Derek

An individual performing solely under the name Derek first gained recognition as a substitute vocalist for the actual singer on a Bang label single that reached number 11, the track "Cinnamon." Derek Cymbal, brother of Scottish-born singer-songwriter Johnny Cymbal, assumed the role for this release. Johnny had earlier issued the somber death-themed song "The Water Was Red" as a modest non-hit, then scored a major success two years afterward with "Mr. Bass Man," followed by moderate chart entries in "Teenage Heaven," which reworked the country novelty "Hillbilly Heaven," and "Dum Dum Dee Dum," modeled on the wedding march. By the mid-'60s Cymbal's popularity had declined, resulting in his identification, accurately or not, as a novelty-song specialist. He nonetheless composed and cut "Cinnamon" for Bang Records, a recording equipped with strong hooks, an appealing melody, and an attractive chorus that matched the relaxed pop/rock atmosphere of the era. Its introduction and rhythm evoked the Monkees' "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You," while the chorus recalled Van Morrison's "Brown-Eyed Girl," a notable coincidence given that both Morrison and the Monkees track's writer, Neil Diamond, were Bang artists. Cymbal issued the single under his brother's Derek pseudonym rather than risk further neglect of his own recent work. Released in August 1968, "Cinnamon" remained on the charts for 15 weeks and climbed to number 11. The resulting demand for appearances placed Derek, already a musician in Johnny's band, on the road. Derek never placed another single on the charts and faded from public awareness after 1969. The track later received multiple compilation appearances, including a re-recording on Dominion's Golden Years 1968, and made its stereo debut on Columbia-Legacy's 1991 collection Rock Artifacts, Vol. 3.