What do the songs You Send Me by Sam Cooke, Tell Laura I Love Her by Ray Peterson, and the theme songs from The Jetsons and The Flintstones have in common? The answer is Alicia Adams, who sings background vocals on all of them.
Alicia also sang background vocals for Duane Eddy, Ann-Margret, Rosemary Clooney, Esquivel, and many others.
Here’s Oom Dooby Doom by Alicia Adams on Capitol 4545 from 1961:
Rumor has it that Alicia was born in Nevada, Missouri, a small town south of Kansas City near the Kansas-Missouri border, but I haven’t been able to confirm that. She moved to California at some point and became a member of The Encores, a group that was put together by Randy Van Horne. They went on tour with Billy May’s Orchestra. In addition to Randy and Alicia, that group also included Clark Burroughs, Bob Morse, and Jack Elliot. In the mid-1950’s, Randy collected some of his best session singers, including Alicia, and assembled The Randy Van Horne Singers. You may not have heard of them, but they were premiere studio vocalists in the 1960’s. With her beautiful voice, Alicia should have had a long solo career as a pop singer. In fact, we should still hear her singing on oldies radio stations. I don’t know why that never happened. That part of the story will always remain a mystery to me!
Randy Van Horne was born on 2 February 1924. He attended school in Baltimore, then El Paso, and moved to California in 1949. He was a pioneer in the development of commercial jingles and studio background singers. He even did some work as the voice of Tony The Tiger and The Grinch. His friends described him as a fun-loving and enthusiastic, yet very humble person. Randy lost his battle with cancer on 26 September 2007. A memorial service was held for him at the Motion Picture And Television Home in Woodland Hills, California.
I have no idea where Alicia is today or what she’s been doing. If anyone knows, please help us fill in the blanks! All of her solo records are played on MusicMaster Oldies. But now, the next time you hear You Send Me or Tell Laura I Love Her, you can remember Alicia Adams and Randy Van Horne.
A couple of extra things from my notes: The guy who produced this record, Karl Engemann, was the uncle of Bob Engemann of The Lettermen. Both sides of this single were recorded at the very end of 1960 at Capitol Records in Los Angeles. Final overdubs were added on 4 January 1961. The flip side is called Love Bandit. A third song was recorded in that session, but never used. It was called Mister Right. Anyone have that master tape?
Mister JoeKnapp. i've got a question for you.
They tell me that Alicia Adams recorded the song SHEIK OF ARABY
What do you know about this case
Can you tell me In that label was recorded this song and wish year?
Everyone can help me please – Thank You Very Much
I can find no reference to any recording of The Sheik Of Araby by Alicia Adams. Jo Ann Castle said this was her "most requested song" when she was a regular ragtime piano player on The Lawrence Welk Show. I play versions of the song by Del Wood, the Ames Brothers, Jimmy And The Rebels, the Beatles, and Lou Monte.
Mister JoeKnapp. Thank you for your answer. Fisrt I must to tell you I fan to the Rock,n'Roll music since a was young. That why my english is a little poor, sorry.
I have been learning english by myself.
Well, Now is clear for me Alicia Adams never recorded The Sheik Of Araby in
Capitol Records. In This moment I'am working in a great selection of artists from Capitol 1959 to 1961 years. Your words have been very important for me.
Thank you again.
FernaPol
It's a Pity not know where Alicia Adams is. Something remember me a Janice Harper's case. Later was found by his son in an asylum old and with ahlzeimer , after having former with several fans, including me, a crusade in search of Janice.
I think that again we must form a new crusade up to finding Alicia Adams.
Fernapol from Chile