The Ron Hicklin Singers were a group of Los Angeles studio singers contracted and organized by Ron Hicklin. They are mostly known as the real singers behind the background vocals on The Partridge Family recordings.
In Los Angeles studio circles in the 1960s through 1980s, they were the vocal equivalent of (and often worked with) The Wrecking Crew, performing backup vocals on thousands of songs, TV and movie themes, and as lead (while remaining anonymous) singers on thousands of radio and television commercials.
Members The core group usually consisted of (by voice type): Ron Hicklin - lead tenor Tom Bähler - tenor John Bähler - tenor Stan Farber - tenor Jim Gilstrap - tenor Gene Morford - bass Al Capps - bass Sally Stevens - soprano Edie Lehmann - soprano Sandie Hall - soprano Carolyn Willis - soprano Jackie Ward - alto Debbie Hall - alto Myrna Matthews - alto
However, this core group was often augmented with other specialist vocalists such as: Jim Haas - tenor Gene Merlino - tenor Jerry Whitman - tenor Thurl Ravenscroft - bass (voice of Kellogg's Tony the Tiger of Frosted Flakes cereal for 50 years, and the vocalist for "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch") Mitch Gordon - bass Bob Tebow - bass Andra Willis - soprano Linda Dangcil - soprano Bob Zwirn - baritone
Motion pictures, television and radio work The group performed themes for major motion pictures in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. M*A*S*H (film) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, "South American Getaway" written by Burt Bacharach The Hunt For Red October, written by Basil Poledouris Dances With Wolves, written by John Barry Apollo 13, written by James Horner Glory, written by James Horner Hook, written by John Williams Dirty Harry, and Magnum Force, written by Lalo Schifrin Out of Africa, written by John Barry Death Game, "Dear Old Dad" written by Jimmie Haskell with lyrics by Iris Rainer Dart The Mosquito Coast, "Saviour, Like a Shepherd Lead Us" written by William Batchelder Bradbury Rosemary's BabyArchived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine:
The group also sang the themes for major hit-TV shows of the period: Love, American Style, with lead vocalist John Bähler (opening theme) Batman, (opening theme) Alvin & The Chipmunks Flipper That Girl, season 5 opening Happy Days, for which Jim Haas sang lead (opening theme) Laverne & Shirley, along with lead vocalist Cyndi Grecco (opening theme) Wonder Woman, with John Bähler singing lead (season 2 opening) Angie, along with lead vocalist Maureen McGovern (opening theme)
In addition, they sang many commercial vocals, including United States advertising campaigns for: Kawasaki - "Kawasaki, Let the Good Times Roll" Datsun - "Drive a Datsun, then Decide" McDonald's - "You Deserve a Break Today", written by Kenny Karen Wheaties - "Go Tell Your Mama What The Big Boys Eat", Clio Award Winner California Raisins - "Yum, Yum", 2 Clio Awards Gatorade - "Gatorade Is Thirst Aid For That Deep Down Body Thirst"
Radio and television station-ID jingle companies throughout the last four decades of the 20th century used the group in their productions, including: The Heller Corporation Killer Music Broadcast Division JAM Creative Productions TM Productions (now known as TM Studios, a division of Dial Global Media) on syndicated-radio ID jingle packages including: Hot Hits Fusion The "You" campaign Good Feelings
Noteworthy recording work The group also sang on recordings credited to: Johnny Mandel - "Suicide Is Painless", Theme from M*A*S*H The Brady Kids Cher - "Dark Lady" The DeFranco Family - "Heartbeat - It's a Lovebeat" Climax featuring Sonny Geraci - "Precious and Few" (No. 1, U.S. Cash Box Top 100) Anita Kerr Singers - the group's mid-'60s-to-early '70s lineup featured Gene Merlino (tenor) and Bob Tebow (bass); Jackie Ward (alto) joined the group in 1969, replacing B. J. Baker Gary Lewis & the Playboys - "This Diamond Ring" (No 1, U.S. Billboard Hot 100), "Count Me In", "Save Your Heart For Me" (No 1, U.S. Billboard Easy Listening), "She's Just My Style", "Everybody Loves A Clown". Ron Hicklin basically sings a duet with Gary Lewis with Ron's vocals overdubbing. Mark Lindsay - "Arizona" (RIAA Gold) and "Silver Bird" The Partridge Family - "I Think I Love You" Gary Puckett & The Union Gap - "Young Girl" (No. 1, U.S. Cash Box Top 100), "Woman, Woman" (No. 3, U.S. Cash Box Top 100), "Over You" (No. 5, U.S. Cash Box Top 100), and "Lady Willpower" (No. 1, U.S. Cash Box Top 100) Paul Revere & the Raiders - "Indian Reservation" (RIAA Gold) Sammy Davis Jr. - "The Candy Man" (RIAA Gold) Johnny Mathis - "There, I Said it Again" Neil Diamond - "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (RIAA Platinum), "Holly Holy", "In My Lifetime"
Works of selected members The Bähler Brothers were part of the singing group hired by Ron Hicklin on Hugo Montenegro's Albums.
The Bähler Brothers, Jackie Ward, and Ron Hicklin joined David Cassidy as the singers on the Partridge Family. Hugo Montenegro's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Theme "MacArthur Park" "Suicide Is Painless", Johnny Mandel's theme to the 1970 film M*A*S*H, sung by Ian Freebairn-Smith, Ron Hicklin, John Bähler, and Tom Bähler Ron Hicklin did 4 decades as part of the Chipmunks
Member Jackie Ward also had a hit on her own as Robin Ward with the 1963 hit "Wonderful Summer".
Later Careers
John Bähler lives in Branson, Missouri and conducts the "new" Lawrence Welk orchestra as well as running Portraits By Bähler.
Bähler's wife, Janet Lennon-Bähler of the Lennon Sisters, still tours in casinos and resorts around the country as part of an extensive nostalgia circuit, bringing music of the 1940s and 1950s to a new audience.
Tom Bähler, a long-time close associate of composer Quincy Jones as well as being associate producer and arranger of "We Are the World", lives in California's Santa Ynez Valley north of Los Angeles and continues to occasionally produce as well as record. He is also a songwriter of renown, having penned the Bobby Sherman hit "Julie, Do Ya Love Me" and Michael Jackson's "She's Out of My Life".
Ron Hicklin himself retired from the business in the mid-1990s, and lives in Vonore, Tennessee and Ko Olina (on Oahu) with his wife, Trudi.
Discography Partial chronological list of albums containing one or more cuts with one or more Ron Hicklin Singers: