Years active 1968 (1968)–1969 Active from 1968 | Website www.twinnconnexion.com | |
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Labels Decca, Now Sounds, Big Pink Members Jerry Hopkins, Jay Hopkins Albums Songs from the Heart, Twinn Connexion Genres Sunshine pop, Soft rock, Bubblegum pop Similar The Peppermint Rainbow, Jerry Keller, Eternity's Children, The Cyrkle, The American Breed | ||
Twinn connexion sixth avenue stroll
Twinn Connexion was the singing duo of identical twin brothers Jerry and Jay Hopkins. They were signed with Decca Records and released a self-titled album in 1968 with songs by Jerry Keller and David Blume. Their musical style consisted of pop harmonies influenced by the soft rock and folk rock styles that were popular during the late 1960s. Jay Hopkins died on September 6, 2001.
Contents
- Twinn connexion sixth avenue stroll
- Growing Up
- Move to New York City
- Recording career
- Life After Music
- Sunshine Pop Revival
- Albums
- Singles
- References
Interest in the duo's music was revived when their musical style was recognized as belonging to the subgenre of 1960s pop music now called sunshine pop. Their songs were featured on several popular sunshine pop compilations. There was soon a demand for the 1968 Twinn Connexion album, with the rare copies fetching high prices on the collectors' market. A digitally remastered and expanded edition of the 1968 Twinn Connexion album was reissued by the Now Sounds record label on May 18, 2010.
In 2010, Jerry Hopkins released a second album titled Songs from the Heart, which features remastered versions of Twinn Connexion songs that were never released. The album was offered by Hopkins as a free download on the music website Last.fm. In September 2010, Songs of the Heart was released in Korea and Japan on the label Big Pink Music.
Growing Up
Born on January 15, 1941, identical twin brothers Jerry and Jay Hopkins grew up in Helena, Montana.
While living in Helena, Jerry and Jay were taken under the wing of drama teacher Doris Marshall, who cast them in several plays. Marshall owned and operated the Old Brewery Theatre, a summer stock playhouse in Helena, and from the age of 12 Jay and Jerry performed in summer plays, musicals, and Saturday night variety shows. While in high school, Jay and Jerry hosted their own television show, Teen Time Varieties on KXLJ-TV. During this time, the twins were continually writing songs and performing at various clubs around the state.
The brothers' first roles at the Old Brewery Theatre were as Horace and Henry in The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker. Years later they played the same roles for Imperial Margarine in a national television commercial as The Imperial Margarine Twins. They used the payment they received from the commercial to pay for a tour of the Midwest with their single Sixth Avenue Stroll.
Jerry and Jay attended the University of Montana, where they got their first taste of Shakespearian roles. Jerry appeared in the role of Prospero in The Tempest and Jay took the title role in King Lear. These were full productions mounted at MSU in Missoula.
Move to New York City
In January 1963, Jerry and Jay arrived in New York with about $100 between them. They found a room on West 76th Street for $16 a week and soon had work as waiters at a coffee house on Bleecker Street.
Jerry became assistant stage manager and actor in John Arden's Sergeant Musgrave's Dance and assistant to the costume designer, Ann Roth. He was also assistant stage manager for Norman Mailer's The Deer Park where he received his equity card. Jay got a job as an assistant stage manager of The Mad Show with music by Mary Rogers. After the shows came down each night, Jerry and Jay would meet at the Champagne Gallery on MacDougal Street where they would perform. Bill Downer, an executive from Northern Publishing, discovered them in New York City.
In 1965, Jerry got a costume job at the famous Green Mansions in the Adirondacks, the birthplace of the Group Theatre. It was there that he met Bob Cessna. The two became close companions and that fall Bob, Jerry and Jay formed Twinn Connexion with Bob acting as their manager.
Recording career
Twinn Connexion's first recording was a single at Columbia Records with Thomas Z. Shepard as producer of the song, Your Porch Swing Squeaks. It was this demo that gave Twinn Connexion their start in recording. The next singles they recorded were for Decca, which took them on a tour of the Midwest.
The release of Twinn Connexion's self-titled album took place on October 4, 1968. It was celebrated with a party at the New York City Playboy Club. Jerry and Jay's sister Patty was one of the bunnies at the Club. The party was a star-studded event with Cousin Brucie, Monte Rock, Carolyn Hester, Hugh Marlowe and 50 gorgeous bunnies in full regalia.
Twinn Connexion appeared in many publications including Eye, 16, Teen World, Teen Life, Spec and After Dark. There were also television appearances on Come Alive in Pittsburgh, The Bob Braun Show in Cincinnati, Swingin' Time in Detroit and the biggest rock show of all, Upbeat out of Cleveland. Upbeat called them back for a second spot.
Decca also produced a film of Twinn Connexion seen in the United States, Vietnam and Korea. Twinn Connexion was on the charts in the Midwest. Sixth Avenue Stroll was number one in Mexico City Radio Universal and Decca Orfeon issued a second pressing, Caminando Por La Sexto Avenida, for Mexico and South America. Twinn Connexion was nominated for a Naras (Grammy) in 1969 for their version of The Cyrkle's hit "Turn Down Day".
photo: Center, Bunny Jan Marlyn Reesman, Right: Bunny Patty Hopkins.
Life After Music
When Decca was sold and promotion of Twinn Connexion was cut back, Jay got involved with stock trading on Wall Street and Jerry went back to art school, graduating from SUNY in 1976. Jerry is now a recognized painter in Woodstock, New York.
On September 6, 2001, Jay died suddenly of heart failure. In his apartment, Jerry discovered tracks of vocals of music they had been working on, songs that were recorded but never released. He decided to remaster the tracks and release a second Twinn Connexion album, Songs from the Heart.
Sunshine Pop Revival
Twinn Connexion, the original album, was re-issued in 2003 by Hugo Montes Productions. Twinn Connexion tracks can be found on several sunshine pop compilations including Morning Glory Daze, MCA Universal Soft Rock Collection and the Get Easy Sunshine Pop Collection MCA Universal. Tracks can also be found online at Last.fm.
Tony Coulter Show at WFMU-FM in Jersey City debuted the first track released on Songs from the Heart, Letter from Dad and Mom. James Addyman at Down in the Grooves on BBC, Leeds debuted the same track.