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Part 3

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I Love Your Pizza -- Homer and Jethro [195?] After being a sleeping giant for a long time, Dick Biondi made an astounding jump on our record chart which is current as I type this blurb: he leaped from #188 to #3 in a single bound with his "Pizza Song." Superman would be proud!
Its incredible (if sudden and surprising) success tells me that all of a sudden you seem to be in the mood for PIZZA, right? And what's better than one pizza record? You got it. TWO pizza records!
This one preceeded Dick's record by several years. I am not sure of the exact year. But I am sure that the two guys who sing it were nuttier than fruitcakes!
Pizza lovers, enjoy this for all it's worth!
Dick Biondi suddenly has competition!

bobby charles wrote ...
See You Later, Alligator -- Bill Haley and his Comets [1956] Bobby may not have been a household name but he wrote three extremely successful hits, all of which are sampled here. Bobby was born Robert Charles Guidry in Abbeville, Louisiana and grew up listening to Cajun music and the country and western music of Hank Williams. At the age of 15, he heard a performance by Fats Domino, an event that he said "changed my life forever."
This was the first of his three big hits. Peaking at #6 on the chart, it became Bill Haley's most successful record following his legendary "Rock Around The Clock."
Sadly Bobby passed away on January 14, 2010, about a month shy of what would have been his 72nd birthday.
Note: although they are generally referred to as Bill Haley and THE Comets, the Decca pressings of their big hits said "Bill Haley and HIS Comets" and that's the billing I've chosen to use here.
Walking To New Orleans -- Fats Domino [1960] It was appropriate that the man who Bobby said "changed my life forever" as noted in the blurb for "Alligator" would take one his songs to the top 10. The record duplicated the peak position of "Alligator" which was #6.
But I Do -- Clarence "Frogman" Henry [1961] Peakwise this was Bobby's most successful copyright. "Frogman" took it to #4 on the chart. What's really interesting is that initial pressings of the record had the title "I Don't Know Why." It was changed to "But I Do" to avoid confusion with the old standard "I Don't Know Why" which, later in 1961, became a big hit for Linda Scott.

"beatles" in the title
We Love You Beatles -- The Carefrees [1964] The Carefrees were a female vocal trio from England, consisting of Lyn Cornell, Betty Prescott and Barbara Kay. They quickly got on the Beatles bandwagon and scored a #39 national hit. If the tune sounds like something else, it should: it was a parody of "We Love You Conrad" from the hit Broadway musical and later film "Bye Bye Birdie."
A Letter To The Beatles -- The Four Preps [1964] If I recall correctly, Four Preps lead singer Bruce Belland told me that this was the recording that pretty much ended the Four Preps career. It did mark the end of their chart career, peaking at a disappointing #85. Still I find this recording about their moptop label-mates quite amusing.
Pop Hates The Beatles -- Allan Sherman [1964] It was no surprise that Allan would offer his take on Beatlemania. This was never a single. It was on his LP "For Swingin' Livers Only."
Bigger Than The Beatles -- Joe Diffie [1996] We fast forward 32 years to renowned country singer Joe Diffie's lookback on the Beatles pheomenon. It didn't make the pop chart but spent two weeks atop the country chart.

Just When I Needed You Most -- Randy VanWarmer [1979] Randy, originally from Colorado, wrote this song when he was 18 years old. He recorded it six years later and it became a major hit, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remaining on the chart for 20 weeks. It has over the years become one of the most enduring pop songs.
Sadly he died of leukemia early in 2004 at the age of 48.
A touching record by a gifted singer-songwriter who left us way too soon.

arthur vs. julius
Teterboro Tower -- Arthur Godfrey [195?] Arthur Godfrey was one of the most popular broadcasters and entertainers of all time and also one of the most controversial. There's plenty of material on the Internet about him.
Arthur was also an airline pilot. In January 1954 he buzzed the control tower of Teterboro Airport in his DC-3 which of course is a "no-no"! He stated that windy conditions that day made it necessary for him to turn immediately after takeoff but several reports state that he, in fact, was annoyed at the tower personnel because they refused to allow him to use the runway he requested. His license was suspended for six months. Unrepentent, Arthur wrote and recorded this song inspired by the incident. If the tune sounds familiar, it certainly should: it's a note-for-note copy of the legendary country tune "Wabash Cannonball." (Didn't Chuck Berry also appropriate the tune for his hit "Promised Land"?)
A visitor named Jack requested this recording and I am happy to be oblige.
The Teterboro incident simply added to the controversy surrounding Arthur Godfrey.
One year earlier he had fired Julius LaRosa on the air. With that in mind, let's get ready to rumble! (Please check out the recording below.)
Eh Cumpari -- Julius LaRosa [1953] Information about what led to the Arthur Godfrey's firing of Julius LaRosa on the air is readily available on the Internet. I will briefly describe here what happened on the night of the infamous event.
On October 19, 1953, Arthur gave Julius a wonderful introduction and the singer performed "Manhattan." Arthur then thanked him and announced that this was Julius's "swan song" with the show, adding "He goes now, out on his own, as his own star, soon to be seen on his own programs, and I know you'll wish him godspeed as much as I do". He then signed off "This is the CBS Radio Network". Needless to say Julius, along with the rest of the country, was absolutely dumbfounded at this shocking event. Arthur would claim a few days later that he fired Julius because he had "lost his humility" but the public didn't buy that and the incident precipitated a gradual but steady fall in Arthur's popularity.
Julius got some consolation from the fact that this recording was climbing the chart at the time. His firing, I am sure, contributed to its rising to #2, becoming his biggest hit ever. Even though it's completely in Italian, there's no doubt what he's singing about. When I met Julius a few years ago, he confided to me that he was not at all crazy about the song: "It was silly then and it's silly now." He much preferred "Domani," which is also on this Page.
One more note: Ruth Wallis's comedic take on the Julius LaRosa firing is also on this Page. It's called "Dear Mr. Godfrey."

elvis vs. eilert
Blue Suede Shoes -- Elvis Presley [1956] The King.
Blue Suede Shoes -- Eilert Pilarm [19??] NOT the King.
But he does have the King's initials. And people are talking about him. Maybe this should be called "Blue SWEDE Shoes"?
Jailhouse Rock -- Elvis Presley [1957] The King.
Jailhouse Rock -- Eilert Pilarm [19??] NOT the King.
I could say so much about this guy but I feel that one listen is worth a thousand words. You can Google his name for more information.

elvis sound-alikes and wannabees
The King Is Gone -- Ronnie McDowell [1977] Ronnie wrote and recorded this poignant record immediately after he and the rest of the world learned that the King had passed away. It's unusual in that Ronnie wrote it ABOUT Elvis and sings it using his "Elvis" voice. It was a huge hit, peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Ronnie went on to have a total of 37 country hits between 1977 and 1990.
Such A Night -- Vince Everett [1962] This guy is an incredible Elvis sound-alike. His real name is really Marvin Benefield and he recorded for ABC-Paramount from 1962 to 1965. He chose the stage name "Vince Everett" because that was the name of the singer portrayed by Elvis in "Jailhouse Rock." On this recording, Vince uses an identical arrangement and vocal approach to the song and even has vocal backing that sounds just like the Jordanaires.
I Got Burned -- Ral Donner [1963] Ral is considered by many to be the best-known of the Elvis sound-alike artists. He first came to prominence singing in Elvis style "Girl Of My Best Friend" (one that Elvis did record) and "You Don't Know What You've Got" (one that he didn't): those reached #19 and #4 respectively. After leaving Gone records after having six chart hits including the above two, he signed with Reprise and released this dead-on imitation of the King. I thought it was fabulous. Amazingly the best it could do was to "Bubble Under the Billboard Hot 100" at #124. Still I love it!
Ral died in 1984 at the age of 41.
Suspicion -- Terry Stafford [1964] Elvis first recorded this song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman in 1962. Terry remade it two years later. Chartwise, this was the most successful of the Elvis sound-alike hits, peaking at #3. Terry appeared in the movie "Wild Wheels" and went on to have a successful country music career.
He died in 1996 at the age of 54.
Rockabilly Rebel -- Orion [1981] "Orion" was the stage name of rockabilly performer Jimmy Ellis. Following the death of Elvis August 1977, Orion dressed and sang in the manner of Presley and wore a mask during public appearances, fueling speculation that Elvis had faked his death and returned to singing. One thing's for certain: "Orion" sure sounded like the King! Though Orion never had a pop chart presence, 10 of his recordings made the country chart. This was his most successful, peaking at #63.
Orion's life ended tragically on December 12, 1998, when he was shot to death while working at a convenience store in his hometown of Orrville, Alabama. He was 53.
The International Elvis Impersonators Convention -- various artists [1979] This record leaves me speechless. Well, okay, ALMOST speechless. I am not sure of its origin. What I can tell you is that this original recording runs 10 minutes and 25 seconds; I've mercifully reduced it to a 2 minute 29 second sample. I believe that this appeared in a "Worst Records Of All Time" collection. You be the judge if you dare and/or care.

Golly -- The Four Lads [1956] Someone put English lyrics to "El Barkio" (which was actually "Il Bacio") and the Four Lads sang it. It's appropriate that the "Golly" singers were also the "Gilly Gilly" singers!
Same tune as "El Barkio" (two records down). No diva. No dogs.

The A.D.D. Song -- Sean Morey [2009] A recent masterpiece by the creator of "The Man Song."
A.D.D. stands for...that reminds me, FOUR is the only number that, spelled out, contains the same number of letters as its value. I value your feedback about this Page. Patti Page sure is popular, isn't she?
I forgot what I was going to say about this one.

El Barkio -- Spike Jones, Eileen Gallagher and Lassie [1949] This is from the Spike Jones Radio Show which aired on May 28, 1949.
Some people have doubted my statements that Lassie guested on Spike's show and, in fact, sang a duet with Miss Gallagher entitled "El Barkio," a take-off on Luigi Arditi's operatic waltz entitled "Il Bacio" (The Kiss).
Well, okay. Lassie DID guest on the show. And Lassie BARKED on that recording!
But I must admit that Lassie DID NOT -- repeat, DID NOT -- do the accompanying howling and harmonizing "canine" sounds.
That honor goes to a seasoned BARKground singer, a HUMAN BEING, namely Dr. Horatio Q. Birdbath, whose real name was A. Purves Pullen. (You can understand why he changed it to something more inviting.) He appeared a few years later on "What's My Line" as a "professional bird imitator." Yep! he was a BIRD! He was a DOG! He was a BIRD DOG! And though his name was wasn't Johnny, he surely was a JOKER!

Spike conducts. Eileen sings. Lassie barks. Uncredited Dr. Horatio Q. Birdbath howls and harmonizes.

Submarine Race Watching -- The Escorts [1962] She was born Genyusha Zelkowitz in Poland and eventually moved to America at the age of 9. Upon arrival in this country, her mother changed her daughter's first name to Goldie. Her first group was the Escorts, whom you can listen to here (with Goldie on lead) doing a song about an "activity" popularized by Murray the K and also by his Dancing Girls, the Delicates in their "Submarine Race Watchers Theme" which they wrote and sang.
After the Escorts broke up, Goldie founded the groundbreaking all-female rock group Goldie and the Gingerbreads. During a temporary breakup of the Gingerbreads, she recorded a single as Patsy Cole.
When Goldie and the Gingerbreads disbanded for good in 1968, Goldie changed her professional name to Genya Ravan and became the lead singer of a new rock band called Ten Wheel Drive.
This recording is one that she did for Coral records with her first group, the Escorts. She was Goldie back then and she is on lead here doing a song about the activity popularized by Murray the K and also by his "Dancing Girls," the Delicates, who wrote and sang his legendary "Submarine Race Watchers Theme." I am almost certain that it inspired this recording.
Genyusha, Goldie, Patsy and Genya are all one person: on this record she is Goldie.

in memory of teddy vann
Loop De Loop -- Johnny Thunder [1962] Teddy Vann was a Brooklyn-born singer-songwriter-producer who never became a "household name" but accomplished a lot and was highly-respected by those in the music. In addition to co-writing and producing this #4 hit by Johnny Thunder, based on an old children's song, produced records by the Bobbettes, Jimmy Jones, Dave "Baby" Cortez, and Clay Cole among others. Clay's recording of "Here, There, Everywhere," written and produced by Teddy and featured in the Clay's movie "Twist Around The Clock, is on this Page.
Teddy passed away recently at the age of 76.
In his memory, let's "Loop De Loop" with Johnny Thunder.

Teenage Hayride -- Tender Slim [1960] I'm not sure where the name "Tender Slim" came from. But I can tell you that this very catchy instrumental was a studio project produced by Teddy. It could have easily been sub-titled "Pop Goes The Weasal Meets Three Blind Mice"!
Cindy -- Teddy Vann [1960] Here's an upbeat vocal recording by Teddy. Though it only managed to "Bubble Under" at #104, it's very well-remembered.

Not Getting Married -- Linda November [1987] I included a slightly longer version of this recording on the radio interview show that I did with Linda November and her husband Artie Schroeck which is on my Radio Page.
Linda is the "Meow Meow Meow Meow" lady who sang on thousands of jingles (including that legendary Purina Meow Mix commercial) and dozens of hit records.
This recording, from a live show that she did in New York City in 1987 called "November in May" (she did it on May 8 of that year), shows yet another side of her amazing versatility.
This song is from Stephen Sondheim's hit musical "Company." Many well-known entertainers have performed it but, to my way of thinking, nobody does it better than Linda.
During the show I told her that she sang this at 200 miles an hour and she agreed with me!
Music police, stop that lady, she's way over the speed limit!
Note: you can watch a video of Linda's "November In May" performance of this song on YouTube. The address is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtoxUfw3YFQ
Another side of the "Meow Meow Meow Meow" jingle singer.
Listen carefully, there may be a surprise quiz!

sparklin' rock and roll
Black Slacks -- Joe Bennett and the Sparkletones [1957] They were a teenage rock and roll band from Spartanburg, South Carolina and they sure could rock! They consisted of guitarist-vocalist Joe Bennett, guitarist Howard Childress, bassist Wayne Arthur and drummer Irving Denton. This record peaked at #18 on the chart.
Penny Loafers And Bobby Socks -- Joe Bennett and the Sparkletones [1957] This was the follow-up to "Black Slacks" and, in my opinion, it's just as good. Amazingly it missed the top forty, peaking at #42. This group surely deserved more commercial success than they attained.

lyric liftin'
Lovey Dovey -- Buddy Knox [1960] This song contains these lyrics:
"Well you're the cutest thing that I did ever see
  I really love your peaches want to shake your tree
  Lovey dovey, lovey dovey all the time." (see "The Joker" below)

The Joker -- The Steve Miller Band [1973] This song contains these lyrics:
"Well you're the cutest thing that I ever did see
  I really love your peaches want to shake your tree
  Lovey dovey, lovey dovey, lovey dovey all the time." (see "Lovey Dovey" above)


aaron schroeder wrote ...
Half Heaven - Half Heartache -- Gene Pitney [1962] Aaron Schroeder was a very successful songwriter, music publisher, record company owner and producer. He wrote more than 1500 songs, almost all with collaborators, and many became hits.
He passed away on December 2 at the age of 83.
In addition to the artists represented in the six selections here, Aaron wrote for dozens of others including Roy Orbison, Rosemary Clooney, the Beatles, Sammy Davis Jr., Dodie Stevens, Nat "King" Cole and Frank Sinatra.
Aaron founded Musicor Records and was probably best known for his association with their super successful artist, Gene Pitney, producing several of his hits.
And we open this themed set with one of those hits, which got to #12 on the chart.
Aaron wrote this one with Wally Gold and George Goehring.
First Name Initial -- Annette [1959] Aaron co-wrote this song with Martin Kalmanoff.
Annette, the best-known Mousketeer, took this to #20 on the chart.
First Anniversary -- Cathy Carr [1959] Aaron co-wrote this song with Sid Wayne.
Coincidentally it's another "First" song.
Cathy shot to fame with her #2 recording of "Ivory Tower." This was her second biggest hit and, surprisingly to me, it only got to #42. I think it's a touching song and deserved a much better fate.
Sadly, Cathy passed away in 1988. Surely she was a fine and under-rated singer.
I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door -- Eddie Hodges [1961] Aaron co-wrote this song with Sid Wayne.
Among his many credits, Eddie appeared in the Broadway show "The Music Man" (he sang "Gary, Indiana") and in the Frank Sinatra film "A Hole In The Head." Like Gene's record above, this one peaked at #12, and it was Eddie's biggest hit.
The Wang Dang Taffy-Apple Tango (Mambo Cha Cha Cha) -- Pat Boone [1959] Aaron co-wrote this one with J. Leslie McFarland.
And, yes, this may well be the silliest chart record that Aaron wrote. The flipside, "For A Penny," got to #23 whereas this song only got to #62.
I decided to include it for variety!
I Got Stung -- Elvis Presley [1958] Aaron co-wrote this one with David Hill.
He reportedly wrote 17 songs for Elvis, four of which made #1. Those chart-toppers were "It's Now Or Never" (which is on this Page and in the Top 100), " A Big Hunk O' Love," "Stuck On You" and "Good Luck Charm."
This one, the flip side of "One Night," got to #8 on the chart.
To my way of thinking it's one of the King's best uptempto recordings and nowadays hardly gets any attention at all.
I think this is a great way to conclude this Aaron Schroeder set. He was surely one of pop music's major players.


Santa's Stuck Up In The Chimney -- Paul Evans [2007] This fabulous Christmas novelty by Paul is deservedly a You Tube sensation!
Push! Tug! Pull! Shove! Enjoy!
And when you're finished listening, please watch it on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=557tQC86thA
And after watching it on YouTube, please check out my "Small Talk" page for my brief fun interview with Paul in which he gives us the lowdown behind this recording!
Poor baby.

Cajun Honey -- Clarence "Frogman" Henry [1966] I absolutely believed that it was Fats singing this!
When I found out otherwise, I called up Clarence -- whom I did a radio interview show with about a year and a half ago -- and he said "yes, that's ME" and "no, Fats never recorded it"!
He added: "But you could say I always wanted to BE Fats!"
You must agree that he did a fabulous job "being" Fats on this recording. In fact I will go on record here as saying that I think this is the greatest Fats Domino imitation I have ever heard!
Huey Meaux wrote this song and the record came out on the Parrot label.
Trust me. It's NOT the fat man. It's the FROG man!

hills and valleys
Sometimes When We Touch -- Dan Hill [1977] This is one of the most poignant love songs every written and the credits go to Dan, who wrote the lyrics and Barry Mann, who wrote the music. Dan, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, took this to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Hide & Go Seek, Part I -- Bunker Hill [1962] Bunker's record is not quite as poignant as Dan's! They say imitation is the sincerist form of flattery. So do you think Little Richard would be impressed or would say "Bunker, shut up!"?
My Mother's Eyes -- Frankie Valley [1953] No, my spelling of the artist's name is not a typo. This is the first recording by Francesco Stephen Castellucio and he did indeed cut it as "Frankie Valley," which was a name he reportedly adopted from "Texas" Jean Valley, one of his favorite female singers. Nine years later, of course, the world would know him as Frankie Valli, the lead singer of one of the most popular singing groups on the planet. And yes, like Dan Hill's recording above (but not like Bunker's), this record is also poignant.
Stein Song -- Rudy Vallee [1930] Okay, so Rudy was never a "Valley." But I say it's close enough, particularly since I absolutely love this recording!
Even before Rudy sings a note, the horns put on quite a show. It's a wonderful "opening act"!
This was the legendary singer-bandleader's most successful record ever, spending 10 weeks at #1 on the chart. The song originated in 1901 as an instrumental march and was based on one of Brahms's Hungarian dances. It was rewritten in 1910 by Lincoln Colcord (lyrics) and E. A. Fenstad (music).
Rudy attended the University of Maine from 1921 to 1922 before transferring to Yale. The song was adopted by the University Of Maine as their official "fight" song and Rudy's popularity made this song a huge hit.
To this day, "Stein Song" remains the only college "fight" song to ever reach number one on the pop chart.

joel whitburn's choice for "worst record ever" and its flip side
There Is A Tavern In The Town -- Wally Cox [1953] Joel Whitburn insists that this record by the comic actor who was TV's "Mr. Peepers" is the worst record ever. You be the judge.

What A Crazy Guy (Dufo) -- Wally Cox [1953] This is the flip side of Joel Whitburn's choice for "worst record ever."

three by new york city's legendary "morning mayor"
Hello Again -- Herb Oscar Anderson [1959] I had the honor of doing a one-hour interview show with this beloved broadcasting giant who did morning drive on New York City super-powerful 77-WABC from 1960 through 1968 and made millions of listeners happy on a daily basis. Please check out my Radio Page for that show and additional information about the man who also answered to the initials HOA.
Herb always opened each of his morning shows by singing this song. This recording was initially available on Columbia and subsequently -- as part of a special promotion -- on the Royal Crown label.
It Was Great While It Lasted -- Herb Oscar Anderson [1959] This was the flipside of "Hello Again" and HOA made it very clear that he liked this side at least as much.
That Happy Feeling -- Herb Oscar Anderson [2009] HOA went into his home studio a couple of weeks before we recorded our interview show and, backed by the Bert Kaempfert orchestra, he created this custom recording of "That Happy Feeling" especially for me and my listenership. This is a song that HOA used to sing frequently during his shows but, unlike the above two recordings, has not been available as a commercial record.
Being able to present this to the world, both on my show and here, truly gives ME a happy feeling and that's putting it mildly!


in memory of al alberts
The Gang That Sang "Heart Of My Heart" -- The Four Aces [1953] Al was the lead singer of the Four Aces, an incredibly popular group out of Chester, PA, that had 10 top-ten hits including this one. The other members, who sang on all of their most successful recordings, were Dave Mahoney (tenor), Sal Vaccaro (baritone) and Lou Silvestri (bass).
In 1962 he began hosting a local television program which featured child singers and dancers from the Philadelphia area; that show ran for more than 30 years.
The Four Aces were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001.
Al passed away on November 26 at his Arcadia, Florida retirement home. He was 87.
Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing -- The Four Aces [1955] This recording by the Four Aces was their most successful ever, spending several weeks at #1 on the chart. It was the title song from the William Holden-Jennifer Jones film of the same name. The recording was also heard many years later at the beginning of the motion picture "Grease," starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
On The Way To Cape May -- Al Alberts [19??] This song has become a Jersey Shore summertime anthem and a cult classic for the Philadelphia/Delaware Valley and South Jersey Shore area. It was written by Maurice "Buddy" Nugent. The song became famous without the push of a major record label. There are several version of it and Al's is among the most popular.

who can forget the strange "guy" who kept saying "just keep walking!"?
Ambrose (Part Five) -- Linda Laurie [1959] Linda, a singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, NY, wrote a top three hit in the 70s for Helen Reddy called "Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)." But she will always be best-remembered for this novelty recording on which she did both the female voice and the voice of "Ambrose."
Linda has stated that "Ambrose" was initially a silly party routine that she did to entertain her friends. Their reaction was so positive that she decided to make a recording of the routine. She shopped it around and Glory Records picked it up and it got to #52 on the chart.
If this is Part Five, what about Parts One, Two, Three and Four? Sorry, they don't exist! But there's kind of a Part Six, which is the record below this one.
Linda passed away from cancer on November 19 at the age of 68 at a hospital in Santa Barbara, California. Though she never had a blockbuster hit as an artist, she surely left her mark with this memorable recording.
Forever Ambrose -- Linda Laurie [1960] Though this "Ambrose" sequel never charted -- let's face it, novelties are difficult to follow-up successfully -- I like it a lot, maybe as much as the original.

"bobby" songs
Bobby's Girl -- Marcie Blane [1962] Lightweight pop? Perhaps. But it was very catchy and almost everyone enjoyed it. It got to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. In my view Marcie deserved to have more hits. Her "Little Miss Fool" got to #5 on OUR Top 100!
Me And Bobby McGee -- Janis Joplin [1971] This recording of this Kris Krisofferson tune became a posthumous #1 hit by the star-crossed singer known as "Pearl."
Wait Til' My Bobby Gets Home -- Darlene Love [1963] If you want a great example of Phil Spector's Wall Of Sound, try this record on for size.
Bobby Sox To Stockings -- Frankie Avalon [1959] Okay, so it's not a conventional "Bobby" song. But I say it's a "Bobby" song nevertheless!

Standing In A Trashcan (Thinking Of You) -- The Legendary Stardust Cowboy [196?] Words fail me.
Unique.

our namesakes
Denise -- Randy and the Rainbows [1963] Lead singer Dominick "Randy" Safuto insists that the Rainbows are singing "Denise dooby doo" but many people insist that they're singing "Denise shooby doo"! You be the judge. The record got to #10.
Bernadette -- The Four Tops [1967] One of the greatest lead vocals ever by the late great Levi Stubbs. This record got to #4, the highest charter in this very personal themed set.
Ronnie -- Marcy Joe [1961] I've always had a fondness for this recording by Marcy who was from Pittsburgh, PA. So what if it only reached #81 on the chart!

Cloudburst -- Don Lang [1955] It's hard to believe that this is the same Don Lang that sang the British hit version of "Witch Doctor" which is currently in our Top 20. This recording, done at frantic speed, came out three years before that one. Speaking of frantic, Don was a British trombone player and singer whose band was called the Frantic Five. His music is best known in the United Kingdom and on this Page.
Okay, sing along with Don!
This guy sings at 120 MPH. Can you keep up with him?

blame or no blame
Blame It On The Bossa Nova -- Eydie Gorme [1963] Eydie's wonderful rendering of this great Barry Mann-Cynthia Weill tune, backed by the Cookies, became her biggest hit, peaking at #7. Some might feel that Mann and Weill had a very creative memory since the verses (at least to my ears) have the identical tune of the Four Lads hit "Gilly, Gilly, Ossenfeffer, Katzenellen Bogen By The Sea," which you can also sample on this Page.
Don't Blame The Bossa Nova -- Jackie Mason [1963] Here's the opposing view by the delightful Mr. Mason. Incidentally, doesn't the opening of this sound very much like Los Del Rio's "Macarena"?

All Over Again, Again -- The Great Pretender [1959] It's not Johnny Cash and it's not Stan Freberg doing a spoof of Johnny Cash. It's Mitchell Torok doing a spoof of what a Stan spoof of Johnny would sound like!
The backing group is the Tennessee Two and a Half.
Enjoy!
Is it Johnny? Nope. Is it Stan? Nope.

soupy was special
The Mouse -- Soupy Sales [1965] This beloved legendary comedian and TV personality would do just about anything for a laugh and he did one thing thousands of times: he took over 20,000 pies in the face. Over a half century of performing he made over 5000 live TV appearances, primarily in Detroit, New York and Los Angeles. He passed away Thursday, October 22, at the age of 83.
This recording kind of squeaked up the national charts, peaking at #76, but was much bigger in certain parts of the country including New York, where it made the top 5.
Pachalafaka -- Soupy Sales [1965] This is the flipside of the above recording and almost as well known because of its title. Do they really whisper that word all over Turkey?

three favorites by a beloved singer-entertainer
Here In My Heart -- Al Martino [1952] The music world was shocked and saddened to hear of the unexpected passing of Al Martino on October 12, apparently from a heart attack. It was just about two and a half months ago, on July 24, that I recorded our interview show.
"I Love You Because" has been one of the most popular records on this Page for a long time. And now three other great ones, from three different decades, shall join it here; they surely show the man's versatility.
Because we played and discussed all of these during the radio show, I'll keep the descriptions here relatively brief and suggest that you listen to that show, which is on my Radio Page.
We lead off with Al's first record, which hit #1 in the nation. This is the "big band" sound of Al Martino at his very best.
Spanish Eyes -- Al Martino [1965] Though other recordings charted higher, many consider this gem to be Al's signature song. It peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100.
To The Door Of The Sun (Alle Porte Del Sole) -- Al Martino [1975] This is a wonderful change-of-pace record and he handles it so effortlessly. Peaking at #17 it was his next-to-last top forty hit. The man's show business career lasted approximately 60 years and he was working up until his death. He truly left an incredible mark.

two versions of a poignant song
Spring -- Tanya Tucker [1975] This touching recording only got to #18 on the country chart, not one of her biggest hits. But there was a good reason for that.
Tanya had her first eight charted records on Columbia and then, in 1975, switched to MCA. Her first release on her new label, "Lizzie And The Rainman," hit #1 on the country chart and was her only national top forty pop hit (#37). During its run, her old label Columbia decided to release "Spring" but for various reasons did not give it the promotional push that they would have had she still been with them.
The song was written by John Lewis Tipton.

Spring -- Clay Hart [1969] This is the original hit version of the song, which came out six years prior to Tanya's version. Clay, originally from Providence, Rhode Island, worked as an engineer in studios in Tampa, Florida and was a regular on the Lawrence Welk TV series from 1968 through 1973.

I Do The Rock -- Tim Curry [1979] This British actor and vocalist played the role of Dr. Frank N. Furter in the cult film "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and also appeared in other films including "Annie" and "Blue Money."
Chart buffs may appreciate the fact that this is the only "1-2-3-4" song in the rock era, meaning that the title is exactly four words with the first word containing exactly one letter, the second containing exactly two, the third containing exactly three and the fourth containing exactly four.
Hot dog! This record is deliciously different!

late-70s disco
I Will Survive -- Gloria Gaynor [1979] We've surely had a wide variety of music (and sometimes talk) represented on this page but up until now we have been lacking one very popular musical genre: disco.
We lead off with an anthem of sorts: I consider this to be the "I Am Woman" of the disco era.
This artist was born Gloria Fowles in Newark, NJ and the title of this recording could also refer to the amazing continued popularity of this song. For me the line most responsible for making this song a smash, other than the title portion, was "I should have changed that stupid lock, I should have made you leave your key!"
This record deservedly hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Disco Inferno -- The Trammps [1977] This recording by this disco quintet from Philadelphia was hot on so many levels. It was from the film "Saturday Night Fever" and peaked at #53 when first released. Then it got re-released in early 1978 and it burned much brighter, reaching #11.
I Love The Nightlife (Disco 'Round) -- Alicia Bridges [1978] Alicia, born in Lawndale, North Carolina, may be considered by many to be a one-hit wonder. But what a powerful hit this was! Peaking at #5, it spend an incredible (for that time) 31 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100 and 19 of those weeks in the top forty.
Though she is best-known as a disco singer because of this recording (she co-wrote the song) Alicia was primarily a singer of rock, blues and love songs. The original intent was for this to be an R&B song. But when Bill Lowery heard it, he envisioned it as a disco song. The rest is history.

Born To Be Alive -- Patrick Hernandez [1979] Ssinger/songwriter Patrick, born in Paris, France, created this great recording, one of the most uplifting of the disco era. It reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Thanks to Frank Cavaliere, from Mike Riccio's "Oldies Board," for suggesting this winner.
Hot Stuff -- Donna Summer [1979] Born LaDonna Andrea Gaines, Ms. Summer is regarded by most as "The Queen Of Disco." Though it hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, surprisingly it doesn't receive as much play these days as some of her other recordings, particularly "Last Dance." Nevertheless this is my personal favorite Donna Summer recording.
Y.M.C.A. -- The Village People [1978] Closing our disco themed set is this very memorable sextet from New York City. Each of the five members appeared in costume, portraying a different character in performance: Victor Willis was a policeman; Randy Jones was a cowboy; David Hodo was a construction worker; Felipe Rose was a Native-American; Alexander Briley was an army man; and the late Glenn Hughes was a biker.
They appeared in the movie "Can't Stop The Music."
This was their biggest hit, peaking at #2 on the chart.

Slow Talker -- Bob and Ray [1970] Bob (Elliott) and Ray (Goulding) were an American comedy team whose career spanned five decades. In many of their routines they made fun of the medium in which they were performing, such as conducting radio or television interviews with off-the-wall dialogue presented in a generally deadpan style as though it were SERIOUS. This routine is among their most famous routines of that type and many consider it their best. It is from a recording of their 1970 Broadway show entitled "The Two and Only."
Bob is now in his late 80s. Ray, the brother of well-known WMGM-NYC announcer Phil Goulding, passed away in 1990.

A hilarious comedy routine by two legends: frustrated Ray's interview with Bob ("Harlow P. Wickham") who was
the......President.......and.......Recording.......Secretary.......of.......the.......S.......T.......O.......A.......!

This Must Be The Place -- Ronnie Self [1959] Murray used to constantly play the opening "la la la la la la" part of this record on his legendary "Swingin' Soiree" show on 1010-WINS in New York to remind people that "this must be the place" to be to enjoy what he was presenting each night. I don't believe he ever played the entire record but now you can listen to it here on demand!
As for Ronnie Self, he was a very talented rockabilly singer and songwriter. He wrote Brenda Lee's "Sweet Nothin's" and her #1 follow-up hit "I'm Sorry." Earlier he had his own hit called "Bop-A-Lena" in 1958 which got to #63 on the chart; that one was written by Mel Tillis and Webb Pierce. That was his biggest success as a solo artist. Sadly this gifted artist in August of 1981 at the age of 43. He's in the Rockabilly Hall Of Fame and, for more informatioon on him, you can check out the following webpage: http://www.rockabillyhall.com/RonnieSelf1.html.
Murray the K only played the opening "la la la la la la" portion on his show but there was more to it than that: it was really a record!

Dern Ya -- Ruby Wright [1964] Ruby was the daughter of country stars Johnny Wright and the "Queen Of Country Music" Kitty Wells. This was her best-known recording, an answer record to Roger Miller's "Dang Me." It peaked at #13 on the country chart. Sadly, after battling numerous heart problems, Ruby passed away on September 27.
Note: Ruby was sometimes confused with a British vocalist from England with the same name but, other than their professional names being identical, they had no connection to each other.
Ruby will always be fondly remembered for this novelty answer record.

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