Dan Marlee “Candy Lips” on Constellation
Danny & the Other Guys “(You Been Givin’ Me) Hard Times”
The Real List “Pick Up the Marbles” on C.P. Records
What do these three songs have in common? They’re all written and sung by Daniel A. Marle, an enterprising teen who jumped from mild vocal pop to tough garage and psych within a span of two or three years.
First up is Dan Marlee singing his original “Candy Lips” (Joni Music BMI) b/w “You Left Me” on Constellation C-125 (C-63-138) from late ’63 or 1964.
In May of ’66 he’s found a new style, convincingly singing “(You Been Givin’ Me) Hard Times” as Danny & the Other Guys on C.P. Records 101. The flip is one I haven’t heard yet, “Five For Fourteen Fifty”, but the BMI credits give some names besides Daniel Marle that may have been the Other Guys: Richard Coker, Vincent Ippolito, Roger Pauly and Edmund Strom.
Finally is C.P. Records 102, with the band name changed to The Real List. They do Marle’s “Pick Up the Marbles”, a good mix of potent fuzz riffing and harmonies, with a poppier bridge. The b-side is a cover of the Beau Brummels’ “Still In Love With You Baby”.
Both the C.P. 45s produced by Chicagoans Productions, and Marle’s originals published by Dan Marle Music BMI. Pressing info is obscure, I read 1425-FT on the Danny & the Others label and 1575-31 / 1600-31 on the Real List labels.
As Daniel Albert Marle he has some other songwriting credits with Robert Nass: “Boy Can Cry”, “Could You Care For Me”, “Cryin’ Over You”, “Gorilla Again” etc, published either by Arc Music or Don-Del Music in Port Washington, Wisconsin. I’m not sure if any of those songs were released.
Dan Marle started his own company, Mid Eagle Productions with occasional releases on Mid Eagle Records and Chicago Fire, mainly with Ral Donner:
Ral Donner with the Wednesday World – “(If I Had My) Life To Live Over” (written by Dan Marle, for Eighth of May Music & Emprise Music BMI) / “Lost” (Donner) on ME 101 in 1968,
Ral Donner – “Godfather Per Me” / “The Wedding Song” Chicago Fire Records CF-7402, released 1974.
Ral Donner – “The Wedding Song” (Brooks) / “So Much Lovin'” (Paxton), on Mid Eagle IRDA-275, arranged by James L. Mack
Ral Donner – 1935-1977: I’ve Been Away For Awhile Now on Mid-Eagle ME2M7902 from 1979, where Ral sings parts of 50 Elvis songs and narrates a history of Elvis!
The Platters Recorded Live in Chicago, on Chicago Fire Records CFS 7401, 1974.
This is all I can find on any of these bands or Dan Marle.
Very interesting. I am a record seller from the Pacific Northwest and collect the white doowop and teen sounds of the 1959-1965 period and until now never had any information about Dan Marle other than what was on the label of the record “Candy Lips” on the Constellation label, which I paid a “pretty penny” on ebay awhile back. Although I collect that kind of sound, I appreciate the garage band sound and thank you for sharing those other recordings and providing more information on Dan Marle, the first I have seen on the internet.
My name is Albert marle I am Dan’s Brother I sure would be interested in a copy of candy Lips and any of the recordings you have my brothers
My name is Larry Bessert, younger brother of deceased Warren Bessert – an acquaintance of Dan (whom I’d met on a couple of occasions.).
…And I have 2 each of “(You been given’ me) HARD TIMES” – yellow label, by Danny & the Other Guys. Also, “Pick Up the Marbles” (red label), by The Real List. Warren, who got them from Dan, gave a couple of each to me, way back at the time. And I just kept them with my other old 45’s ever since.
…The last time I saw Dan Marley was at the St. Celestine grade school gym, in the later ’60’s. 2 members of the New Colony Six were from that school (as were Warren & I); and their breakthrough hit, “I Confess” was now ‘charting’. So, they decided to give a concert there (WLS’ Clark Weber MC’d). And Dan plus a couple of others sat nearby. I was close upfront and, having never heard other than garage & sock-hop bands before, was blown away by the far superior SOUND — WoW ! As they opened with the more ‘rocking’ At the River’s Edge !
…Also, someone commenting below, is a name from that past familiar to me – Danny Jaskula. And being 7 years younger than Warren by 7 years back in ’61 – I’m sure I was an annoying 11 year-old to many !
Come to think of it, I’m now 74 – and STILL annoying to many !
…My best wishes to all still with us, as we fondly recall those times.
What a great memory! Dan was my brother! Sure did love his music
Dan Marle is deceased.
The songwriters for Five for Fourteen Fifty were the members of the Other Guys. One of them told me the song was written for the AM radio station in Chicago (1450 on the radio dial) to be used as music backing on that station.
Talked to all of the surviving members of The Other Guys some years back. I also had an acetate of a Dan Marhle recording that was never released. I made a digital file of it and still have it somewhere.
The radio station story is amusing because the 1450 station was WVON, a black soul station owned by Chess records. When the band heard that the station was playing the song, they went to the studios in person to meet with the station staff. When they saw that they were a white group, they supposedly stopped playing it!
VInce Ippolito played in other bands after this, including The Purple Cucumber who did a “Buckinghams” style horn rock record on Smash.
“FIVE FOUR FIFTEEN FORTY’ was an instrumental , seemimgly very Stax – oriented , keyboard – heavy. Maybe partly improvised. In any case , it’s a great track. Not comparable to “Hard Times” , but a nice comtrast , just the same.
Really cool to see this on your site. Dan Marle is my uncle. He passed away in 1980. I have these records in my collection as well as “could you care for me” and “cryin over you”. I have some others that aren’t listed with BMI. He also wrote and recorded with Ral Donner.
Looking for info: the Dan Marle I knew lived on Paris Avenue in Chicago back in the ’60s. He and I teamed up to do sock hops at various schools and locations on the Northwest side of Chi. Our team name was The Chicagoans. When I went into the Air Force in ’61, Dan started a band and, in 1965 when I left USAF, I sang with his band a number of times. He had a sister named Kathy. Is this your uncle and do you know where the rest of the family may be living?
Yes, that’s my Uncle. Some of his sisters still live in Chicago. He has a brother in Florida, Virginia, and a sister and brother in AZ too. His mother passed away this past January, his father passed in 1995.
Hello Dan – I’m Larry Bessert, “little brother” (7 years younger than the late Warren) of Warren Bessert — and I recall you well. Please see my post-‘reply’ to Albert Marle, above. …Oops, just realized I misspelled Marle.
Interesting – I started out looking up info re: Ral Donner — and end up with, Dan Jaskula ! …Good deal ! And I hope you are well.
Warren passed in ’08, at 64, after an almost 9-year battle with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. …My best wishes to you.
Is this the Danny Marle who lived on pioneer in Chicago? He recorded a song once called Not for a penny.
Yes,
My Uncle Danny, whom I never met, recorded “Not For A Penny” as well. It is still one of my my favorite songs.
As I remember Al the father don’t remember the Moms name ,but she was good to me. Danny, Kathy, Renee, Donna and I can remember two blonde boys but not their names. Good family ,I lived right next door to them.
They lived on Pioneer and Roscoe next door to us the Parochelli family and the two boys were Albert and Donny I believe.
Hi Louie this is Al Marle, I remember you well no more Missy tortures. I remember your mom your dad your sister your brothers I remember your lilac tree very well in the backyard. we watch The Beatles live in your house on The Ed Sullivan Show.
I played drums for Dan. One of The Other Guys
In 1960 I was a friend of Renee Marle, Dan’s sister. The family lived on Pioneer Ave in Chicago and I remember Dan well. At that time I remember they were trying to get a band going called “Danny and the Decibels”. I think he went to Fenwick High School in Oak Park but I Iost touch with Renee after we went to different high schools. Those were great times!!
hi. I have a copy of the real list / pick up the marbles on the C P records and wish to sell it but I have no idea of value. Can anybody give me an idea of price. record is in ex condition. cheers Steve
Love that I stumbled on this almost a decade later, so I don’t know if anyone even sees this anymore. Dan was my uncle as well, he died just after I was born. Rick Coker, one of The Other Guys, was my dad (he passed in 2020). It’s lovely to see people who have such fond memories of them all.