The “Golden Hits Of The 50s” 

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MARGIE RAYBURN……

I’M AVAILABLE

(Dave Burgess)    

Liberty 55102    

No. 9   December 16, 1957.

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Margie, born in Madera, California, attended the famed creator of celebrities, hooligans and song’n’

dancers–Hollywood High School.  Following grad, she sang wilh Ray Anthony’s Orchestra, toured with

Gene Autry, worked the Frisco nightclubs, and had some singles issued locally on Alma and S&G labels–

all before she was rediscovered by Norman Milkin, her future husband.    Norm occa­sionally collaborated

with Freddy Morgan on material for The SUNNYSIDERS.   Morgan, a banjo picker with Spike Jones and

his musically odd City Slickers from 1947 to 1958, had created the Sunnysiders with Jad Paul–his replace-

ment in Spike’s band of music depreciators–as an outlet for his tunes.  As a member of that group, Margie

appeared on their lone hit, “Hey, Mr. Banjo.”    After the Sunnysiders tried more numbers with the banjo

motif  like “Banjo Pickers Ball” and “The Lone­some Banjo (In the Pawn Shop Window),”  Margie went

solo again.

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“I’m Available” was sensuous, in a Patti Page-like manner.  The tune was found by her hubby and was

written by a young Dave Burgess, who a few years later would have a successful career as the leader of the

Champs; know nationwide for first chart-topping rock’n’roll instrumental, “Tequila.”

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“Margie Rayburn was a frustrated singer.   She always wanted to record.   But I didn’t want to record her,”

said Simon “Si” Waronker, founder of Liberty Records to author “Doc Rock” Kelley.  “What were we

doing!    A 40· year-old woman.   She would sing, but 1he had nothing unusual, nothing that means any

thing.   She came in one day with a tune called ‘I’m Available.’    But here was a woman of forty sounding

like a little girl of 17 or 18.    If you listen carefully, you will hear that there are only three men [musicians]

on that.   Well, we  weren’t going to waste any money…   I did add a bass and a drum.    It was cute.

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“In those days, if an artist had a hit, he or she could go on tour.   Margie was a little old, but she had a good

figure, and with makeup, at a distance she could pass for a younger woman.”   After a three month tour,

Margie returned with the intent of cutting an album.    Said Si to Margie, “‘Don’t do it … Margie, you don’t

know the business.   You’ve earned about $70,000 or $80,000 on this record.   Keep it, please!”

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Standard contracts stipulated that the costs of future projects were to be deducted from royalties earned.

To record Margie, $17,000 was spent.   “We couldn’t give it away.    We even tried taking singles off of the

album, to see if we could get some airplay.   She never had another hit.”

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Despite her label-owners negative view of his artist, Margie went on to record a string of fine follow-ups–

Smoochin,” ” Try Me,” and “Here I Am.”   Most of them were drenched in a  delicious heavy echo and

utilized multi-tracking to give her voice the same slinky and suggestive quality that  “Available” had

featured.    Si was right about one thing–no subsequent efforts ever charted, and Margie last recorded

in 1966.

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That album–Margie–is now a collectible, valued at over $100 a copy.