Lee Pockriss

Composer Lee Pockriss worked in configurations from film to Broadway to pop, but he remains to be most widely known for some bubblegum-era smashes written together with longtime collaborator Paul Vance, especially Brian Hyland’s “Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini,” the Cuff Links’ “Tracy,” and Clint Holmes’ “Playground of My Brain.” Pockriss initial earned attention composing for tv, with musical credits like the U.S. Metal Hour, before teaming with fellow Brill Building composer Vance to writer “Capture a Falling Superstar,” lots one pop strike for crooner Perry Como in 1958. At exactly the same time Pockriss also collaborated with Bob Hilliard, with whom he composed the Avons’ strike “Seven GIRLS Sitting in the trunk Seat” in addition to Anita Bryant’s “My Small Part of the Globe.” In 1960 Pockriss reunited with Vance for “Four Small Heels (The Clickety Clack Tune),” a chart entrance for 16-year-old vocalist Hyland; with “Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Yellowish Polka Dot Bikini,” Hyland rocketed to teenager idol status, as well as the songwriters have scored their second chart-topping strike. Despite their achievement Pockriss continuing branching out — also in 1960 he teamed with lyricist Anne Croswell for the Broadway stage strike Ernest in Appreciate, motivated by Oscar Wilde’s traditional The Importance to be Earnest, and 2 yrs afterwards topped the pop graphs with Shelley Fabares’ “Johnny Angel,” co-written with Lyn Duddy. In 1963 Pockriss and Croswell debuted the Broadway musical Tovarich, which gained superstar Viven Leigh the Tony Prize for Best Celebrity. Pockriss nevertheless appreciated his most constant commercial achievement with Vance, although their background pigeonholed the duo as novelty authors. Their following significant strike was the 1964 “Head of the Pack” parody “Head from the Laundromat,” acknowledged towards the Detergents and offering vocals by Aldon Music program vocalist Ron Dante. Pockriss and Vance collaborated with Dante on the recurring basis through the entire remainder from the 10 years, notching a hit using the singer’s single effort “Don’t OPERATE within a Canoe” before setting up him within their program group the Cuff Links, generating a high Ten strike in 1969 with “Tracy.” The next 12 months Pockriss and Vance obtained the cartoon feature The Phantom Tollbooth ahead of notching their last major pop strike with Clint Holmes’ “Playground of My Brain.” A flop upon its preliminary mid-1972 launch, the single later on captured on at AM radio, and in the summertime of 1973 ascended to the quantity two place. As bubblegum’s industrial fortunes waned, Pockriss came back to tv, composing for Sesame Road as well as the Mike Douglas Display along with the ABC primetime unique Stanley the Ugly Duckling.