Dick Flood – My Walk Among The Stars
Dick Flood Knowing Mr. Johnny Paycheck
In 1972 my good friend Mr. Bob Tubert once again came to my rescue. He had taken on the task of A&R man for Nasco Records in their country music department and he gave me a contract for one release on Nasco. While we were going over material for me to record he gave me a copy of my friend Freddy North’s latest Nasco recording which had already jumped into the R&B charts all across the country and was moving up fast.
Freddy North was a successful young rhythm and blues singer/song writer. I remember we once collaborated on a song we were calling “It Just Doesn’t Pay”.
Some of the lyrics were;
“Some days it just doesn’t pay to be nice
Some days it just doesn’t pay to be right
Some days are like facing a solid brick wall
Some days it doesn’t pay to be all”
Mr. Bob asked me to please take Mr. Freddie’s record home listen to it, and consider recording it country style on my up and coming recording session two days away. I took it home with me. I listened to it. I really liked it but I could not imagine how I could do it country style. So the next day I took Mr. Freddie’s record back to Mr. Bob telling him I did not think I could do the song justice. So that idea was scrapped.
Less than a month later Mr. Johnny Paycheck, a brand new name in country music had most suddenly burst upon the country music scene and into the charts with his cut of my buddy Mr. Freddie’s song! You guessed it! The song was called “Don’t Take Her She’s All I got”! And for Mr. Johnny Paycheck who was once known as Donny Young the rest is a wonderful part of country music history.
And Dick Flood could have kicked himself in the head once again for turning down yet another hit country song.