The “Golden Hits Of The 70s”
Main MenuConcept Refinement The Author..Wayne JancikGolden Age Of The 50sGolden Age Of The 60s1970s and There After
PRATT & MCCLAIN
“HAPPY DAYS”
(Norman Gimbel, Charles Fox)
Reprise 1351
No. 5 June 5, 1976
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They started early and were persistent in their pursuit, but talent is also of some importance. Three
months on the charts and they were history. Viewers of the phenomenally successful Ron Howard-Henry
Winkler TV show, “Happy Days” would endure their voices for a much longer time, however.
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Truett Pratt (b. San Antonio, TX) sang as a youngster in the choir. But in high school, it was a rock band
that grabbed his interest. Jerry McClain’s (b. Pasadena, CA) daddy was a man of the cloth, so it’s no
surprise to learn that Jerry also started out singing for the Lord.
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In the mid-’60s, Jerry met up with Michael Omartian. Michael would one day do production work for
folks like Cher, Christopher Cross, Dion, RICHIE FURAY, Jermaine Jackson, TOM JOHNSTON, Rod
Stewart, Donna Summer, and ROGER VOUDOURIS. Together, Jerry and Mike formed the American
Scene and recorded a single or two for Dot Records. In 1970, Omartian went off to make those hit records
for others. Before leaving, he introduced Jerry to Truett. These two were part of a group called
Brotherlove, did studio back-up work, and made TV and radio commercials.
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As Pratt & McClain, Truett and Jerry made an LP and some 45s for ABC/Dunhill, but it wasn’t until
Michael Omartian and Steve Barri signed the act to Warner Bros. that their ship came in. They were
chosen to record a tune that would replace the theme song for the “Happy Days” TV show. Once Bill
Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock” had been pulled as the series’ theme in favor of the marketable Pratt &
McClain substitute, the brass ring was theirs.
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Follow-ups were few and flops all, save Pratt & McClain’s remake of Mitch Ryder’s “Devil With the Blue
Dress On” (#71, 1976). Their second and last known LP, Pratt & McClain Featuring “Happy Days,”
appeared in 1976.