This 45 by Debbie Williams & the Unwritten Law is the best thing I’ve come across in a long while. Both sides feature Debbie’s gravely, country-inflected voice with excellent backing by the Unwritten Law.
Released on Highland 1184 in November 1967, Debbie was a young teen when she recorded this single. An article from the Long Beach Independent on September 19, 1967 gives her age as 13, and that she had been making demos since she was six. She had skated in Ice Follies and Holiday on Ice with her parents and brother Robbie since she was two.
Another news feature on Debbie from the Santa Cruz Sentinel from February 29, 1968 mentioned her current base in Napa County, and her previous skating in Chicago.
The A-side is “Love Seems So Hard to Find”, with the wild lyric “Today, today he shut me down, because I was trippin’ hard”!
The country feeling is even stronger on “Ask Me”. Highland Records released Debbie’s single as release # 1184. A rare picture sleeve with photos by Fred Endo is viewable on 45cat. Milt Rogers produced, with distribution by by Malynn Enterprises, Inc.
Publishing by Tiltal Music – J. Williams BMI. Tiltal has a number of other noteworthy copyrights, including the Phonetics “What Good (Am I Without You)” by Willie Hutchison on Trudel, and a few on Kerwood Records such as Jessie Hill’s “I’m Tellin’ You People” / “If I Am Lucky”, the Tormentors “Didn’t It Rain”, and Lonnie Russ “Say Girl” by Gerald Russ and Harold Williams.
The Unwritten Law
Jim Farrelly and Ken McCutcheon wrote both songs on the Debbie Williams single. Both were members of the Unwritten Law, a group from Burlingame whose lineup included at times:
Jerry Ellsworth
Jim Farrelly
Marty Eyestone (or Marty Gyestone according to one mention online)
Ken McCutcheon
Pat Patterson
Greg Raneri
Dan Ransford – drums
The Unwritten Law had their own single in 1967, “Actions Speak Louder” by Marty Eyestone b/w “This Whole World Is Blind” by Ken McCutcheon. This saw release on Strata Records, which I had thought was an East Coast label based on singles by the Deadbeats, the First Four and the Persianettes. Jerry Katz also produced the Deadbeats “No Second Chance” / “Why Did You”. How the Unwritten Law single came to be on Strata is a mystery to me.
Rob Farrelly helpfully clipped both of the articles on Debbie from online news sources, which helped me find them.
Wow! I’m seeing this for the very first time. Thank you for your very nice review of my very obscure record. I was 14 when we recorded it in a studio in Napa. In the studio next to us was a new group recording….. their name was Country Joe and the Fish. I was 14 when we recorded it. We were still traveling with Ice Follies for one more season so my father took it to stations in each town on our 11 month tour, to get it played. Thank you for giving me such a sweet review. I am 68 now and retired from a long career in television, behind the camera.
The Unwritten Law were from Napa as well
Eyestone is correct
Debbie Williams is wonderful. I only wish she had more recordings.
Hi folks. I just came across this. Dan Ransford here, one time drummer for the “Unwritten Law”. We recorded our 45 in Berkeley for Strata Revords. We recorded with Debbie Williams in Los Angeles at Western Studios in Hollywood. As we wrapped up the Beau Brummells were loading in to use the studio right after us. Fun times. Heady stuff for us young guys. Debbie Williams was terrific and a young girl learning and cultivating her power. A lot of depth as a singer at her, at that time, young age.
I’ve lost track of the Unwritten Law players. I’m still drumming in the studio and performing in 4 bands at present. In 2026 my 50th studio project as a sideman will be released . A heck of a ride!