Among the many forgotten figures to emerge from the American music scene of the 1960s, few are as intriguing as Milan Radenkovich (1941-1971). Singer, songwriter, producer and consummate studio craftsman, he built a career that was as prolific as it was understated, leaving behind a remarkable body of work spread across a succession of labels and released under an astonishing variety of names, including Milan, The World of Milan, The Leather Boy and Rick Rodell.
Never content to be confined to a single style, Milan moved effortlessly between Brill Building pop, beat, garage, blue-eyed soul and psychedelia. Alongside his own recordings, he wrote and produced for countless other artists, becoming one of those behind-the-scenes figures whose influence far outweighed the recognition he received.
His untimely death in 1971, at the age of just twenty-nine, pushed his name into obscurity for decades. It wasn't until cult compilations such as Pebbles sparked a renewed interest in the lost sounds of the sixties that songs like "On the Go," "You Gotta Have Soul" and "Black Friday" finally found the audience they had always deserved.
This session follows Milan's remarkable journey from his earliest recordings to his final work, combining his own releases with songs he wrote and produced for others. Taken together, they paint the portrait of one of the decade's most gifted and unjustly overlooked musical figures.
Because sometimes the smallest credits tell the biggest stories.
Let's dive into the tracklist...
1. The Leather Boy – "On the Go" (MGM, 1967)
This musical journey through the career of Milan Radenkovich opens with "On the Go," the third and final single released under his best-known alias, The Leather Boy. Although it made little commercial impact at the time, the record has since become one of the standout titles in his catalogue, championed by collectors and revived through cult compilations such as Pebbles. It's the perfect introduction to one of the great overlooked figures of 1960s pop and garage.
2. Milan with His Orchestra – "Santa's Doin' the Twist" (Migon, 1962)
Milan's recording career began in 1962 with this delightfully offbeat Christmas novelty, released as Milan with His Orchestra (also credited on some pressings as Milan And His Orchestra). Long before garage and psychedelia entered the picture, a young Milan was riding the twist craze that swept America in the early sixties. The song was written under the name Rick Rodell, one of the many aliases he would adopt throughout his career, already hinting at the stylistic range and versatility that would become his trademark.
3. Milan – "Innocence" (End, 1963)
A year later, Milan resurfaced under his own name with "Innocence," his first single for End Records (END-1123). Backed with "Winter Time," it captures him in a world far removed from the garage sound that would later earn him cult status. Instead, he embraces polished orchestral pop and teen pop in the finest New York tradition of the early sixties. It was another step in a career that would see him reinvent himself time and again before arriving at the sound for which he is best remembered.
4. Lou Christie – "You and I (Have a Right to Cry)" (Roulette, 1963)
Milan's talents soon extended well beyond his own recordings. Originally issued as the B-side of Lou Christie's third single, paired with the hit "How Many Teardrops," this beautifully crafted ballad was written under the Rick Rodell pseudonym. It shows that, even in 1963, Milan was already making his mark behind the scenes as a songwriter and producer. The single reached No. 46 on the Billboard Hot 100, and both sides were later included on Lou Christie's self-titled debut LP.
5. Milan – "Winter Time" (End, 1963)
Released as the B-side of "Innocence," this tender ballad completes Milan's first single under his own name. Together, the two songs capture an artist still firmly rooted in the polished teen pop of the early 1960s, before his music gradually evolved towards the garage, blue-eyed soul and psychedelic sounds that would later earn him a cult following.
6. The Souvenirs – "How Many Teardrops?" (Decca, 1963)
Issued by Decca in 1963, this was the one and only release by the short-lived British group The Souvenirs. The A-side, "How Many Teardrops?", was written by Rick Rodell, while the flip side, "I Could Have Loved You," was penned by British singer Mike Berry. It's an intriguing little single that shows Milan's songs were already finding their way to British artists, extending his reach well beyond the American pop scene.
7. Milan – "I Am What I Am" (20th Century Fox, 1964)
Milan's second single also served as the title track and opening cut of his only LP, I Am What I Am (1964). One of the key recordings from his early solo career, it finds him firmly rooted in sophisticated orchestral pop, with the polished arrangements and meticulous production that characterised his early work, before he embraced the grittier garage and psychedelic sounds for which he is best remembered.
8. The American Beetles – "Don't Be Unkind" (Roulette, 1964)
This single is one of the many projects that featured Milan Radenkovich as a producer, arranger and songwriter. Although "Don't Be Unkind" was not written by him, the B-side, "You Did It To Me," bears the Rick Rodell credit, making the release another example of the prolific behind-the-scenes work that kept Milan busy throughout the mid-sixties.
9. Milan – "Over and Over Again" (20th Century Fox, 1964)
The B-side of "I Am What I Am," Milan's second single for 20th Century Fox. While the A-side opened his only LP, "Over and Over Again" completed a release that further established him as a gifted pop singer and songwriter. Richly arranged and elegantly produced, it belongs to the sophisticated pop world of his early years, long before garage rock became his musical calling card.
10. The World of Milan – "Cry, Lonely Boy" (ABC-Paramount, 1965)
Released under the new alias The World of Milan, this was the first record to signal a change in direction. The lush orchestral pop of his earliest work began giving way to a more contemporary sound, while still retaining the vocal harmonies and Brill Building craftsmanship that shaped his songwriting. The flip side, "Luva-Luva," would later be rediscovered on the retrospective compilation Hell Bent for Leather.
11. The Leather Boy – "Jersey Thursday" (Parkway, 1967)
Released by Parkway Records in 1967, this striking reinterpretation of a Donovan song became one of Milan's most celebrated recordings. Greg Shaw, founder of Bomp! Records and curator of the influential Pebbles series, famously wrote that "what Milan did to Donovan's songs has to be heard to be believed." That endorsement helped transform this exceptionally rare single into one of the most sought-after records among garage collectors.
12. The World of Milan – "One Track Mind" (Brunswick, 1966)
The second and final single released under the The World of Milan banner finds Milan moving decisively towards a tougher, garage-influenced sound. More direct and energetic than his earlier work, it captures an artist in transition and offers a tantalising glimpse of the rawer approach he would soon embrace as The Leather Boy.
13. The Leather Boy – "Black Friday" (Parkway, 1967)
The B-side of "Jersey Thursday," "Black Friday" ranks among the darkest and most compelling recordings in Milan's catalogue. Like its companion track, it remained virtually forgotten for decades before being rediscovered by collectors of 1960s garage and psychedelia, eventually earning its place as a genuine cult favourite.
14. The World of Milan – "Shades of Blue" (Brunswick, 1966)
The flip side of "One Track Mind," this beautifully crafted recording reveals the more melodic and sophisticated side of The World of Milan. Although the single attracted little attention on its original release, both sides now rank among the finest examples of Milan's songwriting and production during the mid-sixties.
15. The Leather Boy – "You Gotta Have Soul" (Flower, 1967)
Issued as the very first release on the newly launched Flower Records, and credited to Milan (The Leather Boy), "You Gotta Have Soul" would play a key role in Milan's posthumous rediscovery. Decades later, Greg Shaw included the track on Pebbles Vol. 11, introducing it to a new generation of garage fans and helping to restore Milan's reputation among collectors of obscure sixties recordings.
16. The Chanters – "Free As A Bird" (MGM, 1967)
The B-side of "Bongo Bongo," this single was produced by Milan for the mysterious all-female group The Chanters. Alongside producing the record, he also wrote the A-side, making it one of the more intriguing projects of his career. Very little is still known about the group, adding yet another small mystery to Milan's remarkable body of work.
17. Breeze – "I Get Groovy Feeling" (Flower, 1967)
One of the singles released on Flower Records, the short-lived label launched by Milan in 1967. Like many of the imprint's releases, it reflects his ambition to blend pop, soul and garage into concise, commercial productions aimed at the youth market. It offers another glimpse of Milan's lesser-known work as a producer, songwriter and label owner.
18. High Voltage – "Plastic People" (Flower, 1967)
Another Flower Records production, "Plastic People" finds Milan beginning to embrace the psychedelic influences that were reshaping popular music in 1967. While still rooted in the immediacy of pop and garage, the record hints at the more adventurous direction his work would soon take.
19. The Doughboys – "Candy Candy" (Bell, 1967)
By the time this single appeared, The Doughboys had already established themselves as one of New Jersey's leading garage bands. Milan's involvement with the record marks another collaboration from one of the busiest periods of his career, when his talents as a songwriter and producer were increasingly in demand.
20. The Unclaimed – "Memories of Green Eyes" (Philips, 1967)
Written and produced by Milan, "Memories of Green Eyes" was released by Philips in 1967, backed with "Jingle Jangle." Years later, it was revived on the retrospective compilation Hell Bent for Leather, where it emerged as one of the finest examples of Milan's work behind the scenes.
21. Ice Cream – "Epitaph to Marie" (Capitol, 1968)
In an unexpected detour into bubblegum pop, Milan wrote and arranged both sides of the only single released by Ice Cream, issued by Capitol Records in 1968. It's yet another reminder of his ability to move effortlessly between musical styles while retaining his unmistakable touch as a songwriter and arranger.
22. The Licorice Schtik – "The Kissin' Game" (Dot, 1968)
Milan handled both the songwriting and the arrangements for this Dot Records single. "The Kissin' Game" and its B-side, "Flowers Flowers," were later rediscovered on the retrospective compilation Hell Bent for Leather, shining a light on another overlooked corner of his remarkably varied career.
23. The Downtown Collection – "Washington Square" (Strobe, 1968)
Milan produced this 1968 Strobe Records single for The Downtown Collection. Although the band left little trace on the American pop scene, the release serves as another reminder of just how active Milan had become as a producer during the second half of the decade, lending his talents to a wide variety of artists and projects.
24. The Head Shop – "Listen with a Third Ear" (Epic, 1969)
By 1969, Milan had taken a decisive step into psychedelic territory with The Head Shop, the ambitious studio project he produced and largely masterminded. "Listen with a Third Ear" captures this new direction perfectly, revealing an artist who had travelled a long way from the polished orchestral pop of his earliest recordings.
25. The Head Shop – "Head Shop" (Epic, 1969)
The opening track from The Head Shop's only album, produced by Milan for Epic Records. Now widely regarded as a cult classic of American psychedelia, the LP represents the culmination of an extraordinary musical journey that had begun seven years earlier with "Santa's Doin' the Twist," Milan's recording debut. It stands as the final chapter in the remarkable artistic evolution of one of the decade's most versatile studio talents.
26. The Leather Boy – "(My Prayer) To You" (Flower, 1970)
The last known recording Milan made before his untimely death in 1971, at the age of just twenty-nine. Released as the B-side of "You Gotta Have Soul" under the credit Milan (The Leather Boy), it brings this session to a natural close, celebrating one of the most enigmatic, versatile and unjustly overlooked figures to emerge from the American music scene of the 1960s.
Trashlist
01. The Leather Boy – On the Go (MGM, 1967)
02. Milan with His Orchestra – Santa's Doin' the Twist (Migon, 1962)
03. Milan – Innocence (End, 1963)
04. Lou Christie – You and I (Have a Right to Cry) (Roulette, 1963)
05. Milan – Winter Time (End, 1963)
06. The Souvenirs – How Many Teardrops? (Decca, 1963)
07. Milan – I Am What I Am (20th Century Fox, 1964)
08. The American Beetles – Don't Be Unkind (Roulette, 1964)
09. Milan – Over and Over Again (20th Century Fox, 1964)
10. The World of Milan – Cry, Lonely Boy (ABC-Paramount, 1965)
11. The Leather Boy – Jersey Thursday (inédito, 1966)
12. The World of Milan – One Track Mind (Brunswick, 1966)
13. The Leather Boy – Black Friday (inédito, 1966)
14. The World of Milan – Shades of Blue (Brunswick, 1966)
15. The Leather Boy – You Gotta Have Soul (Flower, 1967)
16. Chanters – Free As A Bird (MGM, 1967)
17. Breeze – I Get Groovy Feeling (Flower, 1967)
18. High Voltage – Plastic People (Flower, 1967)
19. The Doughboys – Candy Candy (Bell, 1967)
20. The Unclaimed – Memories of Green Eyes (Philips, 1967)
21. Ice Cream – Epitaph to Marie (Capitol, 1968)
22. The Licorice Schtik – The Kissin' Game (Dot, 1968)
23. Downtown Collection – Washington Square (Strobe, 1968)
24. The Head Shop – Listen with a Third Ear (Epic, 1969)
25. The Head Shop – Head Shop (Epic, 1969)
26. The Leather Boy – (My Prayer) To You (Flower, 1970)
A Teenage Sound Disaster by Mr. Fuzzley
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