The Story of
THE RIP CHORDS

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By Rev. Ernie Bringas -  An Original Rip Chords Member

This is the Story of the RIP CHORDS. In my younger day, I was one of the two original RIP CHORDS (the other being my business partner, Phil Stewart).  Later, our group expanded to four when Columbia producers, Terry Melcher and Bruce Johnston joined us.  The RIP CHORDS recorded from 1962-1965 at Columbia Records in Hollywood , California .  We placed five singles in the TOP 100 and also produced two  albums for a total of 33 recordings.  But we are best known for our mega-hit, Hey Little Cobra, which was fully layered by Terry Melcher and Bruce Johnston (more on this shortly).

My name is Ernie Bringas.  I served as a United Methodist minister for almost twenty years.  Presently I am employed as an adjunct faculty member of the Maricopa Community Colleges (Phoenix area); as such, I teach religious studies at Glendale Community College and previously at Arizona State University.

Misinformation

Misinformation about the RIP CHORDS abounds, especially in terms of who we were and who actually recorded our body of work.  For example, information about our group on the Internet is riddled with errors.   Furthermore, numerous books, articles, and CD booklets, written on the basis of hearsay over the past decades, are equally misleading.  The upcoming information is written to clarify the historical record; it must not be sacrificed for expediency, personal gain, pride, or any other reason.  To the extent that this is humanly possible—since no account is infallible—the end goal herein is to reflect the greatest approximation of the truth.

RIP CHORDS –The Real Story

Succinctly stated, the original RIP CHORDS (Phil Stewart and I) expanded into four primary voices (adding Columbia producer, Terry Melcher and co-producer, Bruce Johnston).  Within this coalition, the RIP CHORDS music would be hammered out.  Terry and I would handle most of the lead vocals, although Terry was our best lead vocalist and carried the lion’s share.  Bruce and I would handle the falsetto parts.  Phil’s deep-ended voice would add the needed bottom.  All four voices, in most cases, would contribute to the background vocals. That’s the short of it.  But how did all this happen? The answer is a bit more complicated.

The story begins with Phil Stewart and myself.  From a legal perspective, we are the original RIP CHORDS (we alone are under contract to Columbia , and we alone receive the group’s royalties).  Just out of high school, Phil and I started singing together in 1957.  In 1962 (via some help from actress Doris Day‘s recording company, Daywin) we auditioned for Columbia record producer, Terry Melcher.  He accepted us as his “first” project.

Twenty-year-old Terry Melcher had acquired his position at Columbia with the help of his very influential mother, actress/songstress, Doris Day.  But Melcher’s ensuing success he owes only to himself.  He became one of Columbia ’s most innovative and successful producers.  Aside from the RIP CHORDS, he would go on to produce such groups as the BYRDS, PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS and, much later (for another label) the BEACH BOYS hit record, Cocomo.

The First Single - Here I Stand

Under Melcher’s productive efforts, Phil and I (the RIP CHORDS) released our first single, Here I Stand, in March of 1963.  I carried the lead and falsetto (using multiple overdubs), with Stewart singing the baritone.  The lead guitar of Glen Campbell, a great studio musician prior to his own success, provided the driving musical hook; you can’t miss it on the original release although it’s been watered down in subsequent remixes (when someone remixes they generally produce a different version of an original recording by altering the balance of the instrumental and/or vocal tracts).  Here I Stand had moderate success, peaking nationally at #51 but reaching the Top 20 in some local markets (L. A., as one example).  It was a good and necessary showing for a first release.

Gone - The Rip Chords' Second Release

On our second release, Gone, Phil and I were joined vocally by Bruce Johnston, a good friend of Melcher.  Johnston possessed a fantastic Beach Boys-oriented falsetto that complimented my “Four Seasons falsetto.”  Although Bruce and I overlap each other on some of these recordings, our differences are clearly showcased on Gone.  I sing the lead and also add a falsetto.  But the interjecting falsetto belongs to Johnston .  I believe that Johnston is one of the best falsetto singers in pop music, especially at the very high end of the vocal spectrum.  Listen to the tail endings of Gone ( listen ) and The Queen, and I think you’ll agree.  (Incidentally, Johnston now sings with the Beach Boys.)

In spite of Johnston ’s contribution, Gone did not fare as well as its predecessor, although it did hit the national charts.  For whatever reason, Gone did not receive universal exposure.  But in the geographical markets where it drew airplay, it went to the top of the charts.  For example, during the week of August 1, 1963, in San Antonio , Texas , Gone climbed up to #2, right above Elvis Presley’s #3 song, Devil In Disguise.

Ernie Attends Seminary

At this critical point, I decided to leave the RIP CHORDS to pursue graduate studies at United Theological Seminary in Dayton , Ohio (I had recently graduated from college and was planning for the ministry). My decision to leave was somewhat forced by conservative church officials who threatened to take away my ministerial (probationary) credentials; they believed I should not, in a manner of speaking, “serve two masters.”

Prior to the time that I left, Phil and I had made personal appearances for promoting our hit singles of Here I Stand and Gone.  We made several TV appearances and did a few shows around the L. A. and San Francisco areas.  A charity performance with Tommy Dorsey (and his band) was a special highlight.  Also, our performance at the prestigious Hollywood Palladium was most memorable.

But when I left for seminary, Phil found himself without a singing or touring partner.  The touring dilemma was solved by hiring two young men (Rich Rotkin and Arnie Marcus) to join him as part of the RIP CHORDS, but only for the touring aspect.  Rich and Arnie were never under contract to record and, consequently, they do not appear vocally on any RIP CHORDS recordings. 

Be that as it may, the touring problem had been solved.  But this still left Phil as the sole RIP CHORDS singer.  Obviously, Phil, as a lone vocalist, did not constitute a vocal group.  It was this predicament that prompted Terry Melcher  (the RIP CHORDS producer at Columbia ) and his friend Bruce Johnston (who had already contributed vocally on Gone) to fill the void created by my departure.

Hey Little Cobra

It was also during this critical period that Melcher and a young songwriter named Carol Conners collaborated on a song called Hey Little Cobra.  Recognizing the song's potential, Melcher called for a RIP CHORDS recording session.  Prior to this event, Melcher did not consider himself a vocal talent (although vocally he had already experimented somewhat at Columbia ). But as it turned out, his lead vocal on Hey Little Cobra was outstanding.  He not only discovered his voice, but he also discovered he had a great “sound” (the equivalent in photography of being photogenic).  So Melcher the producer, writer, and arranger, had also become Melcher the singer.  It would not be an exaggeration to say that Terry Melcher was to the RIP CHORDS what Brian Wilson was to the BEACH BOYS.  But unlike Brian, Terry was singing for a group of which he was not a member.  As a consequence, he never received his well-deserved recognition as a vocalist (at least not in the public eye).  The same is true for Bruce Johnston, who does the falsetto on Hey Little Cobra.  Although Terry and Bruce alone appear on this recording, it was Terry’s lead vocal that gave this song its winning impetus (peaking at #4 nationally in early 1964).

Ernie - Back In The Studio

Meanwhile, I had been given permission by the Bishop of my church to rejoin the RIP CHORDS, provided I restrict my involvement to recording and refrain from touring with the group (as this might detract from my theological studies).  With this understanding, I ended my three-month absence from the group.  I CAME BACK TO THE RIP CHORDS!!!  Sorry for the emphasis here but this key factor is what everybody seems to forget.  Also note: as I was still restricted from touring, Rich Rotkin and Arnie Marcus would continue to accompany Phil Stewart on the road. 

Three Myths

Aside from the Hey Little Cobra single, which I have already credited to Terry and Bruce, a major question arises: Who was vocally responsible for the body of work originally issued by the RIP CHORDS (a total of 33 recordings)?  Incidentally, 2 of those 33 songs (Big Wednesday and Wiameah Bay) were instrumentals — instrumentals that were recorded by the studio musicians who were backing us up.  But we were strictly a vocal group, so we can’t take credit for those two recordings (with one exception to be noted later in the Addendum).   Nevertheless, they were incorporated into our body of work.  But I digress.  The question remains: Who sang what?  For outsiders who contemplate the history of the RIP CHORDS, there are three monumental myths that must be confronted. 

1. The first myth proposes the idea that Rich Rotkin and Arnie Marcus were vocal contributors to the group’s recordings.  This is not true.  However, as I will soon show, Rich and Arnie do have a legitimate place in the RIP CHORDS story, but only as part of the TOURING group, not the SINGING group. (More on this later below.)
2. The second myth proposes that Terry Melcher and Bruce Johnston were solely responsible for all the vocal recordings that followed their debut on the Hey Little Cobra single.  This erroneous impression originates from the fact that I left for seminary shortly before the Hey Little Cobra single was recorded.  Proponents of this view are either ignorant of the fact that I returned to the group shortly thereafter, or, they believe that Phil and I were sidelined for the duration.  In either case, they’re wrong.  With the exception of the Cobra single, Phil and I were very much involved throughout, including the Hey Little Cobra album and all other projects thereafter; that is, the Three Window Coupe single and album.  This whole issue of who sang what, provides a perfect segue to myth number three.
3. The third myth proposes that even if Phil and I were not totally sidelined by Terry and Bruce following my return to the group, our vocal contribution must have been limited or inconsequential.  This particular myth is difficult to dismiss altogether because within it lays a kernel of truth.  That is to say, it was Terry and Bruce who took the checkered flag in their asphalt single, Hey Little Cobra.  Not only was that our greatest hit, but that sound became our hallmark signature.  But Phil and I were not excluded from the creative genre that followed.  On the contrary, we were incorporated into it.  Not unlike the Borg in Star Trek, we were ASSIMILATED!  It was easier for me than for Phil to make this adjustment.  Both Phil and I were capable of doing leads (Phil has a marvelous “Johnny Cash” sounding voice), but I had the advantage of a more flexible voice and a falsetto ability to boot.  But I do not wish to blur the truth of the matter, and it is this: Terry and Bruce could create this sound without us; we couldn’t create it without them.  That is a key difference, and no one should try and take that away from them. Nevertheless, and here’s where the third myth falls apart, any suggestion that Phil and I were inconsequential to the total body of work issued by this group is absurd. 

Who Sang On What

To begin with, I had the lead vocal on nine RIP CHORDS songs.

Furthermore, all four singers (Melcher, Johnston, Stewart and myself), were fully engaged with various contributions on almost all recordings (The "Hey Little Cobra" single being the most memorable exception).  For example, Phil’s baritone/bass parts can hardly be missed throughout.  As for falsetto, I’m everywhere and so is Johnston. 

Incidentally, none of us were on all the songs.  But when all four voices were present, the sound was incredibly rich.   Terry had a very creative recording technique by which vocal parts were not simply duplicated (overdubbed) by the same person, but sometimes duplicated by different voices (cross-overdubbed).  In fact, many of the background harmonies were repeated by one or two of the other singers, making it virtually impossible for an outsider to distinguish who was singing what.  Even some lead vocals were recorded in this manner, as was for example, the composite leads of Terry and I on My Big Gun Board.  Incidentally, I consider My Big Gun Board to be one of our best recordings because of its overall vocal balance between the four parties and, because of its superb melody.  I lobbied for its release as a single, but to no avail.

To clarify, neither Phil nor I deny that Terry and Bruce were major contributors in shaping the RIP CHORDS music and to what is now known as the “California Sound.”  But in my opinion, that sound was never so vibrant and expressive as when all four voices registered their influence.  Neither, Phil or I, as a duo, nor Terry and Bruce as a duo (who later recorded their own music under the moniker of BRUCE AND TERRY), ever recaptured the marvelous sounds of all four voices as found on the RIP CHORDS albums.  Therefore, any attempt to downplay the vocal contributions of Phil and I, flies in the face of these numerous recordings. 

THE 2006 Columbia/Sundazed release, says it best: NO GROUP EPITOMIZED THE SUN- SOAKED CALIFORNIA SOUND BETTER THAN THE fabulous Rip Chords… Led by legendary producer Terry Melcher along with future Beach Boy Bruce Johnston and ace-vocalists Ernie Bringas and Phil Stewart, these long-board big-guns left an indelible mark on the surf’n strip sounds of the ‘60s….

The Breakup

As noted above, Terry and Bruce sought their own claim to fame by starting their own group.  But their success as a duo was not to be.  Predictably, however, this divisional distraction was counterproductive.  The old axiom that “a house divided against itself cannot stand,” proved true.  The breakup of the group, in any case, would have been inevitable.  Personally, I had already made a conscious decision to pursue my ministerial calling rather than my recording career.  Bruce was being courted by the BEACH BOYS (which he eventually joined).  Terry had his hands full producing other Columbia artists, and Phil was leaning toward Country & Western (his true love).  We all seemed willing to move in these different directions.  This is not to imply that at some points along the way, hard feelings did not ensue.  We were all a bit self-centered and impetuous in our younger day.  But I don’t believe any of us set out to hurt anyone, or deprive anyone his rightful place.  Whatever the case, all four of us share responsibility for the group's decline.

Looking back, I know we didn’t achieve our full potential as a group.  We didn’t get it all, but I’m grateful and satisfied for what we did accomplish, and, when I say “we,” that includes all four singers.  But I cannot close this report without reiterating the importance of Terry Melcher (now deceased) and Bruce Johnston.  Without them, none of this would have been possible.  Shortly before Terry’s lost battle against skin cancer, I had the opportunity to share with him my personal gratitude for the time we shared together, and his talented contribution to our group.

Ernie Bringas (2009)

ADDENDUM:  THE NEW RIP CHORDS

In the mid 1990s the group was revived.  None of the original singers are part of this new rendition.  This new group is comprised of seven or more members (off and on) two of which are Rich Rotkin and Arnie Marcus.  If you’ll remember, back in the 60s, Rich and Arnie were hired to go on tour with my partner Phil Stewart because, aside from Phil, the other three singing RIP CHORDS were unavailable to tour.  (Terry Melcher and Bruce Johnson were busy as Columbia producers, and I was pursuing my seminary education

Although Rich and Arnie do not appear vocally on any of our recordings, Columbia’s powerful marketing machine successfully promoted them (along with my partner Phil Stewart) as being the RIP CHORDS.  Obviously, this was all done for the sake of expediency (an action that is convenient and practical, although possibly improper).  Be that as it may, this makeshift group appeared on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand and toured with him on his Caravan of Stars.  They also appeared in a Hollywood movie, A Swinging Summer.  Columbia promoted their names and pictures on all advertising campaigns and product; that is, interviews, publicity shots, magazines, album covers, and so forth.  Furthermore, Rich and Arnie’s names (through no fault of their own) continue to surface on every reissued product since the 1960s.  Is it any wonder that people are confused about the RIP CHORDS story?  Hopefully, my previous comments will help clarify the issue

Having said this, however, I feel that Rich Rotkin and Arnie Marcus have a legitimate claim to being part of the RIP CHORDS, even though they made no vocal contributions on our recordings.  I say this for four reasons: 

• First, Rich and Arnie made it possible for Phil to go on tour.  Without them, the RIP CHORDS would have no representation in the field.  They became the touring wing, and the extension, of our recording group.  This was very important to our overall success.
• Second, we must remember that Rich and Arnie were brought in to fulfill touring responsibilities; that had to be very difficult and awkward -- I can’t imagine it.  They certainly paid their dues while holding up the front and center duties of touring.
• Third, for the historical record, it should be noted that Arnie Marcus actually played his bongos on a RIP CHORDS release called Big Wednesday.  Although the song is an instrumental that was created by studio musicians (as I indicated earlier), it nevertheless appeared on the Three Window Coupe album.  Technically, therefore, one can argue that Arnie did indeed record FOR the RIP CHORDS (for that one instrumental song).
• Fourth, by reviving the RIP CHORDS in the 1990s, Rich and Arnie have helped to put the group back on the “oldies but goodies” map.  They tour extensively and, therefore, help to promote and continue the RIP CHORDS legacy. 

I wish them well in their musical endeavors—be it touring or recording new product—and consider them to be a part of the phenomenon that came to be known as the RIP CHORDS.

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I want to thank my good friend, Ted Larson, for designing this web site for me. He's a good friend, and fine musician. He was a youth leader in my past youth ministry programs, now works for a high tech company, and is just fun to be around.

This is the www.RipChords.info web site created by Ted Larson.