Dueling Doo-Wops, Vol. 5

---

 Can't stop the rock. 

 Same goes for doo-wop! 

Dell Rat Ron is back to join me in playing the sweet, sincere vocal group harmonies of the baby boom years, recordings that respectfully celebrated young love and romance without playing the sex card.



 Ron, if you don't mind, 

 I'd like to do the honors 

 and kick off Volume 5. 




 THE ROYALETTES 

Sheila Ross and her Baltimore girl group the Royalettes sounded like the female equivalent of Little Anthony and
the Imperials. That's because their recordings were written and produced by Teddy Randazzo, the New York songwriter who penned many songs for the Imperials and produced and arranged several of their albums. The Royalettes achieved their biggest hit in the fall of 1965 with "It's Gonna Take a Miracle." In spite of its mid 60s release date the record has the feel of vintage 50s doo-wop. Teddy Randazzo arranged a full orchestral backing for the recording session. When there are strings attached I usually tune out, but not this time! I could listen to "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" all day every day. If I'm lyin' I'm dyin'!

 "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" - Royalettes (September 1965, 
 highest chart position #41) 



Ron, I got a sneak preview of your first platter. Call me crazy but it also sounds a heck of a lot like Little Anthony and the Imperials!

 THE CHESTERS 

 And for good reason, Shady. 
 Listening to Jackie and the 
 Starlites in Volume 1 of 
 Dueling Doo-Wops brought 
 this record to mind. It's by 
 a Brooklyn group originally 
 known as The Chesters aka 
 Anthony and The Chesters.  
 It was Little Anthony and the 
 Imperials before they changed 
 their name, signed with End 
 Records, and recorded their 
 first hit "Tears On My Pillow." 
 As The Chesters, Anthony 
 Gourdine and his colleagues 
 recorded the excellent ballad "The Fires Burn No More" 
 and released it in early 1958. The single enjoyed moderate 
 sales in the New York area and was featured on WEEP 
 radio in Pittsburgh. For some reason, possibly inadequate 
 promotion by their label, Apollo, the record stalled and 
 remained uncharted.  I'm sure Jerre knows this one. It 
 wasn't as frequently requested--- but always a treat. 

 "The Fires Burn No More" - The Chesters (February 1958, 
 uncharted)




 THE JESTERS 

 Now we switch from The Chesters to The Jesters and 
 another record that was requested probably every week 
 on the Rock 180 Club and which was also in the old 
 Dell jukebox. It's a Jerre song called "The Wind." 

 "The Wind" - The Jesters (June 1960, highest chart 
 position #110) 




 WHOA, daddy!

 Is it just my
 imagination,
 Ron... or did 
 Suzanne Somers
 just whiz by
 in a T-Bird?


Call this next segment Heaven Up in Harlem, Ron, because I've got more information about the Jesters plus two more of their records. While performing at an Apollo Theater amateur night, the group was discovered by Paul Winley who signed them to his New York record label. The Jesters did a fine job of covering the recordings of other groups. "The Wind," the wonderful ballad that you just played, was originally recorded by the Diablos. "The Plea" was written by Arlene Smith and turned into a hit by her girl group the Chantels.

 "The Plea" - The Jesters (February 1958, highest chart 
 position #74) 



The Jesters' recording of "So Strange," a worthy cover of a Five Dollars original, spent just one week on the Billboard pop chart at position #100 and never showed up on the R&B singles chart! So strange, indeed!

 "So Strange" -The Jesters (July 1957, highest chart 
 position #100) 




 THE PARAGONS 

The Paragons were another fine R&B group that recorded for Paul Winley. The Brooklyn act was led by Julian McMichael who later joined the Olympics. Paragons recordings have an otherworldly quality that puts me into a trance. A great example is the powerful ballad "Florence," the B side of the Paragons' 1957 release "Hey Little School Girl."

 "Florence" - The Paragons (March 1957, uncharted) 



"Twilight" is the killer bee on the back of the 1958 Winley single "The Vows of Love" which, curiously, was misprinted on the label as "The Wows of Love." With it's soaring falsetto, exquisite group harmony and pounding beat, "Twilight" is simply everything that doo-wop should be!

 "Twilight" - The Paragons (October 1958, uncharted)



A Winley Records' battle-of-the-bands style album entitled The Paragons Meet the Jesters is noteworthy for being one of the first compilation albums ever released. It was also the most successful of all doo-wop compilations. If I was judging these two excellent groups in a head to head competition I'd declare the Paragons the winners and their recording "Don't Cry Baby" as my Pick to Click!

 "Don't Cry Baby" - The Paragons (November 1958, 
 uncharted) 



Nine years after Tony Bennett released the first hit recording of the song, three years before Bobby Vinton turned it into a #1 smash, and long before director David Lynch used it as the theme of his cult movie, the Paragons recorded a version of "Blue Velvet" that sets the bar higher. As one YouTube commenter exclaimed, "THEY TORE THIS APART AND PUT IT BACK TOGETHER LIKE NO OTHER GROUP!" I agree. I ain't never heard nuthin' like this before! It destroys!

 "Blue Velvet" - The Paragons (September 1960, 
 highest chart position #103) 



Ready for a shocker? Not a single one of the records released by the Jesters or the Paragons ever made the R&B Singles chart! The Jesters, a fine R&B group from Harlem and the Paragons, a superb R&B act from Brooklyn - and neither group was acknowledged by the black music chart? What does that tell you about the credibility of that survey?

 Ron, tossing back to you, pal! 


 RONNIE

 AND THE HI-LITES 


 Shady, in Volume 3 you featured the 
 Philadelphia group Little Joey and the 
 Flips and their single "Bongo Stomp" 
 which was released on Joy Records. 
 Your post made me flash on Ronnie 
 and the Hi-Lites, another group that 
 had a hit single on that small, inde- 
 pendent New York label. Fronted 
 by 12-year-old Ronnie Goodson 
 and hailing from Jersey City, NJ, 
 the R&B vocal quintet placed two 
 of their records at #1 on WSBA, 
 the first of which was their only career hit "I Wish That 
 We Were Married". 

 "I Wish That We Were Married" - Ronnie and the Hi-Lites 
 (May 1962, highest chart position #16) 



 While "Married" was their only charted hit on the Billboard 
 Hot 100, Ronnie and the Hi-Lites released many singles, 
 16 in all, and this is one of them. Issued in the summer of 
 1963 on Win Records, "A Slow Dance" got stranded on 
 the Bubbling Under chart but I believe it is every bit as 
 good as their national hit. 

 "A Slow Dance" - Ronnie and the Hi-Lites (August 1963, 
 highest chart position #116) 



 Sadly, Ronnie Goodson died of a brain tumor just as he 
 was entering his 30s. Here's another great single to 
 remember him by, a 1963 cover of "Valarie," originally 
 by Eddie and the Starlites. 

 I read comments on YouTube from people who went to the 
 same high school as the group and remember being wowed 
 by Ronnie and the Hi-Lites when they performed it at an 
 assembly. Pretty impressive! Excellent studio recording! 

 "Valarie" - Ronnie and the Hi-Lites (1963, uncharted) 




 Last call for alcohol, Ron!

 We're in the home stretch and I'm spinning 
 a final flurry of treats that are pure doo- 
 wop delight!  I'd like to propose a toast.  
 Here's to good friends and great music! 


 THE RIVIERAS 

The Duprees, featured in two of my posts last summer, made a career out of mixing doo-wop vocals with 1930s/40s swing era big band arrangements. The Rivieras, a northern Jersey R&B group that recorded for the same New York doo-wop label, Coed, was also successful with that formula. I'd like you to hear their signature song. As "Moonlight Cocktail,"
the song was a #1 hit for bandleader Glenn Miller in 1942.
In 1960, the Rivieras registered on the Bubbling Under chart with their own interpretation of the romantic ballad, re-titled "Moonlight Cocktails." Cheers!

 "Moonlight Cocktails" - The Rivieras (June 1960, highest 
 chart position #103) 




 THE EL DORADOS 

During the 50s and 60s many vocal groups were named after various makes and models of cars. The Cadillacs, Edsels and Impalas are examples. The El Dorados are another.



The El Dorados were one of those 50s doo-wop groups that were more successful with jump sides than they were with ballads. At the end of 1955 the group scored a hit with
"At My Front Door (Crazy Little Mama)" which cracked the top 40 on the pop chart and went straight to #1 on the R&B side. The El Dorados had another up tempo hit in the winter of 1956 with the equally catchy "I'll Be Forever Loving You"
a jitterbug gem that missed the pop chart entirely but broke into the top 10 on the black singles survey. As legendary Wibbage jock Joe Niagara used to shout, "Let's hit that floor like never before!"

 "I'll Be Forever Loving You" - El Dorados (February 1956, 
 highest chart position #8 R&B) 

 Folks, as The Shields might have 

 put it, I cheated... I lied. 

I've been saying all along that Dueling Doo-Wops is a 5 volume series, but it's been such a success and so much fun to produce that Ron and I are already working on bonus volumes 6, 7 and 8! 

 Part 6 is coming soon.  Don't miss it! 

Have a Shady day!

---

Elvis Presley Meets His Match! The Very Worthy Challenger is Unveiled!

---

 Is your brain BURSTING yet? 

In my last post I presented a few of my favorite songs by Elvis Presley, the King of Rock "N" Roll. I announced that I would be naming in today's post the one artist who has all the right stuff to snatch the crown away from Elvis. To help you guess who that might be I offered a multiple choice.

 When it comes to rockin' and rollin' 

 and reelin' with the feelin'..... 

 who can match or beat Elvis? 

 A. Disco Tex & the Sex-O-Lettes 

 B. Tiny Tim 

 C. Milli Vanilli 

 D. The Singing Nun 

 E. Soupy Sales 

 F. Napoleon XIV 

 G. All of the above 

 H. None of the above 

The majority of you guessed correctly, although there was one vote for Soupy Sales along with one write-in vote for William Shatner. The answer is "H" - none of the above, and before I reveal the challenger you can rest assured that Elvis retains his title as the King of Rock "N" Roll. However, there is a queen who belongs up there on the throne with the king and I am proud to introduce her to you.

 AND IN THIS 

 CORNER...  

 WEARING A 

 LOW-CUT, 

 TIGHT FITTING  

 RED DRESS

 AND STILETTO HEELS... 

 STANDING FIVE FEET, ONE INCH... 

 WEIGHING 105 POUNDS... 

 FROM OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA... 

 THE QUEEN OF ROCKABILLY... 

 THE FIRST LADY OF ROCK 'N' ROLL... 

 THE SWEET LADY 

 WITH THE NASTY VOICE... 

 WANDA 

 "FUJIYAMA 

 MAMA"

 JACKSON!!! 







For 50 years I was under the mistaken impression that the top 40 hit "Let's Have a Party" was all there was to know about Wanda Jackson.

 "Let's Have a Party" - Wanda Jackson 
 (from 1958 album Wanda Jackson, 
 single charted in October 1960, highest 
 chart position #37) 



How wrong can a guy be? "Let's Have a Party"
is just the tip of the iceberg...a very big iceberg!

I recently watched a documentary on Wanda Jackson's life and career entitled The Sweet Lady With the Nasty Voice and it opened my eyes and ears to her amazing talent. Simply put, Wanda Jackson is the biggest blind spot that
I ever had - the greatest artist of the 20th century that
I somehow overlooked!

Wanda was only a child when she made up her mind to become a singer. Wanda's father encouraged her by purchasing a guitar for her in an Oklahoma City pawn shop. Wanda was still in her mid teens in 1954 when she was discovered by country & western star Hank Thompson and invited to perform with his band. Wanda toured and started making records, establishing herself as a traditional country music artist. She dressed the part, wearing Dale Evans style western attire including boots and a cowgirl hat. Wanda didn't feel comfortable with that look and soon made drastic changes in her appearance and singing style.

Wanda began to show off her petite but curvaceous figure with low-cut, form-fitting dresses made by her seamstress mother. She threw away the rule book, put a growl in her voice, and started rocking hard, coming across like a female version of Little Richard or Jerry Lee Lewis. It wasn't ladylike. No other women were doing it. At the time other female vocalists were dishing out safe, middle-of-the-road pop pablum like "How Much is That Doggie in the Window."

Wanda Jackson turned the music world upside down, becoming the first woman to sing rockabilly and rock & roll, covering male songs and making them very much her own, paving the way for female rockers of the future like Janis Joplin, Chrissie Hynde and Joan Jett.

 "Riot in Cell Block Number Nine" 
 - Wanda Jackson (1961, uncharted) 



Hearing Wanda sing is thrilling enough, but to realize the full extent of her greatness you have to see her perform. In this clip from a 1958 broadcast of the country music TV and radio show Town Hall Party, the spunky spitfire punches out one of her greatest and best known songs, an original composition entitled "Mean, Mean Man."

 "Mean Mean Man" - Wanda Jackson 
 (live 1958 performance on Town Hall Party, 
 1958 single uncharted USA, #40 UK 



Singers and musicians who appeared on Town Hall Party also performed on the syndicated music program Ranch Party. Both shows are noteworthy for bringing country artists, rockabilly artists and rock & rollers together in harmony on the same stage. Here's Wanda singing one of the cutest and cleverest girl power anthems that you'll ever hear, "Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad!"

 "Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad!" 
 - Wanda Jackson (live on Ranch Party, 
 1956 single uncharted) 



Wanda Jackson dated Elvis for a short period of time. The King took her under his wing and taught her how to rock the country and roll the blues to produce a new and exciting style of music called rockabilly. Before Elvis could say "don't be cruel," the little lady with the powerful pipes was teaching him a thing or two about rockin'...about charismatic stage performance...and about sex appeal!

Wanda was a spark plug, a real live wire. She loved to shock audiences. During that same Town Hall Party broadcast Wanda playfully conned the audience with an intro that suggested she was about to sing a tender love ballad. Wanda then proceeded to destroy with a killer cover of Elvis Presley's "Hard Headed Woman," a performance that made old Swivel Hips himself sit up and take notice and left no doubt that a star was born!

 "Hard Headed Woman" - Wanda Jackson 
 (live 1958 performance on Town Hall Party) 




Watch, listen and learn as Wanda delights the Ranch Party audience once again with a blistering performance of her 1957 song "Cool Love." It's way too cool for old school!

 "Cool Love" - Wanda Jackson (live on 
 Ranch Party, 1957 single uncharted) 



Wanda Jackson loved "Be-Bop-A-Lula," the top 10 single recorded by rockabilly star and Capitol Records label-mate Gene Vincent. Determined to produce a similar sound, Wanda put the rock in rockabilly with "Honey Bop."

 "Honey Bop" - Wanda Jackson 
 (1958, uncharted) 



Even when Wanda dials it back and replaces the growl in her voice with a purr the results make the male of the species squirm with delight! Listen for the similarities to the vocal style of Jerry Lee Lewis as Wanda sings "Savin' My Love."

 "Savin' My Love" - Wanda Jackson 
 (1958, uncharted) 



Wanda goes even deeper on "You Don't Know Baby," a smoldering ballad that gives me fever every time I hear it!

 "You Don't Know Baby" - Wanda Jackson 
 (from 1962 album Wonderful Wanda) 



The All Music Guide calls Rockin' With Wanda "absolutely the best collection of Wanda Jackson's rockabilly recordings" and "the leading candidate for the best female rock & roll album of the 1950s." I'm not about to argue. "Rock Your Baby," one of Wanda's career best, is included on the 1960 album and here's Wanda performing the song around the time that it was released as a single two years earlier.

 "Rock Your Baby" - Wanda Jackson 
 (live 1958 performance on Town Hall Party, 
 1958 single uncharted) 



Incredibly, only a couple of Wanda Jackson's rockabilly classics saw any action at all on the domestic pop chart or even the country chart. (Go figure!) When one of her songs did chart it was almost always something safe and traditional like "Right or Wrong" (#9 country, #29 pop). Wake up America! The far more interesting song is the killer bee on the flip side, the dark and dreamlike "Funnel of Love."

 "Funnel of Love" - Wanda Jackson (1961, 
 uncharted B side of "Right or Wrong") 



As is often the case it took fans in other countries to point out what Americans were missing. Wanda's "Fujiyama Mama" did nothing stateside but rocketed to #1 in Japan. Folks, when it comes to flat out rockin' this is as good as it gets!

 "Fujiyama Mama" - Wanda Jackson (1957, 
 uncharted USA, #1 in Japan) 



Today Wanda Jackson's still rocking, still giving concerts and her voice still sounds as great as it did in the 50s. Wanda's the real deal, a pioneer, the first woman to harness the true spirit of rock and roll. Wanda's got pizzazz, spunk, heart and soul. Along with Elvis Presley, Wanda Jackson is one of the greatest and most exciting performers of the 20th century.

 Wanda Jackson 
 doesn't just sing 
 a song. She plays 
 with it, toys with it, 
 chews it up, spits it 
 out, and owns it. 
 You can hear her 
 smiling as she sings. 
 You can tell that her 
 eyes are twinkling. 
 Wanda exudes the 
 kind of confidence that comes to those 
 few who have mastered their chosen craft. 

 I'm stopping this bout on a 

 TKO and declaring a winner. 

 Elvis, head for the showers. 

 WANDA JACKSON IS 

 MY PICK TO CLICK! 

Have a Shady day!

Elvis Presley Meets His Match! The King Faces His Toughest Competitor in a Knock-Down, Drag 'Em Out, No Holds Barred Rockabilly Rumble!

---

 LAAADEEEZ AND GENTLEMEN 

 IN THIS 
 CORNER... 

 WEARING BLACK 
 TRUNKS 

 AND BLUE SUEDE 
 SHOES... 


 STANDING 6 FEET, ONE INCH... 

 WEIGHING 170 POUNDS... 

 FROM TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI... 

 THE KING OF ROCK AND ROLL... 

 ELVIS 

 "THE 

 PELVIS"

 PRESLEY!!! 





Anyone who thinks Elvis Presley's best recordings begin with RCA needs to back up a little and listen to his rockabilly Sun sessions. For his first single release on Sam Phillips' label, Elvis took a song by country blues singer Arthur Crudup, gave it a rockin' beat, and made it his very own.

 "That's All Right" - Elvis Presley 
 (July 1954, uncharted) 



Too much of a good thing is never enough and I never get tired of listening to my favorite Elvis song "Too Much." The King recorded it in September of 1956, first performed it on
Ed Sullivan early in 1957, released it on a single, and scored a chart topping million seller that spring.

 "Too Much" - Elvis Presley (April 1957, 
 highest chart position #2) 



Nearly a decade before the Rolling Stones created a stir with "Let’s Spend The Night Together," controversy surrounded the Elvis Presley top 5 charting single "One Night." The song had been recorded three years earlier by New Orleans blues man Smiley Lewis with the lyrics, “One night of sin is what I’m now praying for.” Realizing audiences of the Eisenhower 50s weren’t ready for such suggestive language, Elvis had the song rewritten as “One night with you…”

 "One Night" - Elvis Presley (February 1959, 
 highest chart position #4) 



Elvis Presley's recording career was put on hold during 1958 and 1959 while he was abroad serving in the U.S. Army. Honorably discharged in March of 1960, Elvis returned to the states and picked up where he left off, releasing high quality records that sold like hot cakes. (Both quality and sales would begin to slip as the 60s unfolded.) "I Gotta Know,"
the killer bee on the back of the smash hit ballad "Are You Lonesome Tonight," is another hip shakin’, butt kickin' Elvis rocker that became a million seller even though it barely made the top 20.

 "I Gotta Know" - Elvis Presley 
 (January 1961, highest chart position #20) 



Just as there are records that prove my theory that an artist’s earlier work is better, there are some notable later career exceptions. Knocked for a loop in 1964 by the Beatles and their English comrades, Elvis fought back. He returned to his 50s rock and roll roots with "Ain’t That Loving You Baby" a rambunctious single that plowed through the glut of UK releases on the chart and finished respectably in the top 20.

 "Ain't That Loving You Baby" - Elvis Presley 
 (Dec. 1964, highest chart position #16) 




Here's the unreleased faster version of the song that was recorded in June of 1958 during Presley's last studio session of the 1950s before his induction into the Army.

 "Ain't That Loving You Baby" - Elvis Presley 
 (unreleased Twist tempo version recorded 
 in June 1958) 



"Ask Me," the tender ballad released as the B side of Elvis Presley's 1964 single "Ain't That Loving You Baby," performed slightly better on the chart. Radio stations and record buyers seemed to prefer the kinder, gentler side and so did I. Had the Beatles not come along to spoil the party, both sides of this Elvis single would surely have placed closer to the top.

 "Ask Me" - Elvis Presley (December 1964, 
 highest chart position #12) 



"Little Sister" was the official A side of my last featured Elvis 45. "(Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame," the B side on the American release, was the designated A side in the UK and went all the way to #1. Both sides of the record missed the top spot in the USA and settled for a top 5 finish. It’s argued that RCA made a mistake in placing two strong up tempo songs on the same single because it resulted in confusion and split radio play. In 1987 rising country music star Dwight Yoakam recorded a version of "Little Sister" that rivals Elvis Presley’s. Both the single and Yoakam’s album Hillbilly Deluxe became major crossover hits. Here's the Elvis original.

 "Little Sister" - Elvis Presley 
 (November 1961, highest chart position #5) 

 Can anybody steal the crown 

 from Elvis the King? 

There's one artist who comes mighty close and I'll introduce the worthy challenger in my next post!  Drawing a blank?
I'll help you pick an answer by offering a multiple choice.

 When it comes to rockin' and rollin' 

 and reelin' with the feelin'..... 

 who's as good or better than Elvis? 

 A. Disco Tex & the Sex-O-Lettes 
 B. Tiny Tim 
 C. Milli Vanilli 
 D. The Singing Nun 
 E. Soupy Sales 
 F. Napoleon XIV 
 G. All of the above 
 H. None of the above 

 Elvis meets his match in Thursday's post.  

 DON'T MISS IT! 

Have a Shady day!

Bubbling Under The 200 Greatest Hits of the Shady Dell, Volume 2

---

 Once again it's time to salute a few 

 of the records that narrowly missed 

 being included on my list of the 

 200 Greatest Hits of the Shady Dell. 

Why didn't these records make the cut? In some cases it's because they were ubiquitous. If a record achieved wide-
spread popularity outside the Dell it did not qualify as an elite, esoteric hardcore Dell song. Some records simply didn't have an easy dance beat. Others, for one reason or another, did not resonate quite as well the rodentia intelligentsia. Nevertheless these recordings deserve an honorable mention and a spin because they were all played at the Dell and all contributed to the soundtrack of my youth.

 LOOK.. LISTEN.. AND REMEMBER! 

 THE ROYAL GUARDSMEN 

Novelty records like "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" and the perennial holiday favorite "Captain Santa Claus" put every Shady soul in touch with his or her inner child! When records like these played rats filled the floor and all manner of hijinks, horseplay, monkeyshines, shenanigans & tomfoolery ensued!

 250. "Snoopy vs. The Bed Baron" - Royal Guardsmen 
 (December 1966/January 1967, highest chart position #2) 

 THE ELGINS 

An underrated Motown group, the Elgins took their best shot with "Heaven Must Have Sent You." The record went top 10 R&B but stalled halfway up the pop chart. In the spring of 1979 Bonnie Pointer resurrected the cool song and turned it into a modest disco hit.

 237. "Heaven Must Have Sent You" - Elgins 
 (November 1966, highest chart position #50) 

 THE BOX TOPS 

The Memphis based Box Tops were one of the leading
blue-eyed soul bands of the 60s. Their huge international
hit "The Letter" was a refreshing new sound at the Dell.
"The Letter" brought The Summer of Love to a close, wrapped up my two year stint as a nightly Dell patron
and escorted me off to university life. In fact "The Letter" reminds me more of campus dance socials and frat parties than it does of the Dell. At a time when pop singles were getting longer, a trend started by the influential and self-indulgent Beatles, "The Letter" was very short, running less than two minutes. For decades short singles like "The Letter" were the bread and butter of AM radio but by the late 60s AM stations were rapidly losing listeners to FM stations that played full length album tracks and long commercial free music blocks.

 224. "The Letter" - Box Tops (October 1967, highest 
 chart position #1) 

 DEON JACKSON 

With vocals smooth as silk, Deon Jackson scored his biggest hit with "Love Makes the World Go Round." The record flirted with the Billboard top 10 but lost traction and fell just shy of the winner's circle.  Jackson's jukebox giant showed up at the Dell in late January 1966 and remained popular the rest of the winter.

 221. "Love Makes The World Go Round" - Deon Jackson 
 (March 1966, highest chart position #11) 

 ? (QUESTION MARK) 

 & THE MYSTERIANS 

"96 Tears," a garage punk classic, went all the way to #1
for Rudy Martinez and his Mysterians. Their follow-up, the equally tough and bold "I Need Somebody," stopped just short of the top 20.

 216. "I Need Somebody" - ? (Question Mark) & the 
  Mysterians (December 1966, highest chart position #22) 

 THE ROLLING STONES 

 TRIVIA: 

* As mentioned earlier "The Letter" by The Box Tops has a short running time, less than two minutes; yet two hit singles immediately spring to mind that have much shorter running times. Clocked at a little over a minute-and-a-half each, "Stay" by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs and "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" by Lesley Gore are two of the shortest songs on record!

* On the other end of the spectrum is "Hey Jude" by the Beatles with a running time of over 7 minutes!

* The album track "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey" is the longest title in the Beatles catalog. "The Anaheim, Azuza & Cucamonga Sewing Circle, Book Review and Timing Association" by Jan and Dean is another example of a loooong title. So is "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" by Brian Hyland. My next bubbling under pick, "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?" is one of the longest song titles in the Rolling Stones catalog if not the longest.

Released in September of 1966, "Mother, Baby" was the second Stones single in a row to underperform on the USA chart, barely making the top 10 and remaining on the list
only 7 weeks. The Rolling Stones reclaimed domestic chart supremacy at the start of 1967 with "Ruby Tuesday" which also hit #1. While the kinder, gentler psychedelic Stones of '67 were an acquired taste for some Dell patrons, the rough and ready rats had no problem embracing the hard rocking "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby" in the fall of '66.

 211. "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing 
 In The Shadow?" - Rolling Stones (October 1966, 
 highest chart position #9) 

 THE BEATLES 

"Nowhere Man" is the only Beatles song on my list of the 200 Greatest Hits of the Shady Dell. Several other Beatles sides were played frequently in the dance hall during the mid 60s, but I saved them for these Bubbling Under lists in order to give some glory to lesser known artists and songs that were more popular at the Dell than anywhere else. Released as the flip side of the Fab Four's "Paperback Writer" single, "Rain" is considered by many to be the greatest of all Beatles B sides. The recording is a product of studio experimentation and innovation including the technique of varying the speed of the lead and backing vocals and adding backward vocals to the final mix. At the Dell "Rain" covered the floor with line dancers throughout the fabled Endless Summer of 1966.

 207. "Rain" - Beatles (June 1966, highest chart position 
#23) 



RAIN - A Tribute to the Beatles, a show inspired by the Broadway production of Beatlemania and launched in the mid 70s, continues to tour America. In a twist of irony two of the original Beatles imitators have since died, the performers who played the parts of George and Ringo.

 Stay right where you 
 are, brother rat. More 
 great songs from the 
 Dell's Bubbling Under 
 list are coming soon! 



Have a Shady day!