Herb Hendler

Herb Hendler (June 17, 1918 – October 16, 2007) was an American record producer and lyricist.

He was director of A&R and sole producer at RCA Victor Records in the 1940s. He produced Perry Como's first hit records and signed Glenn Miller to his final contract. He wrote the lyrics for Rosemary Clooney's first hit, "The Kid's a Dreamer (The Kid from Fool's Paradise)," later a hit for Tony Bennett; also Johnnie Ray's “Coffee and Cigarettes,” Nat King Cole's "The Magic Tree" and "Hot Toddy," a hit for Ralph Flanagan, Ted Heath and Julie London, recorded by some eighty other artists. He created and managed the Ralph Flanagan Orchestra, which was greatly popular in the early 1950s and had many chart hits, and also managed the Buddy Morrow Orchestra.

Hendler was born in Philadelphia on June 17, 1918. He majored in journalism at the University of Southern California, later transferring to New York University. In the late 1950s he became administrative assistant to the president of Warner Bros. Records and was instrumental in launching Bob Newhart and the Everly Brothers. At Capitol Records in the 1960s, as vice president and general manager of Beechwood Music, Hendler signed up some 200 songwriters across the country and had more than a dozen top 40 hits. Among the groups he discovered and championed was The Association.

He became involved in musical theatre and wrote book and lyrics (with Roslyn Baws) for the rock musical Alison, a Haight-Ashbury Alice in Wonderland with music by many Beechwood songwriters including Larry Norman. Featuring Kay Cole (creator of the role of Maggie in A Chorus Line), Ted Neeley and Richard Hatch, it was presented in Los Angeles in 1968 and optioned for Broadway by his co-producer Hal James, producer of Man of La Mancha. In Boston in 1971 he co-produced and staged Hey Dad, Who Is This Guy Gershwin Anyway?, a colorful array of Gershwin tunes in rock style, and later George, Paul, Ringo, John and Gershwin, seamlessly melding the music of the Beatles and George Gershwin.

He wrote the book and lyrics for Rock Carmen, which he co-produced and directed at the Roundhouse, London, in 1972, featuring Elaine Paige. He returned to London the next year as co-founder and executive director of the Franklin School of Contemporary Studies.

As an author, his books included Year by Year in the Rock Era, Greenwood/Praeger, 1983/1987, and How to Win the Lottery (co-author), Signet, London, 1994. In his last years he compiled a comprehensive survey of the parallels between Shakespeare and the Bible. He was a member of ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild. He died in New York City on October 16, 2007.

Birth and Death Data: Born June 17, 1918, Died October 16, 2007

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1944 - 1949

Roles Represented in DAHR: session supervisor

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 32 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor D4AB-0069 10-in. 3/22/1944 Milkman, keep those bottles quiet Four King Sisters Female vocal quartet, with male vocal solo and session supervisor  
Victor D4AB-0070 10-in. 3/22/1944 San Fernando Valley Four King Sisters Female vocal quartet, with male vocal solo session supervisor  
Victor D5VB-0451 10-in. 6/29/1945 Daybreak serenade Jess Stacy Orchestra Jazz/dance band session supervisor  
Victor D5VB-0452 10-in. 6/29/1945 It's only a paper moon Jess Stacy Orchestra ; Lee Wiley Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band session supervisor  
Victor D5VB-0592 10-in. 9/5/1945 Fishin' for the moon Norton Sisters ; Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra Male vocal solo, with female vocal group and jazz/dance band session supervisor  
Victor D5VB-0593 10-in. 9/5/1945 Just a blue serge suit Norton Sisters ; Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra Male vocal solo, with female vocal group and jazz/dance band session supervisor  
Victor D5VB-0594 10-in. 9/5/1945 Talkin' to myself about you Norton Sisters ; Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra Male vocal solo, with female vocal group and jazz/dance band session supervisor  
Victor D5VB-0595 10-in. 9/5/1945 Are these really mine? Norton Sisters ; Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra Male vocal solo, with female vocal group and jazz/dance band session supervisor  
Victor D5VB-0596 10-in. 9/7/1945 Aren't you glad you're you? Stuart Foster ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band session supervisor  
Victor D5VB-0599 10-in. 9/11/1945 Never too late to pray Stuart Foster ; Sentimentalists ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Male vocal solo, with vocal chorus and jazz/dance band session supervisor  
Victor D5VB-0600 10-in. 9/11/1945 A door will open Stuart Foster ; Sentimentalists ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Male vocal solo, with vocal chorus and jazz/dance band session supervisor  
Victor D5VB-0617 10-in. 9/20/1945 Chloe (song of the swamp) Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Jazz/dance band session supervisor  
Victor D5VB-0618 10-in. 9/20/1945 At the fat man's Charlie Shavers ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band session supervisor  
Victor D5VB-0679 10-in. 10/17/1945 Here comes heaven again Perry Como ; Russ Case Orchestra Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble session supervisor  
Victor D5VB-0680 10-in. 10/17/1945 I'm always chasing rainbows Perry Como ; Russ Case Orchestra ; The Satisfiers Male vocal solo, with vocal group and instrumental ensemble session supervisor  
Victor D5VB-0681 10-in. 10/17/1945 You won't be satisfied (until you break my heart) Perry Como ; Russ Case Orchestra ; The Satisfiers Male vocal solo, with vocal group and instrumental ensemble session supervisor  
Victor D5VB-0689 10-in. 10/18/1945 The moment I met you Sentimentalists ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Vocal group, with jazz/dance band session supervisor  
Victor D5VB-0690 10-in. 10/18/1945 That went out with button shoes Pat Brewster ; Stuart Foster ; Sentimentalists ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Female-male vocal duet, with vocal group and jazz/dance band session supervisor  
Victor D5VB-0759 10-in. 5/19/1945 I'm gonna love that gal (like she's never been loved before) Perry Como ; Russ Case Orchestra Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble session supervisor  
Victor D5VB-0760 10-in. 5/19/1945 If I loved you Perry Como ; Russ Case Orchestra Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble session supervisor  
Victor D5VB-0761 10-in. 5/19/1945 They can't take that away from me Betty Jane Bonney ; Russ Case Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble session supervisor  
Victor D5VB-0762 10-in. 5/19/1945 While you're away Betty Jane Bonney ; Russ Case Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble session supervisor  
Victor D9VB-2766 10-in. 12/14/1949 People will say we're in love Harry Prime ; Ralph Flanagan Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo session supervisor  
Victor D9VB-2767 10-in. 12/14/1949 It might as well be spring Ralph Flanagan Orchestra Jazz/dance band session supervisor  
Victor D9VB-2768 10-in. 12/14/1949 The surrey with the fringe on the top Ralph Flanagan Orchestra Jazz/dance band session supervisor  
(Results 1-25 of 32 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Hendler, Herb," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/358141.

Hendler, Herb. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/358141.

"Hendler, Herb." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/358141

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