Don Dannemann Explained

Birth Date:9 May 1944
Birth Place:Brooklyn, New York City, USA
Occupation:musician, songwriter
Instrument:Guitar, vocals
Years Active:1961-2008, 2016-present
Current Member Of:The Cyrkle

Don Dannemann (born May 9, 1944) is an American musician and jingle writer. He is the lead vocalist and guitarist for The Cyrkle.

Career

Dannemann formed The Rhondells in 1961 in Lafayette College, Pennsylvania.[1] They signed to Brian Epstein in 1966, were renamed to The Cyrkle by him[2] (the unique spelling of the name being done by John Lennon) and released their highest-selling song "Red Rubber Ball" (written by Paul Simon) the same year.[3] The song peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.[4] They were the only non-English band Epstein managed, and they toured with The Beatles during their final tour.[5]

Also in 1966, the band briefly went on hiatus when Dannemann enlisted in the US Coast Guard. When he returned, he had a Buzz cut and was often seen on television and promotional photographs with this hairstyle. He was the main songwriter along with Tom Dawes. After another hit with "Turn-Down Day", they disbanded in 1968, and had already split up by the time the 1970 film The Minx, which they had recorded the soundtrack for, had been released.[6]

In the 1970s, Dannemann and Cyrkle member Tom Dawes worked as professional Jingle writers. Dannemann wrote jingles for Continental Airlines and Swanson Foods, and also penned the "uncola" jingle for 7 Up.[7] Dannemann spent the next few decades working in advertising, and in the 1970s, opened the jingle business "Mega-Music" in New York City.[8] [9] Dannemann retired in 2008 and moved out of NYC.

In the 2010s, original member Michael Losekamp successfully tracked down Don after over forty years.[10] He had just joined a pop band called The Gas Pump Jockeys that covered songs from the 1960s that had incorporated Cyrkle songs into their setlist following his entry into the band, and asked Don if he wanted to join the band as rename to "The Cyrkle" to start touring again to celebrate 50 years since "Red Rubber Ball". As of 2024, Dannemann and Losekamp are touring the USA with the current version of The Cyrkle.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Lyons, John F.. Joy and Fear: The Beatles, Chicago and the 1960s. 23 February 2021 . Permuted Press . 978-1-68261-933-9 . Google Books. 2024-03-02. 2024-03-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20240302193657/https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Joy_and_Fear/CK0SEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=the+cyrkle&pg=PT244&printsec=frontcover. live.
  2. Beatles' Manager To Handle U.S. Group, Port Arthur, Texas News, June 8, 1966, p. 34.
  3. Epstein Goes American - Forms Firm With Lawyer. Billboard. June 18, 1966. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. Google Books. March 2, 2024. March 2, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240302193832/https://books.google.ca/books?id=0igEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA49&dq=the+cyrkle&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiIpJbpptaEAxVIMjQIHR9mCsw4FBDoAXoECAUQAg#v=onepage&q=the%20cyrkle&f=false#v=onepage&q=the+cyrkle&f=false. live.
  4. Book: Murrells, Joseph . The Book Of Golden Discs . Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. . 1978 . 0-214-20512-6 . 2nd . 203.
  5. Beatles Show Acts Listed, Los Angeles Times, August 11, 1966, p. D13.
  6. Web site: One-hit wonder? Keyboardist from '60s band Cyrkle says Gators won't be. Phillip. Heilman. The Florida Times-Union. 2024-03-02. 2023-03-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20230324213325/https://www.jacksonville.com/story/sports/college/uf-gators/2015/10/09/one-hit-wonder-keyboardist-60s-band-cyrkle-says/15683561007/. live.
  7. TV Star, Recording Star: The Power Of The Tube, Los Angeles Times, December 13, 1981, p. U104.
  8. Web site: Gateway . Music . 2019-08-22 . The Cyrkle . 2024-02-11 . Music Gateway . en . 2023-12-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231202092158/https://www.musicgateway.com/creative-professionals/music-artists/the-cyrkle . live .
  9. Web site: FabulousFlipSides . 2019-04-15 . Fabulous Flip Sides – The Cyrkle Interview . 2024-02-11 . Goldmine Magazine: Record Collector & Music Memorabilia . en . 2022-11-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221125134340/https://www.goldminemag.com/columns/fabulous-flip-sides-the-cyrkle-interview . live .
  10. Web site: Joe Blundo: Rock band The Cyrkle forms anew, circles back to its origins. Joe. Blundo. The Columbus Dispatch. 2024-03-02. 2024-03-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20240302193830/https://www.dispatch.com/story/entertainment/music/2016/11/21/joe-blundo-rock-band-cyrkle/22524560007/. live.

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