Kitten On The Keys -- Dick Hyman [1986] Dick is best-known to many 50s pop music followers as the leader of the Dick Hyman Trio who, in 1956, got to #8 on the chart with "Moritat (A Theme From 'The Three Penny Opera')." Little did anyone know that three and a half years later that song would re-emerge as "Mack The Knife," Bobby Darin's biggest hit ever.
As for Dick, his career is so much more than just his "Moritat" hit. The man, over a 50-year career, has functioned as pianist, organist, arranger, music director, and, increasingly, as composer. He's released over 100 albums recorded under his own name and many more in support of other artists. Though primarily known as a jazz pianist, he proves here that he is equally proficient doing ragtime.
Zez Confrey wrote and recorded the original version of "Kitten On The Keys" in 1921 and, maybe not surprisingly, it was inspired by a cat at his grandmother's house that he discovered prancing up and down the piano keyboard!
Dick Hyman proves he is a real cool cat with this 1986 interpretation, recorded at a live performance. You can view it by visiting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkKLL1ajxlY.
Fast-"fingered" feline!

let's go latin!
Mira Mira -- The Latin Quarters [1964] This themed set is devoted to three uptempo records which were geared primarily for the Latin market but received plenty of pop crossover airplay.
This record appeared on Red Bird Records and some reports claim that, in fact, it was the first ever release on that label. Other reports claim that the Dixie Cups' #1 hit "Chapel Of Love" was the first. The stock number on this one was 000 (pretty strange, huh?) and the stock number on "Chapel" was 001. That would seem to make this one first but, in the crazy record biz, many things are not what they seem! What IS certain is that this record, though not a hit, received plenty of pop airplay in New York and the lady's question which opens the record is memorable to those who have heard it but may have forgotten the title and the recording act.
Oh yes, I haven't a clue as to who these people are!
El Watusi -- Ray Barretto [1963] Ray Barretto was a Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican jazz musician who is widely credited as the godfather of Latin jazz. This recording, on the Tico label, was a suprise crossover hit and a very big one, peaking at #17 nationwide and top ten in New York City and other markets. Ray felt that it was both a blessing and a curse because it stereotyped him: he complained "of all my records, this is the only one that many people want to hear!"
In the 70s Ray played the conga on recordings by the Rolling Stones and the Bee Gees.
In 1990, he won a Grammy for the album Ritmo en el Corazon ("Rhythm in the Heart"), which featured vocal by Celia Cruz. In 1999, he was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.
He remained an active performer until his death, which occurred in February of 2006. He was 76.
Bang! Bang! -- The Joe Cuba Sextet [1967] Joe Cuba was a Puerto Rican musician who was considered to be the "Father of Latin Boogaloo". Like Ray Barretto above, he played the conga and achieved commercial crossover success on the Tico label. This recording reached #63 on the national chart and top ten in New York City and others markets.
The other members of his sextet were vocalist Jose "Cheo" Feliciano (no, not THAT J.F.!), vibrophonist Tommy Berrios, pianist Nick Jiminez, bassist Jules Cordero and drummer Jimmy Sabater.
Joe died in February of 2009 at the age of 78.
Some pressings of the single on Tico list the title as "Bang" "Bang" ... others list it as Bang! Bang! I've chosen to list it with the exclamations points because, well, I think it looks better that way!

Tony's Tank-Up, Drive-In Cafe -- Hank Thompson [1980] Back in 1986 I emceed a show in New Egypt, NJ starring the great Hank Thompson. We had quite a few moments to chat backstage and I told Hank that I felt that this record, which was his final top 40 hit on the country chart, was "kind of a rock and roll record."
Hank shook his head, frowned for a few seconds, and said politely but firmly: "It's not rock and roll, it's Western Swing."
Well, he certainly would know and I surely would never argue with what he said because, well, he SAID it!
But to me this recording sounds more like a rock and roll record than, let's say, "Beth" by Kiss!
Well doesn't it?
Well, whatever it is, I love the record, and Mr. Thompson is one of the several legendary country music Hanks who is missed so much.
This is NOT rock and roll! This is Western Swing! That's the gospel according to Hank!

Beyond The Blue Horizon -- Lou Christie [1974] This phenomenal recording was heard on the soundtrack of the Dustin Hoffman movie "Rain Man," which won the Best Picture Oscar. And everyone I have ever talked to about it simply LOVES this recording.
So how come radio was pretty much "asleep at the wheel" on this one?
The record spent 10 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at a very disappointing #80. To me this deserved to be a number one record.
Commercial success aside, Lou should be mighty proud of this effort. By the way, he still performs it at his concerts and sings it in the original key, as he does with all of his songs!
During the first minute of the actual recording you can bear hear Lou singing with the instruments pretty much drowning him out. That's by design of course. For this sample I've chosen to shorten that part to about 27 seconds so that you can most of the REST of the recording with Lou EMPHATICALLY doing what he does best.
From the soundtrack of "Rain Man." Absolutely fabulous. Why did radio look the other way?

A Tale Of The Ticker -- Frank Crumit [1929] Frank was a popular singer and songwriter who appeared in several 1920's Broadway musicals and hosted a radio show with his wife Julia Sanderson from 1929 until his death in 1943.
He had a string of hit records from 1920 up until releasing this recording. I'm not sure whether negative feedback related to it contributed to his subsequent lack of chart success.
I'm also not sure whether or not Frank had a gut feeling that Wall Street would in fact "lay an egg" (as reported in Variety Magazine) one month later on "Black Tuesday," October 29, 1929 or the exact date when this recording was released. Could people laugh at this record during the time frame when the financial catastrophe was occuring?
What is certain is that Frank didn't have any more hits after 1929, though he did have the successful radio show mentioned above.
Over the years Dr. Demento played this record many times on his popular syndicated radio show.
Frank recorded this ditty September 30, 1929, exactly 30 days before the stock market crash.
It was a funny record on the day it was recorded but considerably less so when it was released a few weeks later!

Grandad -- Clive Dunn [1970] Clive, who is now 90, is a retired British actor, singer and entertainer who was well-known for portraying Lance-Corporal Jack Jones in the BBC situation comedy "Dad's Army" and Sam Cobbett in the Yorkshire Television situation comedy "My Old Man."
Clive celebrated his 51st birthday in 1971 by being #1 on the British charts with this wonderful recording, in which he's accompanied by a children's chorus, which had been released late in 1970.
This hit resulted in him starring in a slapstick children's TV series "Grandad," from 1979 to 1984; he played the caretaker at a village hall.
Nostalgic and touching.

delightful dejohns!
(My Baby Don't Love Me) No More -- The DeJohn Sisters [1954] The De John Sisters were a vocal duo, born Julie and Dux DiGiovanni in Chester, Pennsylvania, the same place where the Four Aces were born. They were the daughters of a dry cleaner and worked in their parents' store after school, harboring dreams of a singing career. While working at the same club where the Four Aces were discovered, they were heard by a scout who worked for Epic Records, a subsidiary label of Columbia. This recording, their second for Epic, with lyrics written by the sisters and music by their brother Leo, made them overnight sensations. The record reached #6 on the national chart.
Sadly "No More" also applied to their subsequent chart career as far as big hits were concerned. They had two minor charters and then pretty much faded into obscurity.
Hotta Chocolotta -- The DeJohn Sisters [1956] This delectable ditty became a regional hit in a few places. I think it deserved a better fate. In fact, I'll drink a little "hotta chocolatta" to that!

dees, doats and dee dum
Tweedlee Dee -- LaVern Baker [1955] Winfield Scott wrote this song and he would eventually go on to co-write (with Otis Blackwell) several hits for Elvis including "Return To Sender," and "One Broken Heart For Sale."
Both this version and the Georgia Gibbs version below were recorded in 1954. But since they didn't chart until 1955, that's the date I'm listing here.
The song is actually titled "Tweedlee Dee" but some of the early pressings of it by LaVern Baker list it as "Tweedle Dee." Since most of the LaVern Baker pressings list it with its real title, I'm going with that.
This was LaVern's first hit, reaching #4 on the R&B chart and #14 on the pop chart.
The backup singers on this recording are the Gliders.
Tweedle Dee -- Georgia Gibbs [1955] As far as I know, ALL pressings by Georgia Gibbs listed the title as "Tweedle Dee." I could never figure out why because, after all, she SINGS "Tweedlee Dee."
Georgia's record, arangement-wise, was basically a speeded up version of Lavern's. It's been reported that LaVern was so upset that she tried to get a congressman to pass legislation barring arrangements from being copied in that manner but was unsuccessful.
Georgia made it to #2 on the chart.
Mairzy Doats -- The Merry Macs [1944] The Macs, a four-part harmony group, were very merry when this bit of nonsense made it to #1 on the chart and spent five weeks there.
The song does make sense if you think "mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy."
Of course stream-of-consciousness makes me suggest that you also check out Arnold Stang's ivy song on this Page, namely "Ivy Will Cling."
Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum -- Middle Of The Road [1971] This was a Scottish group, the nucleus consisting of Sally Carr and Ian and Eric McCredie. They hit #1 in the UK with their original version of "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" and #2 in the UK with this recording.
I think that they sound quite a bit like Abba. Do you agree?

in memory of doug fieger
My Sharona -- The Knack [1979] The Knack became an overnight success in 1979 with this recording which spent six weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was an international hit as well. The group consisted of lead singer and guitarist Doug Fieger, guitarist Berton Averre, bassist Prescot Niles and drummer Bruce Gary.
Doug died of cancer on February 14, 2010 at the age of 57. That disease also claimed Bruce in 2007 at the age of 55.
Good Girls Don't -- The Knack [1979] This was the group's catchy follow-up to "My Sharona" and it barely missed the top ten, peaking at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100.

in memory of a rockabilly great
Susie-Q -- Dale Hawkins [1957] Dale was a pioneer American rockabilly singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist who has often been called the creator of "swamp rock boogie." He was the first cousin of Ronnie Hawkins.
This recording was specifically honored by the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. It's too bad that the decision maker(s) didn't choose to honor Dale himself as an inductee during his lifetime. The recording peaked at #27 on the national chart and hung around for 19 weeks.
Dale passed away on February 13 after a four-year battle with cancer. He was 73.
La-Do-Dada -- Dale Hawkins [1958] This was Dale's biggest single in 1958, peaking at #32.
Yea - Yea (Class Cutter) -- Dale Hawkins [1959] First pressings of this recording show the title only as "Class Cutter" but most pressings list it the way I've listed it here. What a fabulous artist Dale was!

Your Wild Heart -- Joy Layne [1957] Joy was a teenage pop singer who looked like Sandy Duncan and sounded very much like Teresa Brewer. Shortly after starting this Page, I created a themed set called "dum dum and drummer" which consisted of Joy's recording of "Dum Dum" (a different song from the Brenda Lee hit of that title) and "Teen Beat" by Sandy Nelson. Of course the records had nothing in common: I was just trying to be cute.
"Dum Dum" has done reasonably well on our chart and many of you might not be aware that it was the "B" side of Joy's only charted single, "Your Wild Heart," which I have (finally) decided to present here.
This got to #20 on the chart and was a cover of the Poni-Tails' version of the song, which is included in my radio interview show with two of the "Born Too Late" girls.
This was the hit side of Joy's "Dum Dum."

Nervous Boogie -- Paul Gayten [1957] Paul was a multi-talented vocalist, songwriter, pianist and bandleader. He played piano on Chuck Berry's hit "Carol." He discovered Clarence "Frogman" Henry and co-wrote his biggest hit "But I Do." He also sang backup on many R&B hits.
This recording is purely instrumental and it's tough to sit still while listening to it. It only got to #68 on the national chart: it deserved to go much higher.
Don't be nervous about listening to this: it's fabulous!

Put Another Log On The Fire -- Tompall [1975] The artist is Tompall Glaser, who has recorded most of his records with his brothers Chuck and Jim. All have had solo hits on the country charts.
This song was written by Shel Silverstein.
Subtitle: Male Chauvinist National Anthem.

rock on, boogieman!
Crazy Arms -- Jerry Lee Lewis [1956] This was Jerry Lee's very first Sun single and it was a KILLER! It was his wonderful cover of the Ray Price #1 C&W smash "Crazy Arms." Though it failed to make the Top 100, it set the stage for his next one, namely "Whole Lot Of Shakin' Going On."
I believe that the only two instruments on this recording and the one below are Jerry Lee's "pumping" piano and drums. That's all that were needed!
This is an unheralded classic!
Lewis Boogie -- Jerry Lee Lewis [1958] There's nothing that I need to say. One listen is worth a thousand words!

a-m: feisty and tender
I Just Don't Understand -- Ann-Margret [1961] This Swedish-American actress and singer, born Ann-Margret Olsson, charted three times in 1961 and 1962.
She displays a bit of feistiness on this recording which was her first and biggest hit, peaking at #17. The backup singers are the Jordanaires.
What Am I Supposed To Do -- Ann-Margret [1962] Here's the tender side of Ann-Margret. What a pretty song this is!
Reviewer Michael J. Batcho summed up my feelings very well: "Her rendition of Helen Carter's "What Am I Supposed To Do" is just perfect! Anyone, teenaged or now older who has ever loved and lost will take her version of this song into his or her own heart."
Why this recording only got as high as #82 is something that I can't figure out.

there she was!
There She Is, Miss America -- Bert Parks [195?] There no question that the Miss America Pageant, over the last few years, has lost a lot of its former luster. And, in my view, much of that may have begun with the sudden and unexpected firing of Bert Parks, who had emceed the Pageant from 1955 through 1979.
Probably relatively few people can remember the names of too many Miss Americas. But everybody remembers this signature song which Bert Parks sang, generally twice, at each of the Pageants.
Bert died in 1992. Though he had many other radio and TV credits, undoubtedly it is his rendition of this song that he will always be most remembered for.
Little Miss America -- Frankie Michaels [1965] Believe it or not there actually WAS a Little Miss America Pageant. It took place at the famous Palisades Park in New Jersey: yes, the place that was immortalized in Freddy Cannon's 1962 smash hit. You can read more details about it by visiting http://www.palisadespark.com/fort_lee.htm. Portions of it were in two towns: Cliffside Park and Fort Lee.
Back in 1964, Frankie (at age 8 or 9) was cast to play the role of "Tommy Hughes" in the popular TV soap opera "As The World Turns." Eventually, in 1966, he was featured along with Angela Lansbury in the hit Broadway musical "Mame."
It was in 1965 when he was signed to Spiral Records to record two sides, both written by Gladys Shelley. Gladys had ties to Palisades Park. She was married to its owner and she wrote the famous "Come On Over" jingle which was recorded by Steve Clayton and used in many of the park's commercials.
And of course it was tied in with the Pageant mentioned above.
Frankie never made a splash with this single and it will surely never go down in history. Nevertheless I like it a lot.
I think of this as "There She Is, Little Miss America"!

How Bizarre -- OMC [1996] OMC, or Otara Millionaires Club, was a music duo from Otara, Auckland, New Zealand best known for this smash hit. The full name of the band is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Otara's status as one of the poorest suburbs of Auckland.
Pauly Fuemana was the frontman and the music was created by him and Alan Jansson, who co-wrote all of the tracks and produced the duo's albums.
"How Bizarre" became a smash hit, hitting #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 (though never a single), #1 in Australia and #5 in England.
Sina Siapaia, who used the stage name of "Zina", was the female backing vocalist on the record.
Sadly Pauly passed away on January 31, 2010 after a short illness. He was only 40.
The biggest selling record ever by a New Zealand act.

remembering ritchie, buddy and bopper
Donna -- Ritchie Valens [1959] On February 3, 1959, a small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, killed three popular rock and roll artists: Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly and J. P. Richardson, known professionally as "The Big Bopper." Don McLean referred to it several years later in "American Pie" as "The Day The Music Died. The artists had been performing as part of a tour called the "Winter Dance Party," which was scheduled to cover 24 cities in three weeks.
There is plenty on the Internet regarding the events leading up to this tragic event, the event itself and the aftermath, so I will dispense here with further comments other than to note that this this coming Wednesday is the 51nd anniversary of that sad day that shocked the music world.
Ritchie was a singer/songwriter/guitarist who appeared in the movie "Go Johnny Go" and, 28 years after his death, a movie called "La Bamba" that was based on his life was released. "Donna" was the "A" side of a two-sided hit for Ritchie, peaking at #2 on the chart; its flipside "La Bamba" peaked at #22
Peggy Sue -- Buddy Holly [1957] Buddy's first taste of fame came as lead singer of the Crickets, whose first and biggest hit was the chart-topper "That'll Be The Day." "Peggy Sue" was his first and biggest solo hit, peaking at #3 for three weeks. Gary Busey portrayed him in the 1978 biographical movie "The Buddy Holly Story." Buddy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 1986.

Chantilly Lace -- The Big Bopper [1958] Jiles Perry Richardson was a deejay at KTRM in Beaumont, Texas as well as being a rock and roll singer and songwriter. He wrote Johnny Preston's #1 pop hit "Running Bear" and George Jones's #1 country hit "White Lightning." Billing himself as the "Big Bopper," he peaked at #6 with this recording, his first and biggest hit.
Three Stars -- Tommy Dee [1959] He was born Tommy Donaldson and was working at KFXM in San Bernadino, California when he wrote and recorded "Three Stars," a touching narrative tribute to Ritchie, Buddy and Bopper. It barely missed the national top ten, peaking at #11. The background vocalists are Carol Kay and the Teen-Aires.
This was Tommy's only chart record. He later worked as a producer, promoter and record company executive in Nashville. He passed away in 2007 at the age of 73.

The Hot Canary -- Florian Zabach [1951] Florian was an American violin virtuoso who appeared with major symphony orchestras as soloist and conductor at concert halls in the United States and in London, Vienna, Genoa, Venice, and Australia. He was also a TV personality hosting the nationally-sydicated "Florian Zabach Show" in the mid 50s.
Ripley's "Believe It or Not" timed his violin performance of "The Flight of the Bumblebee" and wrote, "he plays 12.8 notes per second ... faster than any known violinist in history."
This legendary hit was his most successful as a recording artist, peaking at #13 and selling over a million copies.
Florian, whose last name sometimes appears as ZaBach, passed away in 2006 at the age of 87.
Violin virtuosity by a record-holder.

Follow That Girl -- Vinnie Monte [1961] I don't know much about this artist other than the fact that he recorded for many labels and that I loved this record when it first hit and wondered why it never made the record chart. It contains many of the elements of very successful Del Shannon and Lou Christie records.
Dig that cool falsetto.

a "dawn" sound-alike and a dawn sound-alike
Dusty -- The Rag Dolls [1965] The Rag Dolls were a Philadelphia-based group consisting of lead singer Jean Thomas, Mikie Harris and Susan Lewis. Though this record came out about a year after the Four Seasons' "Dawn (Go Away)," it was a concerted effort to emulate the sound and essence of that specific recording. "Dusty" peaked at #55 on Billboard Hot 100.
Angel Baby -- Dusk [1971] Dusk was a studio group created by the producers of Dawn, Hank Medress and Dave Appell. The lead singer is Peggy Santiglia of the Delicates and the Angels. This was actually an answer record to Dawn's top-three hit "Candida." In that record Tony Orlando sings "it says so in my dreams." In "Angel Baby" Peggy sings "so what if all our dreams don't come true." It peaked at #57 on the Billboard Hot 100.

so you think you really know this song?
Pop Goes The Weasel -- The Countdown Kids [2006] "Pop Goes the Weasel" is an English language nursery rhyme song that appears to have originated somewhere around 1850. It has, over the years, acquired many different sets of lyrics and probably not too many of them make a lot of sense. I've often wondered what the meaning of the title is and Anthony Newley at least makes an effort to try to explain it. But that's below.
Meanwhile we'll lead off with the most recent of the "Weasel" recordings and this is the most conventional, probably the way most of you remember it. It's from the album "150 Fun Songs For Kids."
If you choose to listen to all six of these samples you might be surprised to find that they are all truly different versions of the same song.
Pop Goes The Weasel -- The Merry Macs [1938] This Minnesota group who began singing in the 1920s recorded this jazzy sounding version of "Weasel" when they signed with Decca. Six years later they topped the chart with "Mairzy Doats" which, arguably, is just as a dumb a song. Maybe even dumber!
Pop Goes The Weasel -- Anthony Newley [1961] The man who stopped the show in "Stop The World I Want To Get Off" performs a public service with this recording of "Weasel." He actually explains what the song is all about and is so convincing that I believe every word.
Pop Goes The Weasel -- The Magic Reign [1968] The Magic Reign, from the Manassas, Virginia area, were a garage rock band who recorded for Jamie. Because of what they're singing here, this to me sounds more like bubblegum than garage rock.
Pop Goes The Weasel -- 3rd Bass [1991] Could there be a CONTROVERSIAL version of "Pop Goes The Weasel"?
Absolutely! This is it!
This is an integrated group of rappers from Queens, New York doing a hiphop rendition of "Weasel." The recording is a playful (or maybe NOT so playful) musical roast of rapper Vanilla Ice who had recently achieved a #1 pop hit with "Ice Ice Baby." My gut feeling tells me that Ice wasn't too thrilled with this, unless he felt that all publicity is GOOD publicity!
This record suggests that one cannot always judge a single by its opening!
Pop Goes The Weasel -- Spike Jones featuring Wilbur Hall [194?] I'm sure most of you have wondered what "Pop Goes The Weasel" would sound like if played on a Stradivarius violin, right?
Well, wonder no more!
Spike and the amazing Wilbur Hall close out this themed set!

bad girls
Devil Woman -- Marty Robbins [1962] Marty peaked at #16 on the pop chart and spent eight weeks at #1 on the country chart with this wonderful record. My favorite line is "Even the seagulls are happy." They don't write 'em like that anymore!

Mean Woman Blues -- Roy Orbison [1963] This song had been previously done by both Elvis and Jerry Lee. Roy put his own stamp on it with this version (even mentioning his own name in the lyric) and it was the only one to make the singles chart, peaking at an impressive #5.
Eloise -- Kay Thompson [1956] Ah yes, this little girl was "bad" but you loved her just the same (after all, she was only six!). Kay wrote a series of Eloise books and wrote and sang this endearing novelty. So what if she didn't really sound like a six-year-old girl, the record still oozes with fun.

bad boys
Bad Boy -- The Jive Bombers [1957] The Jive Bombers were an R&B vocal group from Harlem, NY. Clarence Palmer may be a "bad boy" but he's one heck of a lead singer on this great recording! It got as high as #36 on what was then the Billboard Top 100 but became a top ten hit in New York City.

Bad Boy -- The Beatles [1965] This recording of a Larry Williams song, from the Beatles album "Beatles VI," was never released as a single.
Bad Boy -- Miami Sound Machine [1986] This was the second hit single by the group fronted by Gloria Estefan. It peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Via Con Me -- Paolo Conte [1995] Denise sent me an email that stated: "request...please listen...and maybe add to your record page..pleeeeze."
I had never heard this and knew nothing about it so I asked her for additional information. She wrote: "It is from a very popular movie "french kiss" (comedy) and this song gets hundreds of thousands of listens on youtube ... paolo conte is a huge European star ... and it is a great recording."
That says it all. I listened and I immediately loved it, though the only words I could understand were "wonderful" and "chips." Maybe Lays should consider using this for one of their commercials?
Thanks Denise!
Absolutely adorable!

Fit As A Fiddle -- Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor [1952] "Singin' In The Rain" is regarded by many as the greatest filmusical of all time. It starred Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds and offered a humorous depiction of Hollywood and its transition from silent films to talkies. This short, rollicking number by Gene and Donald, is one of its many highlights.
One of the many musical gems from a legendary film.

Shim Sham Shuffle -- Ricky Lyons [1960] Chuck Berry is legendary for recycling his own melodies but he is surely not the only one who has done so. Case in point: this song recorded by Ricky, an R&B singer, which Bubbled Under the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at #104. It was written by Tommy Boyce and Steve Venet.
Fast forward to 1965. Tommy and Steve heard that Dick Clark was looking for a theme song for an on-location TV series he was planning to produce and host called "Where The Action Is." In a happy moment of inspiration, the two songwriters decided to put new lyrics to "Shim Sham Shuffle" and give it a new title: "Action."
Freddy Cannon recorded it and the rest is history.
This tune got plenty of "Action" when Freddy Cannon recorded it five years later with that new title.

14 little girls and 2 freds
Seven Little Girls (Sitting In The Back Seat) -- Paul Evans and the Curls [1959] This cute song was written by Lee Pockriss and Bob Hilliard and this recording was actually a demo with Merv Griffin as the intended recording artist!
The Curls were actually TWO girls: Sue Singleton and Sue Terry.
For the complete lowdown on Paul's accidental hit, check out this "Songfacts" page: http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=7304 which includes the video of Paul's legendary appearance on a popular TV show with puppets little girls and a "Fred" who looked amazingly like Dick Clark!
Seven Little Girls (Sitting In The Back Seat) -- The Avons [1959] The Avons were a British pop music vocal trio, consisting of sisters Valerie and Elaine Murtagh and Raymond S. Adams. This cover version of the Paul Evans record became a big hit in England.

Looey Looey -- Buddy Hackett [1960] This recording probably has more of a connection with Ed Norton's dog "Loo-Loo" than it does with Richard Berry's legendary composition immortalized by the Kingsmen.
There was no Congressional investigation of Buddy's recording!
Thanks to Fred Clemens for making me aware of its existence.
Not it's not THAT song.

If You Were A Rock And Roll Record -- Freddy Cannon [1962] This record was not included on my interview show with Freddy, not even as a bonus track. But it's a good one and was requested by Wes Smith, my wonderful friend and loyal listener.
What a title!

just keep marching
Honey-Babe -- Art Mooney [1955] What with Carl Smith's "Ten Thousand Drums" and the three versions of "The Yellow Rose Of Texas" I find myself in a marching mood right now.
This record and the Russ Morgan record below are two of my all-time favorites. In fact they were two of the very first records that I ever bought.
This one is an adapation of a traditional Army marching chant and was featured in the movie "Battle Cry."
Dogface Soldier -- Russ Morgan [1955] This record and the one above by Art Mooney, in my judgment, should have both made #1 on the chart. That's how much I loved them way back when! Art's got to #6 and this one got to #30.
This one was featured in the movie "To Hell And Back" starring Audie Murphy.

21 yellow roses
18 Yellow Roses -- Bobby Darin [1963] Bobby wrote and sang this touching song.
The Yellow Rose Of Texas -- Mitch Miller [1955] Mitch will be celebrating his 99th birthday on July 4th. This recording was #1 for six straight weeks: it was his only chart-topper and easily his biggest hit ever.
"Yellow Rose" is a traditional folk song which has long been popular in the United States and is considered an unofficial state song of Texas. Its writer is unknown.
The Yellow Rose Of Texas -- Johnny Desmond [1955] Though Mitch Miller's version was far and away the biggest, Johnny's version did very well, peaking at #3.
The Yellow Rose Of Texas -- Stan Freberg [1955] This is surely one of Stan's most remembered and best loved records.
It's Jodlon's Rhythmaires who are doing the vocals and Alvin Stoller doing the "Yankee" snare drumming! I'm not sure who the wayward banjo picker is.
Note: stylewise this is actually more of a satire of the Johnny Desmond recording even though (so help me) Mitch Miller is mentioned by name toward the end.

it's ying-along time!
Ying Tong Song -- The Goons [1953] Pure nonsense.
For those experiencing this for the first time it's best that you know nothing about it. So I won't make any further comment here except to say that you can find information about this by going to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ying_Tong_Song.
Ying Yang -- The Bellamy Brothers [1988] The brothers, Howard and David, achieved overnight pop music success with their 1976 #1 recording "Let Your Love Flow." But their destiny over the years was to become one of country music's most popular duos.
This recording was the B side of their #6 country hit "I'll Give You All My Love Tonight."
I was a country deejay at WTTM in Trenton, NJ when the guys came out with this record. It was the B side of their #6 country hit "I'll Give You All My Love Tonight." However my radio audience preferred this off-the-wall tune. Yes, they were a bit weird like me, so this was a very good fit.

Ivy Will Cling -- Arnold Stang and the Sunshine Kids [1959] Lovable Arnold played the milquetoast little guy parts on dozens of sitcoms, one of many working television supporting players that never found major major stardom but always had steady work. You might know him as the voice of the cartoon character Top Cat (1961-62, NBC) or as Milton Berle's sidekick during his "Uncle Miltie" days (1953-55). He was also featured in a number of short-lived series, including Doc Corkle, the first casualty of the 1952-53 season (lasting only three episodes) and the 1955 syndicated show Molly (aka 'The Goldbergs') as the shipping clerk. He had dozens of roles, both on and off camera, over the years.
This record became a surprise hit in England. Rumor has it that Arnold and the children on this record, known as the Sunshine Kids, sang it for 10 hours straight though my personal feeling is that it was only five hours.
Arnold died in December of 2009 at the age of 91.
It's cling-along time!

In The Mood -- Ernie Fields [1959] Ernie was a very versatile man of music: a trombonist, pianist, arranger and bandleader among other things. He began his career in the late-20s and worked with big bands and small bands and developed a style of playing swing standards in a rockin' rhythm and blues fashion.
In the late 1950s he moved to Los Angeles California and joined Rendezvous Records, for whom he ran the house band. They included pianist Ernie Freeman, guitarist Rene Hall (whom Ernie had worked with in the 1930s), saxophonist Plas Johnson, and drummer Earl Palmer.
In 1959 this band had a national and international hit with a a rockin' version of Glenn Miller’s classic "In the Mood". As the leader, it was Ernie's name that was on the label.
The band, with minor changes of personnel, went on to record hit instrumentals under several different names, including B. Bumble and the Stingers, The Marketts and The Routers.
Rendezvous Records shut down in 1963 Ernie retired shortly after that.
He passed away in 1997 at the age of 92.
This is one of my personal favorite instrumentals of the rock era. I have never gotten tired of it.
I'm fielding in a rock and roll mood

remembering a country music great
Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way -- Carl Smith [1951] Carl, often referred to as "Mister Country," was one of the most successful artists in that genre in the 1950s and 1960s. Between 1951 and 1978 he had a very impressive 93 hits on the country chart. He was married to June Carter (who later became June Carter Cash) and they had a daughter Carlene Carter, who became a well-known country singer in her own right.
Carl was inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2003 and that begs the question: why did it take so long?
This recording was the first of his five #1 country hits: it was #1 on that chart for eight weeks.
Carl passed away of natural causes on January 16, 2010, two months shy of what would have been his 83rd birthday.
Hey, Joe -- Carl Smith [1953] This recording of a song written by Boudleaux and Felice Bryant became Carl's fourth #1 country hit and, like "Mother Nature" above, spent eight weeks atop that chart.
Ten Thousand Drums -- Carl Smith [1959] This is the recording that most pop music fans remember Carl for. On the heels of the crossover success of Johnny Horton's "The Battle Of New Orleans" and Stonewall Jackson's "Waterloo," Carl cut this similar-sounding record and it reached #43 on the pop chart and #5 on the the country chart.
Despite its title there were not quite that many drums used on this session!

but seer-iously
The Gypsy -- The Ink Spots [1946] This was the biggest hit ever (it spent 13 weeks at #1!) for one of the most popular vocal groups of the 40s. The personnel on this recording are lead tenor Bill Kenny, bass Herb Kenny (Bill's brother), Charles Fuqua and Ivory "Deek" Watson.
Almost all of the Ink Spots biggest hits begin with the same four-chord guitar riff that you hear at the outset of this recording.
Incidentally this song was British, written by bandleader Billy Reid.
Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera) -- Doris Day [1956] This was a #2 recording for Doris and was from the film "The Man Who Knew Too Much." Jay Livingston and Ray Evans wrote it and it won the Oscar for Best Song. It's one of the few cases in pop music where the parenthesized portion of a title is better-known to many than the primary portion. "Que Sera, Sera"!
Fortuneteller -- Bobby Curtola [1962] This wonderful recording was Bobby's only significant hit in the United States, peaking at #41. However Bobby, born in Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada, has become a superstar in his native country.

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