Kalin Twins

The Kalin Twins (born February 16, 1934) were a pop music recording and songwriting duo,[1] comprising twin brothers Harold Kalin and Herbert Kalin (died August 24, 2005 and July 21, 2006, respectively). The Kalin Twins, who were known affectionately as "Hal and Herbie", are best known for their 1958 hit "When".

Kalin Twins
Born(1934-02-16)February 16, 1934
Port Jervis, New York, United States
DiedAugust 24, 2005(2005-08-24) (aged 71) (Harold)
July 21, 2006(2006-07-21) (aged 72) (Herbert)
GenresPop
Occupation(s)Sound designers, singers
Past members
  • Harold Kalin
  • Herbert Kalin

Career

The twins were born in Port Jervis, New York, United States,[1] but the family later moved to Washington, D.C. Originally discovered by Clint Ballard, Jr., the writer of many hit records such as "Good Timin'" for Jimmy Jones, and "I'm Alive" for The Hollies, the sibling duo had a couple of early recording flops.[2] However, in 1958, after searching through piles of writers' demo tapes, their management discovered the song called "When", written by Paul Evans and Jack Reardon.[3] It topped the UK Singles Chart on 13 September 1958, got to Number 5 in their U.S. homeland, and sold over two million copies in the process.[4] The track remained in the UK listings for eighteen weeks, five of which were at Number One.[5] They had no further UK chart entries.

The Kalins were the first set of twins to reach number one in the UK as a duo,[3] followed years later by The Proclaimers. They were supported by Cliff Richard on their only UK tour.[1] Their second single, "Forget Me Not," reached Number 12 in the US Billboard chart later in 1958. After two further low-ranking entries in 1959, they never reached the charts again.[1]

Family

Herbert Kalin was married and had four children, Suzan Lynn, Kelly Lee, Buddy Ladd, and Jonathan Ray.

Post-music career

Eventually, disillusioned with diminishing returns, the brothers returned to their day jobs, with each pursuing college degrees.[1] They did not perform again until 1977, when a mutual friend booked them to appear at his new nightclub. Sometimes they performed with their younger sibling, Jack, and thus appeared as the Kalin Brothers.[1]

They disappeared again as a performing act, until 1989. Then, their one-time support act, Cliff Richard, invited them to play at his Wembley Stadium 'The Event' concerts,[1] as part of a sequence paying homage to the 1950s television pop show, Oh Boy!

Deaths

Harold "Hal" Kalin died on August 24, 2005,[5] as a result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident, aged 71. Herbert "Herbie" Kalin died July 21, 2006 from a heart attack, aged 72.

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Kalin Twins among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.[6]

Discography
  • "Jumpin' Jack" b/w "Walkin' To School" — (1958) — Each charted in the US publication Music Vendor, Feb-March 1958 — Decca Records
  • "Three O'Clock Thrill" b/w "When" — (1958) — U.S. jukebox favorite, Decca Records
  • "When" b/w "Three O'Clock Thrill" — (1958) — U.S. #5 Decca Records — UK #1 Brunswick Records
  • "Forget Me Not" b/w "Dream Of Me" — (1958) — U.S. #12 — Decca Records
  • "It's Only The Beginning" b/w "Oh! My Goodness" — (1959)
  • "When I Look In The Mirror" b/w "Cool" — (1959)
  • "Sweet Sugar Lips" b/w "Moody" — (1959)
  • "Why Don't You Believe Me" b/w "The Meaning Of The Blues" — (1959)
  • "Chicken Thief" b/w "Loneliness" — (1960)
  • "Blue, Blue Town" b/w "True To You" — (1960)
  • "Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart" b/w "No Money Can Buy" — (1960)
  • "Momma-Poppa" b/w "You Mean The World To Me" — (1961)
  • "Bubbles (I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles)" b/w "One More Time" — (1961)
  • "A Picture Of You" b/w "Trouble" — (1962)
  • "Sometimes It Comes, Sometimes It Goes" b/w "Thinkin' About You Baby" — (1966) — Amy Records
  • "Silver Seagull" — (1978)
  • "American Eagle" b/w "When (Disco Version)" — (1979) — Octember Records

References
  1. Colin Larkin, ed. (2002). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. p. 225. ISBN 1-85227-937-0.
  2. Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 39. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
  3. Roberts, David (2001). British Hit Singles (14th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 31. ISBN 0-85156-156-X.
  4. Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 102. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  5. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 296. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  6. Rosen, Jody (June 25, 2019). "Here Are Hundreds More Artists Whose Tapes Were Destroyed in the UMG Fire". The New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
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