. Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the image has since become a global symbol used across consumer elect ...

, The Wally Stott Orchestra And Chorus for

Ron Goodwin Ronald Alfred Goodwin (17 February 19258 January 2003) was an English composer and conductor known for his film music. He scored over 70 films in a career lasting over fifty years. His most famous works included ''Where Eagles Dare'', ''Battle ...

and His Orchestra for

Parlophone Records Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 1923 as the Parloph ...

Jackie Gleason Herbert John Gleason (born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr.; February 26, 1916June 24, 1987), known as Jackie Gleason, was an American comedian, actor, writer, and composer also known as "The Great One". He developed a style and characters from growin ...

for Capitol Records,

Earl Bostic Eugene Earl Bostic (April25, 1913October28, 1965) was an American alto saxophonist. Bostic's recording career was diverse, his musical output encompassing jazz, swing music, swing, jump blues and the post-war American rhythm and blues style, whi ...

and Leon Pops Orchestra, both for King Records,

Franck Pourcel Franck Pourcel (14 August 1913 – 12 November 2000) was a French composer, arranger, and conductor of popular and classical music. Biography Early life Born in Marseille, France, Pourcel started learning the violin at the age of six. Later ...

for

Pathé Pathé SAS (; styled as PATHÉ!) is a French major film production and distribution company, owning a number of cinema chains through its subsidiary Pathé Cinémas and television networks across Europe. It is the name of a network of Fren ...

, Robert Jeantal and Michel Clement, both for

Philips Records Philips Records is a record label founded by Netherlands, Dutch electronics company Philips and in 1999 was absorbed into Netherlands, Dutch-United States, American music corporation Universal Music Group. It was founded as Philips Phonograph ...

François Deguelt François Deguelt (, born Louis Deghelt; 4 December 1932 – 22 January 2014) was a French singer, best known for his participation on behalf of Monaco in the Eurovision Song Contests of 1960 and 1962. Biography Deguelt gave up his studies to b ...

, Max Jaffa and

Norrie Paramor Norman William "Norrie" Paramor (15 May 1913 – 9 September 1979) was a British record producer, composer, arranger, pianist, bandleader, and orchestral conductor. He is best known for his work with Cliff Richard and the Shadows, both togethe ...

, both for Columbia Records,

Helmut Zacharias Helmut Zacharias (27 January 192028 February 2002) was a German violinist and composer who created over 400 works and sold 14 million records. He also appeared in a number of films, usually playing musicians. Early life Helmut Zacharias was bor ...

for Polydor Records, The Clebanoff Strings for Mercury Records,

Petula Clark Sally "Petula" Clark (born 15 November 1932) is a British singer, actress, and songwriter. She started her professional career as a child actor, child performer and has had the longest career of any British entertainer, spanning more than 85 y ...

for

Disques Vogue Disques Vogue was a jazz record company founded in France by Léon Cabat and Charles Delaunay in 1947, the year after the American Vogue label ceased. They originally specialized in jazz, featuring American performers such as Sidney Bechet, ...

Frank Chacksfield Francis Charles Chacksfield (9 May 1914 – 9 June 1995) was an English pianist, organist, composer, arranger, and conductor of popular light orchestral easy listening music, who had great success in Britain and internationally in the 1950s and ...

for Ace of Clubs Records, Lew Douglas for Carlton Records, The Medallion Strings for Medallion Records,

Jesse Crawford Jesse Crawford (December 2, 1895 – May 28, 1962) was an American pianist and organist. He was well known in the 1920s as a theatre organist for silent films and as a popular recording artist. In the 1930s, he switched to the Hammond organ and b ...

for Decca Records, and Gino Mescoli for Vesuvius Records. Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music also had fruitful collaboration with songwriters Kenny Jacobson and Rhoda Roberts, from whom they published and copyrighted over thirty songs. Some of these included "Just for Two" and "Somebody Loses, Somebody Wins", both recorded by Jaye P. Morgan for M-G-M Records,"Review of This Weeks Singles"
''Billboard'', July 20, 1959. p. 31. "Run, Don't Walk", "The Mooch" and "Bye Um Bye", all three recorded by Lu Ann Simms for Columbia Records and Jubilee Records, "Baby, Je Vous Aime", "Crazy Dreamer", "That's All That Matters" and "The Wonder of It All", all four recorded by Bobby Miller for Jubilee Records and Apollo Records,"Reviews of New Pop Records". ''Billboard'', February 8, 1960. p. 43.
/ref> "Midnight Blue" and "This Could Be the Night", both recorded by Herb Corey for

,"Reviews of New Pop Records". ''Billboard'', October 26, 1959. p. 46.
/ref> "Easy Does It", recorded by

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer. Starting his 69-year career with singles of standard (music), standard music, Mathis is one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century and became highly popular as ...

for Columbia Records, "I'll Be Waitin'", recorded by

Kenny Rankin Kenneth Joseph Rankin (February 10, 1940 – June 7, 2009) was an American singer and songwriter in the folk rock and singer-songwriter genres; he was influenced by jazz. Rankin often sang notes which were in a high range to express emotion. ...

for Decca Records, "Didja Mean Whatcha Said?", recorded by

Steve Karmen Steve Karmen (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer known for his jingles, including "I Love New York", " Call Nationwide, 'Cause Nationwide Is On Your Side", and " Here Comes the King." The King of Jingles, as he is informally known, has ...

for Mercury Records, "Made for Each Other", recorded by Don Rondo for Jubilee Records,"Reviews of New Pop Records"
''Billboard'', December 30, 1957. p. 38. "Lovable", recorded by

Jill Corey Jill Corey (born Norma Jean Speranza; September 30, 1935 – April 3, 2021) was an American popular standards singer. She was discovered and signed on one day when she was 17. She went on to have her own radio shows and to star in a feature film. ...

for Columbia Records,"Review Spotlight On"
''Billboard'', April 15, 1958. p. 40. "Have Another", recorded by Lou Monte for RCA-Victor Records,"Reviews of This Weeks Singles"
''Billboard'', June 29, 1959. p. 45. "Bye Um Bye" recorded by Margaret Imlau for Decca Records,"Reviews of This Weeks Singles"
''Billboard'', October 26, 1959. p. 43. "This Could be the Night", recorded by The Arena Twins for

,"Reviews of New Pop Records"
''Billboard'', January 25, 1960. p. 41. and "Cafe of Blue Mirrors" and "Ragamuffin's Holiday", both recorded by Ken Colby for Maine Records."Reviews of New Pop Records"
''Billboard'', April 6, 1959.

Calyork Records and Maine Records

Little documentation has been found about Calyork Records and Maine Records, two record labels that Hecht, Lancaster and Buzzell operated together. Most independent record labels of the era pressed records in extremely limited quantities and were only sent to radio disk jockeys and magazine representatives, in the hope of creating enough buzz to secure a major record label re-release for the outing. In most cases, the independent record labels of the era used their releases as portfolios or demos to shop to the major record labels. As such, few copies of Calyork Records or Maine Records releases have survived. The only known release by Calyork Records is from 1958; the two songs featured on the disk were published on April 15, 1958. The 45 RPM 7" vinyl credits Calyork Records with the two songs published to Calyork Music as a Lou Bartel Production (songwriter and producer). It features the songs ''Anxiously Waiting'' and ''She Flipped Me'' performed by

doo wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a subgenre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, ...

band The Flipteens. The record also indicates that it is a "Promotion Record" and a "Sample Copy Not For Sale". The address of the record label listed 729 7th Avenue, New York City as its headquarters, which was where the Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music offices were then located, having moved out of Howard S. Richmond's office at 151 West 46th Street in New York City."The Flipteens 7""
''Discogs''. The record was manufactured by

, which had a pressing plant in the same building as the Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell companies. The only known release by Maine Records, also known as Maine Record Company, is from 1959. Maine Records was named after the

State of Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, where Buzzell had gone to university (he also named another company, Colby Music, after his alma mater). In March 1959, Maine Records released a 45 RPM 7" vinyl by Ken Colby featuring the songs ''Cafe of Blue Mirrors'' and ''Ragamuffin's Holiday'', two songs already published by Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music. The record was manufactured and distributed by

Colby Music and overseas licensing

Buzzell, Hecht and Lancaster initially had to work out a licensing deal for their published songs to be legally available outside the United States and collect royalties for their songwriters. Buzzell worked out a tie-up deal with Howard S. Richmond's British-based subsidiary Essex Music, Ltd. Records and sheet music released in the United Kingdom were listed as from Essex Music, Ltd. Ultimately, Hecht, Lancaster and Buzzell founded their own British imprint, Colby Music, Ltd. The name of the company came from Buzzell's alma mater Colby University. Colby Music was also extended to several other European countries, which were each represented by local firms. In Germany, Colby Music was represented by

Julian Aberbach Julian J. Aberbach (8 February 1909 – 17 May 2004) was an Austrian-born music publisher, who lived and worked in both the United States and France. He was responsible, with his younger brother Jean Aberbach, for establishing the Hill and Range m ...

, while in Sweden the Scandinavian rights were licensed to Multitone Musikförlag by its New York representative Claes Dahlgren.

Demise

Calyork Music's final known registry is listed on September 23, 1958, with three

songs. Although the copyrights and royalty collections remained active, no new works were published under that company, with Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music taking on all new publishing. The Hecht and Lancaster Companies started having interpersonal issues in early 1959, resulting in an announced hiatus from the film business in April 1959. In July 1959 Harold Hecht and Gloria Buzzell separated. This may have caused friction between Hecht and the Buzzell family. Both of these factors played against Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music. On October 20, 1959, Loring Buzzell suffered a fatal heart attack. Following this, few additional songs were published by Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music. The exceptions include the theme songs for the Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions film ''

'' and four songs co-written by widowed Lu Ann Simms and family friend Jaye P. Morgan. The final material published by the firm was

's soundtrack of the Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions film '' The Unforgiven'', which was filled under the modified company name Hecht & Buzzell Music, Inc., as the film production company had dissolved by then and the three partners had gone their separate ways. Hecht & Buzzell Music was managed by Harold Hecht and Lu Ann Simms. Simms took over the publishing companies following her husband's death and continued after Hecht's exit. By 1961, Calyork Music and Hecht & Buzzell Music's addresses were listed as 119 West 57th Street, New York City, which was Irvin Feld's business address, who also administered other notable music publishing firms like

Desilu Desilu Productions, Inc. () was an American television production company founded and co-owned by husband and wife Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. The company is best known for shows such as ''I Love Lucy'', '' The Lucy Show'', '' Mannix'', '' The ...

Music Corp. Calyork Music remained intact through BMI and continued to be administered by Feld. Hecht & Buzzell Music was however renamed, yet again, around 1965, this time to Colby Music, Inc., which made it easier to relate the company its existing British and European venture Colby Music, Ltd. Colby Music's address was listed care of Samuel Jesse Buzzell (Loring's father), 460 Park Avenue, New York. A deal was made with Richmond's Essex Music, Inc. to administer Colby Music, Inc. Many of the songs that had been previously recorded were re-issued on discs with updated publishing credits to Colby Music, which continues to administer the songs through ASCAP.

Published works

This list was compiled from the Catalog of Copyright Entries, Music from 1955–1960. It is believed to be incomplete.Calatog of Copyright Entries, Music, 1960
/ref> * Composer legend: a = arrangement, l = lyrics, m = music, w = words

Partial list of releases

Though Hecht, Lancaster and Buzzell briefly operated the record labels Calyork Records and Maine Records, the majority of the recordings made from their published songs have been released on vinyl, cassette, CD and digitally through other record labels. This list is an attempt to document the company's efforts. Legend: ≈ Cromwell Music publishing † Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music publishing ¤ Calyork Music publishing ‡ Hecht & Buzzell Music publishing

Singles

LPs

References

External links

Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Inc on DiscogsHecht & Buzzell Inc on Discogs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hecht-Lancaster and Buzzell Music 1956 establishments in New York City Companies based in New York City Defunct companies based in New York City Mass media companies established in 1956 Music organizations based in the United States Music publishing companies of the United States Norma Productions Production music