Ron Haffkine

Ron Haffkine (December 13, 1938 – October 1, 2023) was an American record producer, composer and music manager most recognized for his work as a producer and manager of Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show, an American rock band, producing hit singles including "Sylvia's Mother", "The Cover of Rolling Stone", "Sharing the Night Together", "A Little Bit More" and "When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman" and achieving 67 Gold and Platinum records.

Ron Haffkine was born in New York City, New York, on December 13, 1938.

He contracted polio, at age 12, and remained completely paralyzed for 2 years.

At 21, Ron was a musician and composer in Greenwich Village who met and became good friends with 28 year old Shel Silverstein, an American poet, singer-songwriter, cartoonist, screenwriter, and author of children's books.

Haffkine formed and managed a band called The Gurus.

Wanting to record the group he walked into Regent Sound in NY and explained to a sound engineer named Bill Szymczyk, the soon to be producer of The Eagles, that he wanted to make a record, but knew nothing about the process, Bill agreed to help.

During the sessions, Ron would tell Bill: "I’d like to hear this or I’d like to hear that, or… there’s not enough of this or there’s too much of that".

When finished, Ron played it for Shel, known as the writer of "A Boy Named Sue," which Johnny Cash parlayed into a hit, he was so impressed that he told Ron about a couple of films that he was writing the soundtrack for and that he needed someone to produce the music.

Haffkine became the musical director for free for the Herb Gardner movie Who is Harry Kellerman in which Dustin Hoffman, the star of The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy and Little Big Man, played a songwriter.

One scene in the Hoffman film required a band on stage, but Ron didn't like the band, so he recommended a band called Dr. Hook.

He had heard them playing in a bar called The Sands, in Union City, New Jersey.

The producers, Shel and Dustin said "No".

Unrelenting, Ron offered to pay for a showcase of the group on the condition that they all attend.

They all attended and they all agreed to use Dr. Hook in the film.

With the help of producer Haffkine the group recorded two songs for the film: Locorriere sang the lead on both "The Last Morning", the movie's theme song, later re-recorded for their second album, Sloppy Seconds, and "Bunky and Lucille", which the band can be seen performing in the film.

Haffkine felt that the film would not be a great box office hit but the soundtrack had a lot of momentum so he arranged a meeting with Clive Davis, CBS Records described in Davis's autobiography.

Drummer David used a wastepaper basket to keep the beat, and while Sawyer, Locorriere and Cummings played and sang a few songs, Francis hopped up and danced on the mogul's desk.

This meeting secured the band their first record contract.

He produced the soundtrack of the 1970 film featuring Silverstein songs performed by Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson.

Silverstein and Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show became a great combination.

Haffkine having a knack for picking great songs, quickly became Dr. Hook’s #1 A&R man, as well as their producer and manager.

The film, released in 1971 by National General Pictures, received mixed critical reviews and did only modestly at the box office, but later became a cult film.

The second film was Ned Kelly a movie about an Australian outlaw, featuring Mick Jagger.

Silverstein wrote all the songs for their self-titled debut album, released in 1971, Doctor Hook featured lead vocals, guitar, bass and harmonica by Locorriere, guitarist Cummings, singer Sawyer, drummer David, singer/guitarist, and keyboard player Billy Francis.

The album included their first hit, "Sylvia's Mother".

"Sylvia's Mother", a subtle parody of teen-heartbreak weepers, flopped on first release, but with some more promotional muscle became the band's first million-seller and hit the Top Five in the summer of 1972.

Other titles on the album included "Marie Lavaux", "Sing Me a Rainbow", "Hey Lady Godiva", "Four Years Older Than Me", "Kiss It Away", "Makin' It Natural", "I Call That True Love", "When She Cries", "Judy", "Mama, I'll Sing One Song for You".

It has been released 20 times in the US, UK, Netherlands, Italy, Yugoslavia, Canada, Europe, Spain and Greece.

Silverstein continued to write songs for Dr. Hook including their entire second album, Sloppy Seconds, now released 16 times in the US, Australia, UK, Netherlands, Europe and Canada.

It featured some of their most popular songs, including "Freakin' at the Freaker's Ball", and "The Cover of the Rolling Stone."

Other titles on the album were "If I'd Only Come and Gone", "The Things I Didn't Say", "Carry Me Carrie", "Get My Rocks Off", "Last Mornin'", "I Can't Touch the Sun", "Queen of the Silver Dollar", "Turn On the World", "Stayin' Song".

The album was listed in the Billboard 200 in 1973.

Haffkine locked horns again with Clive Davis for 3 months over Silverstein’s "Cover of the Rolling Stone" because of the lyrics "We take all kinds of pills to get all kinds of thrills" and "I got a freaky old lady named Cocaine Katy".

Ron knew that If they put out another 'Sylvia’s Mother'... Dr. Hook would be finished!

Clive told the label to release it.

Ron, against all opinions asked that nothing else be done to the song stating, "it’s perfect just the way it is".

"The Cover of the Rolling Stone" was not their biggest hit, but it turned out to be the most significant song of Dr. Hook’s career.

On the heels of the successful record Haffkine visited Jann Wenner, one of the founders of Rolling Stone Magazine, proclaiming "I’ve just given you guys the best commercial for this rag that you’ll ever get" in the hopes they would secure an interview with the magazine.

They did and the Rolling Stone sent Cameron Crowe who later wrote and directed "Jerry McGuire" to do the interview, who at the time was their 16 yr.

old wiz-kid reporter, and in March, 1973, issue 131, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone.