Bobby Russell & Buzz Cason

The Todds  (Nashville, T.N.)
aka The Countdowns (1) aka The F. J. Babies

Personnel :

Buzz Cason

Bobby Russell

Tony Moon

Discography :

The Todds
1961 - Tennessee / May We Always (Todd 1064)
1962 - Popsicle / Sugar Hill (Todd 1076)

The Countdowns (1)
1961 - Watermelon / The Writing On The Wall (Image 5002)

The F. J. Babies
1962 - She Has    / And The Moon Came Down (Apt 25068)  

Biography :

By 1957, The Casuals had become a touring act, replacing The Everly Brothers on a tour of 60 fair dates. Later, legendary manager, Dub Albritton heard the group and The Casuals became Brenda Lee's backing band. The original Casuals were Buzz Cason, Richard Williams, Billy Smith, Chester Power and Johnny McCreery. During this same period, Buzz Cason met Bobby Russell, an aspiring writer at the old Globe Recording Studio in Nashville located above Mom's Tavern (now Tootsie's Orchid Lounge) and the two began to co-write.  Gary Paxton became a publisher for Lowery Music of Atlanta and published their "ba- ba-ba" Jan and Dean-type song, "Tennessee." They made another Todds single on the tune "Popsicle," which, like "Tennessee," was later covered by Jan and Dean  on Liberty. The Todds' session was produced by their new production company, Tri-Arts, which Bobby Russel and Buzz Cason formed with Tony Moon (From Dante & The Evergreens). They opened an office together on 16th Avenue, but soon realized they had no viable way to pay rent.

The Casuals with Tonny Moon (Harmonica)

They managed to raise money to do "Popsicle" as The Todds and "Watermelon," using the name The Countdowns, on Kenny's Image label and "She Has" by the F.J. Babies. The records featured  Buzz Cason, Bobby Russell & Tony Moon on vocals and many of the instruments. The "F.J" on the "She Has" disc stood for Felton Jarvis, the personable head of the ABC record label in Nashville and the record came out on the APT label, a subsidiary of ABC. In 1963 and for two years, Buzz Cason & Bobby Russell sang under pseudonyms for Hit Records and Giant Records. Hit Records of Nashville was a 1960s budget label who recorded and released "sound-alike" recordings of hit singles by artists who often recorded under pseudonyms.

                                                                                                        Tony Moon

 These were in most cases as good as or better than the originals, and sometimes even outsold the original releases. Bobby Russell and Buzz Cason were in charge of the Pop and Rock & Roll recordings of which Bobby would go on to become one of the most successful songwriters of the 1960s with titles like "Honey" and "Little Green Apples" to his credit. Buzz Cason & Bobby Russell sang under the name of The Chellows on Many Four Seasons' Songs like "Walk Like A Man", "Big Girls Don't Cry" on Hit Records . They are the Shaw Brothers on "That's old fashioned" on Hit Records and they are the Belles on "Ain't that A Shame" b/w "If You Wanna' Be Happy" on Giant.

Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

 The Todds

  
May We Always                                       Popsicle        

  
‪Sugar Hill‬                                         Tennessee

The F. J. Babies

  
And The Moon Came Down                          She Has                 


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