Billy & Mickey - "You Are" b/w "Rock And Roll Baby" (1958)

(Photo courtesy of Mickey Carroll)

Billy & Mickey are a Delaware Valley duo consisting of two gentleman who would go on to have very successful solo careers.  Billy is Billy Harner and Mickey is Mickey Carroll.  Today's featured 45 is the first of the three releases the duo would have before parting ways.

Billy and Mickey met at a Battle of the Bands.  Although Billy started his own career as a singer, he was playing drums for one band in the contest and Mickey was playing guitar and singing for another.  After the show, Billy tracked down Mickey and expressed interest in wanting to sing again.  At that moment, the musical duo was born.  Their first stop was Red Top records, on which today's release was issued in 1958.  The a-side was a doo-wop styled, two part harmony ballad and the flip was an uptempo rocker with an introduction clearly lifted from the popular "Short Shorts" by The Royal Teens.  The twosome had two more releases, one for Riff records and one for Franny Williamson's Impala label.  That was the end of Billy & Mickey, however just the beginning for Billy Harner and Mickey Carroll.

Billy Harner, the Godfather of Blue Eyed Soul, would go on to have monster hits with "Sally Saying Something," "She's Almost You" and "Homicide Dresser."  "The Human Perkulator," as Hy Lit dubbed him, also has the distinction of being the first white singer signed to Atlantic Records for his release "A Message To My Baby," which featured The Raelettes, Ray Charles' backup singers.  Billy recorded an impressive body of work over the years for many different labels and often had some of the greatest session musicians playing behind him.  In the 70s he was often found doing backup work on sessions with John Davis and The Sweethearts of Sigma.  For my disco friends, he's one of the two male voices heard on all of the John Davis and the Monster Orchestra hits as well as most of Phyllis Hyman's Buddha recordings.  Billy is still performing today.  For a full bio and all the twists and turns of his career, check out the bio on Billy's Website written by his friend Nelson Trout.

(Photo courtesy of Mickey Carroll)

Following Billy & Mickey, Mickey Carroll teamed up with another band and with the help of original Cotton Club owner, Herman Stark and his son Steve, played many of the upscale hotels in Miami throughout the 60s.  He was signed solo to Solar Records in 1974 and has the distinction of making the first album to be recorded at sea.  He had some of the strongest session musicians behind him on all of his work and was even nominated for a Grammy for his 1978 release, "Love Life."  In 1984 he received a Gold Record for penning The Whispers #1 R&B hit "Love Is Where You Find It" and, like Billy, is still performing today.  For his full bio and goings on, check out Mickey's Website.

RED TOP RECORDS #101

1958

A - Side

"You Are"

(H. Gillespie)

B - Side

"Rock And Roll Baby"

(H. Gillespie)