Milan the Leather Boy

Milan (also known as The Leather Boy) (born December 15, 1941 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia; died March 14, 1971 in New York City) was an enigmatic producer, songwriter and recording artist on numerous songs made throughout the 1960s, mostly though not exclusively in the garage rock genre. He released an LP and numerous singles for seven different national record labels and other independent labels (a total of more than 30 songs) under a variety of names: Milan with His Orchestra, Milan, The World of Milan, Milan (The Leather Boy), and The Leather Boy.^[1] Additionally, as the producer, arranger and/or songwriter, Milan oversaw many other releases by a variety of artists ranging from the pop singer Lou Christie, to the bubblegum pop band Ice Cream, to the psychedelic rock band the Head Shop.

Greg Shaw thought enough of Milan to place his song "I'm a Leather Boy" as the opening track on two different albums in the Pebbles series: the Pebbles, Volume 10 CD and the earlier Pebbles, Volume 11 LP (which was also the first album to be released on his AIP record label). He has written of Milan as being "a cryptic artist who made a series of high image records offering himself as some leather-clad, bike-riding rebel, but so stylized he might've been imagined by Andy Warhol. . . . The only name to be found on these records is Milan, a name that also shows up as writer/producer on a big pile of records, from the early 60s right thru the end of the decade. . . . But who was he? No further clue has ever emerged. This is one guy whose story really cries out to be told."^[2]

In the promotional material for the 2009 retrospective album Hell Bent for Leather, Milan is described in this way: "From his earliest incarnation in the record industry as a Xmas twister, the enigmatic Milan has changed his name and re-invented himself several times: a teen idol with a cute hairdo and a preppy look, a garage gonzo savage, an all dressed-in-black biker stud, a psychedelic screamer in love with satellite sounds, and other characters known or waiting to be discovered. One thing is for sure: Few people can claim so many identities in less than a decade."^[3]

Album, I Am What I Am

After a couple of early singles, Milan released an LP on 20th Century Fox in 1964, called I Am What I Am, along with two associated singles, "I Am What I Am" b/w "Over and Over Again" and later "Runnin' Wild" b/w "Angel's Lullaby". The front cover (pictured) also includes "presenting a bright new star". The album's liner notes describe Milan as "a darkly handsome, six foot, 160 lb. twenty year old" with a "European musical background" and continue: "Milan is popular music . . . he lives it, loves it and understands it and refuses to allow the tendency to copy whatever happens to be in the top ten at the present time to influence his work" (ellipses in the original). He also has a beautiful, melodic voice that is sometimes difficult to appreciate on his later recordings.

Although the authenticity and commitment to his music is apparent even at this point, the album is in the style of early 1960s orchestral pop music records, and much of the music bears only passing resemblance to the garage rock and psychedelic rock recordings for which he is better known. As a result, this album, though scarce, is typically available for a fraction of the cost of most of the singles that were released in later years. However, some of the songs on the album, including "Runnin' Wild" and "Spellbound" have the flavor of his later garage-rock classics.

Later Recording Career

Perhaps in response to the slow sales of his early work, Milan moved on more interestingly to a variety of guises and bands, not to mention new record labels. Whether these new names are bands or pseudonyms is unknown for the most part. Some sources identify The Leather Boy as a band that is led by Milan; but on one single, the two names are combined, and the covers on the Leather Boy singles only show Milan, so this is doubtful.

Insofar as his persona is concerned, the moniker "Leather Boy" is certainly appropriate, since he is shown in several photographs in a leather jacket. Anticipating his pose on the single "I'm a Leather Boy", he is shown on the back cover of his earlier album holding a guitar and dressed in what appears to be a faux leather smock emblazoned with "Milan" in stylized lettering. (This lettering was later incorporated into the design of the cover of the 2009 Hell Bent for Leather album).

Producer, Arranger and Songwriting Credits

For the most part, the name "Milan" was used in his many appearances on disc as songwriter, arranger or producer; but there are many exceptions. On his first single, the songwriter of "Santa's Doin' the Twist" and "Swing a Little Harder" is given as "Rick Rodell". On his 1964 album, the songwriter is listed as "M. Rodell", and on the first of the two associated singles, the songwriter is "Milan Rodelle" (with the surname misspelled in that case). "M. Rodell" is also listed as the songwriter and arranger on the Licorice Schtik song "The Kissin' Game".

He also was the producer for both sides of a 1967 single "Bongo Bongo" b/w "Free as a Bird" on MGM – MGM also released some of his own singles – for an obscure girl group called The Chanters. He was also listed as the songwriter of "Bongo Bongo". According to the programmer of the compilation albums Look What I Found, Volume 12 and Look What I Found, Volume 21 – which each included a re-release of one side of this single – "'Bongo Bongo' sounds like [Milan's] 'On the Go'. . . The Chanters have remained a mystery band as I've never seen this 45 on any compilation."^[4] A song by the Downtown Collection called "Washington Square" was included on Volume 42 of the same series; Milan was the producer on this record.

In a foray into yet another style of music, Milan wrote and arranged both sides of a single on Capitol for a bubblegum pop band called Ice Cream that was released in 1968.

Reissues and Other Sources of the Music

In 1983, Milan was re-introduced to the world in Pebbles, Volume 11 of the LPs in the Pebbles series. This was actually the first album in the series to be officially released by Bomp! and was the initial LP on their AIP label. This particular compilation album starts off with both sides of a 1967 single by The Leather Boy, "I'm a Leather Boy" and "Shadows", while "You Gotta Have Soul" closes the album. The former cut is an exuberant garage rock track that features actual sounds of motorcycles in the background that even Steppenwolf eschewed, while the latter is a passionate romp that has a similar gritty feel. "Shadows" – a thoughtful meditation on the remains of a failed romance – is a marvelous psychedelic rock masterwork that appears on the Pebbles box sets called Pebbles Box and Trash Box but is not otherwise available in the Pebbles series on CD. However, "On the Go" appears on the Pebbles, Volume 10 CD (this song also reprises the motorcycle sounds from "I'm a Leather Boy").

Greg Shaw expressed hope that an album could be collected of his work some day^[5] — which finally occurred in 2009 when Hell Bent for Leather was released — adding that "what he did with Donovan songs has to be heard to be believed!". The latter is a reference to the Leather Boy cover of Donovan's song "Jersey Thursday" on one of the rarest of Milan's singles.^[2] However, in addition to those in the Pebbles series, Milan's recordings have been collected on several other garage-rock and psychedelic-rock collections.

While not reaching the stratospheric level of artists like the Human Expression and the Outcasts, the original Milan 45s sell on a regular basis for elevated prices. For instance, between 2004 and 2006, the "I'm a Leather Boy" single sold at auction on eBay for $68, £15 and £27.^[6]

Bands, Aliases and Other Projects

• Milan with His Orchestra
• Milan
• The World of Milan
• Milan (The Leather Boy)
• The Leather Boy
• The Unclaimed
• Lou Christie
• The Head Shop
• The Chanters
• The Aladdins

Discography

Singles

As a Recording Artist

As Milan with His Orchestra:

• "Santa's Doin' the Twist" b/w "Swing a Little Longer"; Migon (#1962-A/B) – 1962

As Milan:

• "Innocence" b/w "Winter Time"; End (#1123) – 1963
• "I Am What I Am" b/w "Over and Over Again"; 20th Century Fox (#487) – 1964
• "Runnin' Wild" b/w "Angel's Lullaby"; 20th Century Fox (#552) – 1964

As The World of Milan:

• "Cry, Lonely Boy" b/w "Luva-Luva"; ABC-Paramount (#10718) – 1965
• "Follow the Sun" b/w "I'm Cryin' in the Rain"; Brunswick (#55292) – 1966
• "One Track Mind" b/w "Shades of Blue"; Brunswick (#55298) – 1966

As Milan (The Leather Boy):

• "You Gotta Have Soul" b/w "My Prayer"; Flower (#100) – 1967

As The Leather Boy:

• "I'm a Leather Boy" b/w "Shadows"; MGM (#K-13724) – April 1967
• "On the Go" b/w "Soulin'"; MGM (#K-13790) – August 1967
• "Jersey Thursday" b/w "Black Friday"; Parkway (#125) – 1967

As a Producer, Arranger and/or Songwriter

Lou Christie:

• "How Many Teardrops" b/w "You and I (Have a Right to Cry)"; Roulette #R-4504 – 1963

The American Beetles:

• "Don't Be Unkind" b/w "You Did It To Me"; Roulette (#4550) – 1964

The Chanters:

• "Bongo Bongo" b/w "Free as a Bird"; MGM (#K13750) – 1967

The Unclaimed:

• "Memories of Green Eyes" b/w/ "Jingle Jangle"; Philips (#30430) – 1967

The Licorice Schtik:

• "The Kissin' Game" b/w "Flowers Flowers"; Dot (#17131) – 1968

Albums

Studio Albums

As a Recording Artist

• I Am What I Am; 20th Century Fox (#TFM 3149/#TFS 4149) — 1964

As a Producer, Arranger and/or Songwriter

• The Head Shop; Epic (#BN 26476) – 1969

Retrospective Album

• Hell Bent for Leather; LS (#LS-001LP) – 2009 (vinyl only)

Compilation Albums^[7]

I'm a Leather Boy

1. Pebbles, Volume 11 (LP)
2. Pebbles, Volume 10 (CD)
3. Pebbles, Volume 3 (CD – ESD Release)
4. Mayhem and Psychosis, Volume 1 (LP)
5. Mayhem and Psychosis, Volume 1 (CD)

Shadows

1. Pebbles, Volume 11 (LP)
2. Pebbles Box (LP Box Set)
3. Trash Box (CD Box Set)

You Gotta Have Soul

1. Pebbles, Volume 11 (LP)

On the Go

1. Pebbles, Volume 10 (CD)
2. A Journey to Tyme, Volume 5 (LP)
3. Garagelands, Volume 1 (LP)
4. Garagelands, Volume 1 (CD)
5. Wavy Gravy series^[4]

Soulin'

1. A Journey to Tyme, Volume 5 (LP)
2. Garagelands, Volume 1 (LP)
3. Garagelands, Volume 1 (CD)

One Track Mind

1. Winning Sides, Volume 2 (LP)
2. Quagmires, Volume 3 (CD)

References

1. ^ Entry on the single on the Unclaimed on www.beatbehindthedykes.com (a Dutch website). Retrieved 27 Mar 2008.
2. ^ ^{a b} Liner notes, Pebbles, Volume 10 CD.
3. ^ Entry on Milan the Leather Boy on forcedexposure.com. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
4. ^ ^{a b} Entry on the Look What I Found compilation albums. Retrieved 15 Oct 2006.
5. ^ Liner notes, Pebbles, Volume 11 LP.
6. ^ Realized auction prices report on www.popsike.com. Retrieved 3 Jun 2008.
7. ^ Searchin' for Shakes on-line database, Ugly Things fanzine (unless otherwise noted). Retrieved 3 Mar 2007.

Persondata
Name	Milan
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	December 15, 1941
Place of birth
Date of death	March 14, 1971
Place of death