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PARADE

SUNSHINE GIRL

(Jerry Riopelle, Murray Macleod, Smokey Roberds)

A & M 841

No. 20 May 27, 196

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Jerry Riopelle was born more than a half-century ago in Detroit, and his family moved to Arizona shortly

thereafter. He relocated to California more than 25 years ago, but he is Arizona’s favorite pop artist-his

obscure disks sell by the thousands there. “Other guys [like me] who didn’t get that break have to quit the

business and get into selling pharmaceuticals or something,” Riopelle told Steve Clow of the Los Angeles

Herald. “The best thing is that I get to do what I like to do, and that’s write and play the music and make

records. It’s nice to go to Arizona and play the star.”

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Riopelle was the first and only producer hired by the legendary Phil Spector in the early ’60s, when the

“Wall of Sound” man was planning to develop a stable ofin-house producers for his Philles label. Jerry

played piano and sang back-up on sessions for the Righteous Brothers, the Ronettes, and Ike & Tina

Turner. He pro­ duced “Things Are Changing;’ a song for the U.S. gov­ ernment in the ’60s (with Spector

and Brian Wilson) that encouraged kids to stay in school.

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Over the years, Jerry’s songs have been recorded by Rita Coolidge, Kenny Loggins, and Meatloaf. He has .

been an A & R man for A & M Records, and has record­ ed nine LPs for labels like Capitol, ABC, and his

own Little Eskimo label. Jerry has also produced, in Spector­ like fashion, collectible disks for Clydie

King, Ramona King, the Lornettes, Shango, Bobby Sheen (of Bob B. Soxx & The Bluejeans), Sugar ‘n’

Spice, Nino Tempo & April Stevens, and Bonnie & The Treasures.