When I first met Irwin Levine, I was a total novice … and amateur songwriter and a vocalist just starting out.
I was introduced to Irwin by Herb Bernstein who I wrote with and worked with at his publishing company, “Jillbern Music”. Irwin had already wrote a top ten song called, “This Diamond Ring” which was sung by Gary Lewis and the Playboys. Gary was Jerry Lewis son. Levine and Lewis had quite a bit in common. They were both from Newark and both went to Weequaic public schools and then Irvington High School.
Irwin was just amazing when it came to gambling. He also picked hit records when he first heard them. I, of course, bet him on three that I remember and, of course, lost each bet.
First Experience : The first time I realized that Irwin was not only a talented idea man, but, as a songwriter, he had the very first requirement as a prerequisite, “An extremely vivid imagination”.
He could picture the “Impossible” in his head. I also dreamed up ideas, but unlike Irwin, mine were usually within the realm of possibility. Many of Irwin’s dreams were simply impossible and could never happen. But as a true believer, he always envisioned his dreams would come true.
As an example : At the time that “Flower Children” dominated our culture with “Vietnam War-Haters” or the picketing black Muslims went marching in the streets in many major cities throughout the United States! It appeared the entire world was changing.
Irwin had a vision of everything turning upside down. He created the title, “Hello Boston”. He wanted to visualize these crazy left wing socialists coming back east to Boston, where it was freezing cold .. riding their motorcycles to find a new, “Heaven on Earth” on a cold, dreary day, to an icy place in frigid, Massachusetts.
I tried to dissuade him from this concept. “Irwin”, I said, “you can’t think those people who live in sunny California will travel cross country to freeze their flowers off to simply die to come to Boston…. Can YOU???He said, “of course, I see this happening”. I couldn’t get his mind away from this silly vision, so I put in a good hour or so, creating a melody. The fact is, “Hello Boston” became a song which never even saw, “The Light of Day!”
Second Experience : Irwin was born on March 23rd, the sign of “Aries”, the dreamer. Irwin’s dreams were so real to him, he thought that each dream was either real or would become real in a short time. This was a sign under which, many creative people, became successful.
Irwin, like many folks in the music business were big time gamblers,if nothing else, with their time and energy. Irwin would gamble on raindrops running down a window. He even talked me into trying to gamble myself, which, I think, ended up costing me a few bucks.
He would hear a song for the first time either on the radio, or just out of the studio and not yet released, and he would bet it would become a NUMBER ONE RECORD! This was unheard of in my entire life! Nobody would do that even with ridiculous odds, no gamble was worth that, I thought!
Well Tom Catalano was a record producer who had visited Bob Crewe’s office from time to time. He was friends with Bob and this time he wanted to get Bob’s opinion on his new record production. Nobody had yet heard it and Irwin and I happened to be around when he played it for Bob in the inner office. Again, the Speakers were, “Big Reds”, five feet tall and three feet wide.
The recording was playing and I thought it was just out of my own taste. I liked certain pop records but my taste was R & B. I thought this record was just okay! Irwin immediately wanted to bet me that it would go NUMBER ONE…. Irwin was very sure of his intuition but wanted 100 to 1 odds on one dollar. If this record hit the #1 position on either Billboard or Cashbox Magazine, I would be obligated to pay Irwin $100.00! I took that bet in a minute.
Well, of course this record took off and became a top 20 song in a matter of a few weeks. Irwin came to me when the song hit the top twenty and he allowed me to pay him a reduced amount of $25.00. I paid him off and should have learned my lesson never to bet against this guy. But unfortunately I did NOT!
Third Experience : The song which was suggested to (Sandy Butch) Linzer and Randall by Stan Free, the professional pianist, “A Sebastian Bach Warm-up Lesson for Beginning piano players” which they borrowed and called, it, “Lover’s Concerto”. This recording was sung by a group called, “The Toys”, a group who the producers found.
This was one I was SURE would never happen at all! Of course, once again Irwin wanted 100 to 1 odds against it becoming a number one record! I didn’t wait a second, I bet him immediately. Now keep in mind this was a Crewe executive production. This meant that Bob would promote this record …. I forgot or didn’t give it any mind, I simply went by, what I felt, was the disgusting sounding lead singer. (Nothing personal) … and the song which I never thought anything of. Once again, “Putzed Again Was I” (great title, in itself)!! This one hit the top ten in almost no time and I had to give up another 25 bucks! Once again Irwin was perfect in this prediction. Again, I should have learned my lesson again.
This happened one more time with “Ode To Billy Jo” by Bobbie Gentry. This was the last time I bet with Irwin Levine. I finally learned that Irwin’s instincts were not from this Earth. He must have been from another planet.
Final Experience : I made the mistake of selling Irwin a football ticket for a buck. I earned 50% of what I took in so for me, this was a sweet deal. Well Irwin picked ten teams (not four which was the minimum amount) and was not satisfied with winning twenty dollars for a one dollar bet. He bet one dollar on ten teams, eight college football teams and two professional NFL teams. He won the two Friday night games and the first four Saturday Afternoon games. He had only two more to go.
I thought to myself, if it were me, I would have bet against my picks on Sunday as “insurance”. But NO .. NOT IRWIN .. he backed up his picks with a twenty dollar bet FOR the two teams he had on his ticket for Sunday Evenings games.
Needless to say, of course Irwin Levine won every game that weekend! Just my luck to be the one to sell him that ticket. I was called by the bookie. He asked me (it really wasn’t an ASK) to visit a garden apartment in a downtown Newark Garden Apartment “office’ where I was “invited in”.
A short man with a fat cigar who sat behind a desk asked me, “Who is this Irwin guy?” … I said “He was a friend of mine”. The short stocky man replied that all of Irwin’s picks were “HOT ONES” as was described to me.
I told him that Irwin told me that his cousin was accepted to Minnesota University. His aunt from Ohio attended Ohio State University. Finally, a friend of his moved to California and was about to get his PHD at Stanford, the Harvard of the west. Without any hesitation the guy behind the desk rolled out six fifty dollar bills and told me “Under no circumstances are you going to sell this guy, Irwin another ticket PERIOD!” .. okay???? I of course, shaking all over, I said “YES SIR! PS .. I never sold ANYONE another football ticket .. NOT EVEN TO MYSELF!
STAY TUNED FOR “THE LUCKIEST GUY I EVER KNEW” (PART TWO)