Don Ralke (full name: Donald Edward Ralke) (July 13, 1920 – January 26, 2000) was an American

music arranger In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestratio ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

, and record producer, working for four decades in the Hollywood studio system in films, television, and pop recordings.

Early life and education

He was born on July 13, 1920, in

Battle Creek, Michigan Battle Creek is a city in northwestern Calhoun County, Michigan, United States, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo River, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek River, Battle Creek rivers. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a tota ...

to Carl Henry Ralke and Maude Margaret Mueller. Ralke received his bachelor's and master's degrees in music from the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

, graduating with honors. He also studied with famed composer and Hollywood emigre,

Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian and American composer, music theorist, teacher and writer. He was among the first Modernism (music), modernists who transformed the practice of harmony in 20th-centu ...

Career

On the

bongos Bongos (Spanish language, Spanish: ''bongó'') are an Afro-Cubans, Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes. The pair consists of the larger ''hembra'' () and the smaller ''macho'' ...

, Ralke collaborated with versatile flute and reed instrumentalist Buddy Collette on ''Jazz Heat, Bongo Beat''.

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

hired him for ''Gershwin with Bongoes'' and ''The Savage and The Sensuous'', which is widely regarded as one of the best jungle exotica albums of that era. He worked with Warren Barker on the music for ''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American private detective crime drama television series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each epis ...

'' and did the heavy musical lifting when Edd "Kookie" Byrnes, one of the show's stars, became a

teen idol A teen idol is a celebrity with a large teenage fan base. Teen idols are generally young but are not necessarily teenagers themselves. An idol's popularity may be limited to teens, or may extend to all age groups. By region Asia Ea ...

and recorded his one hit, " Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)". Ralke performed similar duties for ''

Hawaiian Eye ''Hawaiian Eye'' is an American detective television series that ran from October 1959 to April 1963 on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network. Premise Private investigator Tracy Steele (Anthony Eisley) and his half-Hawaiian ...

'' star

Connie Stevens Connie Stevens (born Concetta Rosalie Ann Ingoglia; August 8, 1938) is an American actress and singer. Born in Brooklyn to musician parents, Stevens was raised there until the age of 12, when she was sent to live with family friends in rural Mi ...

when she recorded " Sixteen Reasons". Other recordings include Jewel Akens' " The Birds and the Bees", and five other gold records. His orchestra backed

Sam Cooke Samuel Cooke (; January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distin ...

on several 1959-1960 songs. Ralke also recorded two hits by Ty Wagner: "I'm a No Count" as well as "Slander". In the late 1960s, he formed his own record company. He collaborated with sound engineer Brad Miller on the hugely successful strings-with-environmental sounds creation, the Mystic Moods Orchestra. Working with " Golden Throats talent" became a specialty niche for Ralke. Ralke is credited for convincing non-singers including

William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1966 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...

and

Lorne Greene Lorne Hyman Greene (born Lyon Himan Green; February 12, 1915 – September 11, 1987) was a Canadian actor, singer, and radio personality. His notable television roles include Ben Cartwright on the Western ''Bonanza'' and Commander Adama in ...

to play it safe and stick to

narration Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the ...

over a musical background. Ralke also produced

Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by thei ...

dad

Murry Wilson Murry Gage Wilson (July 2, 1917 – June 4, 1973) was an American songwriter, talent manager, record producer, and music publisher, best known as the father of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson. Af ...

's ''The Many Moods of Murray Wilson'' which was not kindly lauded by critics but nonetheless has achieved a place as an important footnote in 1960s music. In 1972, Ralke produced and orchestrated Bob and Dick Sherman's

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

nominated

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serv ...

'' Snoopy Come Home''. In the 1970s, he returned to television, working for producer

Garry Marshall Garry Kent Marshall (November 13, 1934 – July 19, 2016) was an American screenwriter, director, producer and actor. Marshall began his career in the 1960s as a writer for ''The Lucy Show'' and ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' until he developed the T ...

on the series ''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marsha ...

'' and its spin-off, '' Laverne and Shirley''.

Personal life and death

Ralke was once described by Stan Ross, co-founder of Gold Star recording studio, as "the most well-known unknown in the business." Ralke died on January 26, 2000, in

Santa Rosa, California Santa Rosa (Spanish language, Spanish for "Rose of Lima, Saint Rose") is a city in and the county seat of Sonoma County, California, Sonoma County, in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay A ...

Recordings

*"77 Sunset Strip" / "Sebastian" - WB 5025 (single) *"Zooba" / "Stardust" - WB 5058 *''Very Truly Yours'',

Crown Records Crown Records was a budget record label founded as a subsidiary of Modern Records in 1957. It has been the name of several different record labels, listed below. Discography Mono Stereo Other Crown Records * United Kingdom ** Crown Records w ...

CLP 5018 *''Dance Caper in Hi-Fi'',

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 ...

WBS-1300 *''Bongo Madness'',

CLP 5019 *''Bourbon Street Beat'',

WBS-1321 *''But You've Never Heard Gershwin with Bongoes'',

WBS-1360 *''The Savage and the Sensuous Bongoes'',

WBS-1398 *''Jerry Howard Plays Crazy Guitar'', Imperial Records LP-9106 *(arranger/producer on) '' The Transformed Man'',

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, record label * Decca Gold, classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, musical theater record label * Decca Studios, recording facility in West ...

DLP-75043 *(arranger/producer on) " Ringo",

*''C'mon Let's Live a Little'' (soundtrack), Liberty LST-7430 *(arranger/producer on) '' Snoopy Come Home'' Original Cast Soundtrack

Production and arrangement

Among the artists he either produced or arranged included Dick and Dee Dee.

The Cappetta Company

The Cappetta Company was a group that featured Suzie Cappetta. In the 1960s she wrote the song "Dave Hull, the Hullabalooer" which she and her group the Scuzzies recorded. Ralke did the arrangements on the Cappetta Company's single " Me And Bobby McGee" / "Gimme' That", which was produced by

Ken Jenkins Ken Jenkins (born August 28, 1940) is an American actor, best known for his role as Dr. Bob Kelso, the chief of medicine on the American comedy series '' Scrubs'' (2001–2009). He has also had notable appearances in many popular TV shows. Ea ...

and engineered by Stan Ross.

Vic Malo

Hawaiian based Tongan singer/actor Vic Malo worked with Ralke. Malo in the late 1970s appeared as Billy Swan in '' Hawaii Five-O''. Also known as Vic Mataele, he was a fencing instructor, and related to the King of Tonga,

Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV (Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Tupoulahi; 4 July 1918 – 10 September 2006) was List of monarchs of Tonga, King of Tonga from 1965 until his death in 2006. He was the tallest and heaviest Tongan monarch, weighing and measuring . ...

. Ralke produced his self titled album. Malo's single "I Play Guitar And Sing A Song" / "Still No Emotion Shows",WorldCa
I play guitar and sing a song ; Still no emotion shows
/ref> was also produced by Ralke.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ralke, Don 1920 births 2000 deaths Record producers from Michigan American entertainment industry businesspeople Musicians from Michigan 20th-century American musicians 20th-century American businesspeople Crown Records artists University of Southern California alumni People from Battle Creek, Michigan