Category Archives: Riviera

Bob Lackman

Bob Lackman Riviera EP Laughing Boy

Bob Lackman had only one release, an EP on the French label Riviera in 1966. “Laughing Boy” is the standout track but all four songs are worthwhile.

No one seems to know exactly where Bob came from or what happened to him. I’ve read he was an English singer who happened to get a release in France. But to my ears he sounds more American than English.

The singer shows familiarity with Los Angeles in the final song, “Sad Day for Doc Shades”:
Bob Lackman Riviera EP Laughing Boy side 2

The poor people of Clark Street,
Have trouble finding things to eat,
Back in Watts, they have one friend
Who never asked to be fed,
… (?) he’s afraid.

Doc Shades, bad days,
Sad days for Doc Shades.

The story is one, sad but good,
Practice on 5th Avenue and Hollywood,
Until that day that young girl passed away.
Because her folks, they were rich, there was trouble in store,
Doc Shades could work no more.

The agent grew thin,
Bad times had set in, for him.

Doc Shades, bad days,
Sad days for Doc Shades.

They no longer said his hands shook,
and his reflection in the bottle was a look,
Of paranoid indecision, conscience, better known as fear.

The time had come, sad days for Doc Shades had begun.
I said now baby let’s do it, I know it,
Poor Dark Shades though.

Doc Shades, bad days,
Sad days for Doc Shades.

Well I have no more license for any decrepit body,
The soul is good, he drinks wood alcohol.

Now he still treats the people on that street, Clark Street,
I lived there,
No Jaguars, no Japanese gardeners,
Lots of trash, it’s ain’t easy here babe,
No Frenchy food, or no Frency nothin’.

“Bad Day for Doc Shades” is the only song from the EP not audible on youtube, I’m sorry to say. “Town of Sorrow” seems to cover a similar emotional state but with abstract lyrics. “I Cry for You” has a tuneful pop sound.

“Laughing Boy” has more passion and vitriol, with the singer sucking in his breath between verses, turning from a gentle voice in one line to a harsh accusing tone in the next.
Bob Lackman Riviera EP Laughing Boy side 1

On the beaches far below,
I see the waves crashing on the rocky shore,
And I also see the sky with its clouds of pink and white,
and it makes me wonder why I shouldn’t fight.

See the laughing boy over there.
See the laughing boy.

I hear crowds of laughter, and of joy,
I see before me, a little boy,
He looks so happy, smiling boy,
But it is you that I dread.

See the laughing boy over there,
See the laughing boy.

This little boy, comes up to me,
He’s filled with joy, he’s so carefree,
But if he’d been through the same as me,
Then I don’t think he’d be ashamed,
To tell me what is wrong.

On the beaches far below,
I see the waves crashing, crashing on the rocky shore,
And I also see the sky with its clouds of pink and white,
Do you see them there?

See the laughing boy over there,
See the laughing boy.

Bob Lackman wrote “Laughing Boy” and collaborated with a writer named Pasternak on the other three songs. A commentator “Boursin” wrote below, “Pasternak is almost certainly the DJ Emperor Rosko (real name Mike Pasternak). In 1966 his French-language show, Minimax, was on Radio Luxembourg every weekday night, and was hugely popular in France.”

I contacted Emperor Rosko and he wrote back:

I found him singing in the [London] Underground. He came from a wealthy family. I produced those tracks. Everything disappeared, masters, label, and Bobby. Bobby disappeared back into New York. If you track him down give me a shout!

I asked Rosko about his co-writing credit as Pasternak and he replied, “I messed with it a bit.”

The cover lacks any credits except for song writing and photography by Drew Bond. I find the color/b&w art jarring because the sunburst on the guitar is blacked out on the right side and because his hand is turned into a lifeless gray color.

Bob Lackman Riviera EP Laughing Boy back cover

The Sigma Five “Comin’ Down” / “Pop Top” on Riviera

Sigma Five Riviera 45 Comin' DownThe Riviera label was created for the Riveras, who scored with their first single, “California Sun”, released in October ’63 and hitting the national top ten in early ’64. Bill Dobslaw owned the label and also managed the Rivieras, occasionally singing with them as well.

Besides the Rivieras, the label released one 45 each by the Kastaways and the Sigma Five, one and the same group according to Otto Nuss of the Rivieras, who recalled in an interview with Kicks magazine that the original name of the group was the Sigma 5. This group was from La Porte, Indiana, a few miles west of South Bend. The Sigma Five’s keyboardist uses the electric piano instead of the organ sound that the Rivieras made popular.

“Comin’ Down” is a cool adaption of “Money”, credited to their producer Bill Dobslaw. The neat instrumental “Pop Top” was written by Banicki, who also wrote the Kastaways b-side “You Never Say”, which I haven’t heard yet.

Annie Philippe

Born in the Paris district of Ménilmontant, Annie Philippe became a DJ at the Paris club Twenty One when she was just seventeen.

Meeting Paul Mauriat there led to an audition with the Riviera label, where she released 4 EPs beginning in 1964. In early 1966, her fourth EP contained her biggest hit, “Ticket de quai”, and also included one of my favorites “On m’a toujours dit”, with its fuzz guitar and handclaps.

After moving to the Philips label, she released the great “C’est la mode” in late 1966. This track is almost hypnotic in its buzzing guitar, heavy beat and layered vocals. She continued recording regularly through 1969 with occasional success, then made a comeback attempt in the late ’70’s.