Dora Hall - Queen of the Vanity Records

Anyone remember her? I had never heard of her before tonight.



Dora Hall was a former child vaudeville performer turned grandmother who in the early 1960s decided she wanted to get back into show business. She was able to do this thanks to her husband, the multi-millionaire owner of the Solo Cup Company. He subsidized her career with singles and albums (some of which were produced by Al Hazan) given away with Solo products, or available via mail order. Supposedly one of her singles actually made the WLS top 40 in her hometown of Chicago.

Dora's riff on "Barefootin'":
https://youtu.be/rNvahxTlKtE

"Hand On Sloopy":
https://youtu.be/eiYAt02DvCE

"Daydream":
https://youtu.be/TEJCBKms7Fw

A not bad Christmas song:
https://youtu.be/UciLWDAaRjA

Oh... My... God...
https://youtu.be/IeIYFDnxixo



But even more amazing/incredible/flabbergasting, Dora's husband actually financed TV specials as star vehicles for her. One of them cost $400K in early 70s dollars -- probably equal to at least $2.5M in today's money. This one co-starred various D listers like Phil Harris and Frank Sinatra Jr, and was syndicated to independent TV stations after the networks turned it down.



An iconoclastic look at Dora Hall:
http://historysdumpster.blogspot.com/2012/08/dora-hall.html

A Dora Hall fan site:
http://www.dorahall.tvheaven.com/

 

I've been poking around a lot of mid-'60s rarities lately. It's All Over and You Name It came up. They're both pretty decent!

 

Yeah, Dora Hall! I remember noticing somewhere (maybe on one of those sites you linked) that her discog was pretty big.
The funny thing is that the address for the Dora Hill Fan Club was that of the Solo cup factory.

 

I've always wondered. Thanks!

 

Dora Effing Hall!

I had a couple of the VHS tapes Solo Cups gave away and they were party favorites for years. I consider her husband Leo Hulseman's support of Dora's career one of the greatest acts of love I've ever ever. I imagine that somewhere in a warehouse in central Illinois there's a 3,000-square-foot area of pallets loaded with these tapes.

http://www.dorahall.tvheaven.com

 

Dora Effing Hall!

I had a couple of the VHS tapes Solo Cups gave away and they were party favorites for years. I consider her husband Leo Hulseman's support of Dora's career one of the greatest acts of love I've ever ever. I imagine that somewhere in a warehouse in central Illinois there's a 3,000-square-foot area of pallets loaded with these tapes.

http://www.dorahall.tvheaven.com

 

I have this country western LP from the Dora. You can't be too bad for country.

 

One of her albums features tracks recorded by the Wrecking Crew. Supposedly, when some of the musicians learned who was going to be overdubbing the vocals, they were less than thrilled.

 

Got a mint copy- I understand most of her albums are mint... of her Great Hits which has a bunch of rock and roll hits of the day. Say what you like about her singing but the recorded sound is amazing for that time, almost audiophile. At least this version (COZY PL1000/1001). Essentially the same LP that was on Dot in 1966. Cost me the princely sum if a buck in my local flea market.

 

Dora Hall was the original Pia Zadora, (who also had a rich husband who essentially manufactured a career for her).

 

I remember the "Rainbeau" label now. We had one, don't remember which one it was, or how we got it. I only remember learning at that point, just because somebody decided to record her, doesn't really mean it had to be done.

 

My Dad ordered some of her albums that were free from Solo Cups. They didn't actually tell you that you were getting a Dora Hall album. You just checked a box on the form indicating your musical interest and they would send you a album in the genre you picked. Apparantly Dora covered all the bases.

 

...Her albums were still being pushed on Solo packages into the 80s.

 

I recall learning about her in a Bathroom Reader article, but had long forgotten until now. According to Discogs, she released over 100 singles!

Dora Hall

 

...Did anyone ever try mixing a duet between her and Florence Foster Jenkins?

 

Or how about Mrs. Miller?

 

I had this as a wee tyke. Don't remember what it sounded like.

 

I just found her disco album at a thrift. It’s all ‘40s standards with disco arrangements. Excellent schlock! HB Barnum is credited on the cover.

My mom used to buy Solo Cups in the ‘70s and I once sent away for a Dora Hall album, although I can’t remember which one. Even at 10 or 11 years old, I wondered why the liner notes made out like she was a major star.

 

Don't remember exactly where or how I got these, but I got 'em!

 

. Are those all versions of the 60s poo hits that I presume that they are?







="SteelyNJ, post: 18352711, member: 29077"]Don't remember exactly where or how I got these, but I got 'em!




[/QUOTE]

 

Yes.

 

...I meant " pop hits ", that was't an intended put-down...This phone and its " Auto-correct " function... and my big clumsy hands...

 

Your "big clumsy hands" are likely more perceptive than you think...

 

Mrs. Hall could turn any pop hit into a poop hit.