The Leather Boy

Barely Appreciated

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 1960’s, 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.  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.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 
Morris Levy and Roulette Records also figure in the story of Milan (also known as the Leather Boy), one of the most mysterious figures in 1960’s garage rock.  The Wikipedia article that I wrote about him some years back – now listed under the name Milan the Leather Boy – is the one that I am proudest of.  His sister (who lives in Boca Raton) contacted me later, and she helped fill in a lot of the blanks.  However, even before that, I managed to put together a pretty coherent story from literally dozens of bits and pieces that I found on the Internet.  A retrospective album of Milan’s work finally came out in 2009 – called Hell Bent for Leather – and when I saw that the album liner notes referenced my Wikipedia article, I could not have been more surprised.  An expanded article that I wrote on Milan is scheduled to appear in the Fall/Winter 2012 issue of Ugly Things magazine. 
 
(March 2012)
 
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Milan is among the most enigmatic figures in 1960’s rock music; he recorded under a number of other names – notably the garage rock and psychedelic rock songs he released as the Leather Boy – and also wrote and produced songs for a number of obscure bands. 
 
(July 2012)
 
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There are even books that have been published and sold on hundreds of topics that consist entirely of Wikipedia articles.  My Wikipedia article on Milan the Leather Boy that I mentioned last month appears in one such book, on psychedelic rock artists; I have no idea whether it has sold more than 2 or 3 copies – I certainly haven’t purchased one. 
 
(August 2012)
 
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What really made an impression after awhile, however, is that more than a few of these bands were completely unknown even to the people who put the Pebbles albums together.  

 

It didn’t always stay that way of course.  We have yours truly to thank for getting the word out about the mysterious rock artist Milan, also known as Milan Radenkovich, also known as Rick Rodell, also known as the Leather Boy, also known as Milan (the Leather Boy); copies of Ugly Things #34 with my article about Milan are still available! 

 

(July 2013)
 
Last edited: March 22, 2021