Irene Ryan's Motown Album

[daviddesper]

As we all know, Motown recorded a pretty diverse group of artists in addition to its stable full of classic R & B stars. One of those was Irene Ryan, as in Granny Clampett from The Beverly Hillbillies.

I have never seen or heard this album and only once or twice have I even seen as much as a photo of the cover. Does anyone know what in the world was on it and if someone could post a clip from it, that would be awesome.

Anyone?

[luke]

I didn’t know an album was released. I thought it was just the song from Pippin...No Time At All.

[daviddesper]

I could be mistaken but I thought I had once seen an album cover on one of my album's inner sleeves.

[booty]

I remember seeing a couple of made up album sleeves [[not real ones), one of which was for Irene Ryan and the other a duet album on Irene Ryan & Scatman Crowthers!!!!! That was quite a few years back now.

Just done for a joke I think.

[mysterysinger]

Her real name is Jessie Irene Noblitt. As Irene Ryan she appeared on a Beverly Hillbillies album in 1965. She did appear on "Pippin" but didn't have her own Motown album. Donna Douglas had her own record label for a time.

[thommg]

There is a pop version of Ms. Ryan's Pippin song, No Time At All. I wonder why it wasn't included on the Pippin cd along with the other Supremes / Jacksons pop versions of I Guess I'll Miss The Man, Corner Of The Sky & Morning Glow.

[luke]

Irene Ryan ...No Time at All. Pippin. Original cast recoding https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BfOVipEsHKI

[phil]

Here's the Motown single : https://www.discogs.com/fr/Irene-Gra.../master/604805

[Boogiedown]

Irene Ryan doesn't have a voice that would carry a whole album!
Even as a single, it comes off as a novelty record, maybe that's the idea?
Beautiful music, produced by the great Bob Crewe though! One of his few associations with Motown?

[luke]

Waiting for Granny expanded. George , Andy?

[sup_fan]

didn't Deke do I Guess I'll Miss? who produced Corner of Sky?

[copley]

As said above Irene only ever recorded a one off single 'No Time At All' / 'Time [[To Believe In Each Other)'. I love it and the 'b' side too.

[thommg]

As said above Irene only ever recorded a one off single 'No Time At All' / 'Time [[To Believe In Each Other)'. I love it and the 'b' side too.

I've never heard the B side of the single. It doesn't seem to be on Youtube. sup_fan, The Supremes version was produced by Deke & Sherlie Matthews [[listed in that order). Corner Of The Sky was produced by Sherlie Matthews & Deke Richards [[in that order). Morning Glow produced by Bob Gaudio, Exec produced by Berry Gordy.

[daviddesper]

You guys never cease to amaze me with your knowledge! Even when you prove me wrong, as you have this time, I enjoy your input. That is actually a catchy little song.

Still wondering what it might have been that I thought I saw back in the day!

[Boogiedown]

I'm kind of wondering how Irene Ryan got chosen for this project. If It was mainly to capitalize on her popularity as Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies, Motown's timing was a bit off. The show ran for ten years and was at its best in the mid sixties. But by 1970, the characters and their backward situations had simply run their course, and in 1971 the show's cast was mercifully allowed to wave goodbye for the last time. NO TIME AT ALL then came out a year later in 1972.
[[??)

[jack020]

From Youtube:
And though this did not make the Billboard or Cash Box books, it had enough muster to hit #135 on the Record World charts on April 28, 1973 - two days after her death at 70.

[reese]

I'm kind of wondering how Irene Ryan got chosen for this project. If It was mainly to capitalize on her popularity as Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies, Motown's timing was a bit off. The show ran for ten years and was at its best in the mid sixties. But by 1970, the characters and their backward situations had simply run their course, and in 1971 the show's cast was mercifully allowed to wave goodbye for the last time. NO TIME AT ALL then came out a year later in 1972.
[[??)

I'm not familiar with the cast album and the other participants, but I believe Irene was in PIPPIN. So it would make sense to include her. Once the show was a hit, they probably thought releasing her single might get some attention, if only because of her sitcom past.

[thommg]

I'm kind of wondering how Irene Ryan got chosen for this project. If It was mainly to capitalize on her popularity as Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies, Motown's timing was a bit off. The show ran for ten years and was at its best in the mid sixties. But by 1970, the characters and their backward situations had simply run their course, and in 1971 the show's cast was mercifully allowed to wave goodbye for the last time. NO TIME AT ALL then came out a year later in 1972.
[[??)

Actually, in The Beverly Hillbillies last season the show ranked 36th of all shows running. Not bad for a 9 year old show. The cancellation came because CBS wanted to clear it's airwaves of rural shows and put some more urban shows in their places, not because of bad ratings. I always thought that her single of No Time At All was a publicity single to give attention to the show and the cast recording on Motown. It was, at the time, the most popular song in the show [[and the one people remember when they left the theatre).

[copley]

I've never heard the B side of the single. It doesn't seem to be on Youtube. sup_fan, The Supremes version was produced by Deke & Sherlie Matthews [[listed in that order). Corner Of The Sky was produced by Sherlie Matthews & Deke Richards [[in that order). Morning Glow produced by Bob Gaudio, Exec produced by Berry Gordy.

Thommg, please check your private messages

[Boogiedown]

Actually, in The Beverly Hillbillies last season the show ranked 36th of all shows running. Not bad for a 9 year old show. The cancellation came because CBS wanted to clear it's airwaves of rural shows and put some more urban shows in their places, not because of bad ratings. I always thought that her single of No Time At All was a publicity single to give attention to the show and the cast recording on Motown. It was, at the time, the most popular song in the show [[and the one people remember when they left the theatre).

Good stuff tommg !!
As a major BEVERLY HILLBILLIES fan, I guess it was me that found those last couple of seasons unwatchable. Lol!
Also find it interesting that around then, each network had to surrender the 7:30 time slot to local programming, essentially forcing them to trim seven half hour shows off their weekly scheduling.
And yes smart advertising, using a tool at hand, your record distribution apparatus, as a way of promoting another interest,

[Boogiedown]

I'm not familiar with the cast album and the other participants, but I believe Irene was in PIPPIN. So it would make sense to include her. Once the show was a hit, they probably thought releasing her single might get some attention, if only because of her sitcom past.

I cheated Reese. I checked wiki and you have it figured out right. Irene was a cast member of the musical and was for its first several months until she had a stroke.

[thommg]

I cheated Reese. I checked wiki and you have it figured out right. Irene was a cast member of the musical and was for its first several months until she had a stroke.

Irene Ryan had an interesting career. She also appeared on variety shows as Granny. She actually played Vegas during the height of the Hillbillies craze. I don't know if she did that as herself or as Granny. She opened Pippin and stayed with it for a little less than 9 months, I believe. She had a stroke onstage but finished the show. She then cleared out her dressing room and headed back to California where she died about 3 months later. BTW, the other shows that got caught up in the wiping of the rural shows were Petticoat Junction, and, supposedly, Hogan's Heroes [[though the ratings for that one were falling so it might have been cancelled anyway).

[Boogiedown]

I love Granny. Perfect in her role.
In fact, that entire bunch was perfectly cast right down to Mrs. Drysdale who never got over living next door to those dreadful hillbillies! lol!

Amazing what you've reported about Irene's final performance. RIP

[Circa 1824]

Waiting for Granny expanded. George , Andy?

I am waiting for Granny's Greatest Hit album.

[marv2]

Here. check her out:

[mysterysinger]

I believe her single from Pippin was nominated for a Granny.

[greg jones]

I've never heard the B side of the single. It doesn't seem to be on Youtube. sup_fan, The Supremes version was produced by Deke & Sherlie Matthews [[listed in that order). Corner Of The Sky was produced by Sherlie Matthews & Deke Richards [[in that order). Morning Glow produced by Bob Gaudio, Exec produced by Berry Gordy.

Speaking of the play Pippin and the songs from it, supposedly there are 2 different versions of "Corner Of The Sky". Stephen Schwartz supposedly wrote that well before Pippin and then re-wrote the lyrics for the stage play to include it. Supposedly, the original version of the song was going to be released by Dusty Springfield when she was on ABC/Dunhill. Though she never completed her vocals and only the scratch vocal remained in their vaults. In the early 2000's, the scratch vocal was found and they got Petula Clark to weave her vocal with Dusty's scratch vocal for a duet. They stated that this version was the original version before Pippin.

[daviddesper]

Keep posting those clips! How about the one where Garth and Wayne talk about her as one of their top babes?

[kenneth]

Irene Ryan had an interesting career. She also appeared on variety shows as Granny. She actually played Vegas during the height of the Hillbillies craze. I don't know if she did that as herself or as Granny. She opened Pippin and stayed with it for a little less than 9 months, I believe. She had a stroke onstage but finished the show. She then cleared out her dressing room and headed back to California where she died about 3 months later. BTW, the other shows that got caught up in the wiping of the rural shows were Petticoat Junction, and, supposedly, Hogan's Heroes [[though the ratings for that one were falling so it might have been cancelled anyway).

I think "Green Acres" was part of that 'rural TV show massacre' as well.

[paul_nixon]

I didn’t know an album was released. I thought it was just the song from Pippin...No Time At All.

There appears to have been a 'live' comedy - country album recorded on an act called the Hilarious Hillbillies and paperwork suggests titles that reflect the TV show such as Granny Goes Surfin' and Poor Ole Pearl but there's no evidence that this included either Granny Irene Ryan or any of her fellow cast mates