Carl Sacchetti of Carl's Barber Shop is no singing barber. Neither does he talk much during an operation. He writes instead.
Customers have watched the 34-year-old barber break away from a haircut, jump over to a nearby pad, jot down some notes and then resume the haircut.
This has been going on for 17 years, and customers can hear the results. Mr. Sacchetti keeps a tape recorder in his shop and everyone is exposed to at least one playing of a Sacchetti song recently recorded by Miss Jilla Webb for MGM's record division.
This is Carl's first recording for a major company. Entitled "You Gotta Love Me Now," the record was released April 25 under his pen name, Carl Setty. It is still too early to judge how the song is being received, but Billboard, a show business bible, and Cash Box, a West Coast show journal, have rated the song over par.
Mr. Sacchetti has been writing songs, both lyrics and music, since he was 16 years old. He estimates his collection now contains more than 200 compositions in various stages of completion stored away.
The idea for this song, described as a torchy ballad, came to him in 1940. It had a current title, "Swing It High, Swing It Low," and rather mediocre lyrics. The melody first struck Carl while he was working on a customer.
"I must say," Carl confessed, "that this idea's timing was a lot more opportune than most of my inspirations. Many times I have popped out of bed at 2 or 3 in the morning, rushed to the piano and worked out an idea that came to me in my sleep."
Like so many of his compositions, "Swing It High, Swing It Low," went into the file for future reference and possible revision.
"Three years ago I got an idea for a new title. That brought the song out from the trunk once again."
The swing era had passed on, and Mr. Sacchetti, being a man of modern musical tastes, discarded the old title, hung the new one and put new lyrics to it. Then it went back in the trunk.
As it happens in so many cases, a chance inquiry by a friend, Louis J. Marchetti of the Park Jewelry Co., touched off a series of events that led to the record's publication.
Mr. Marchetti decided to take along some samples of Carl's compositions to Danny Barzie of Pittsfield, who was in New York as manager of the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. Danny introduced Lou and Carl to Jilla Webb then appearing with the Dorsey Brothers as their vocalist. Miss Webb said she had been shopping around for a decent song she could record under her contract with MGM records. This, she decided, was the song.