SHG: Elvis Presley: "Can't Help Falling in Love"

Elvis Presley: “Can’t Help Falling in Love”
Entered the chart on: 12/18/61
Peaked on: 2/3/62
Weeks at #2: 1
Song at #1: “Peppermint Twist” by Joey Dee and the Starliters

We’ve entered 1962, and I can’t help but notice that Elvis has completed his final metamorphosis into Tame Elvis. You’ll notice this was from Blue Hawaii, one in a long line of cheesy Elvis flicks, and the same one that featured the much-mocked “Ito Eats.”

You know, when I was a kid, I really disliked Elvis. Probably a bit of mild rebellion, as Elvis was Mom’s favorite. Then again, it might be me associating him with tunes like this, which I’ve never really liked. I distinctly remember the Blue Hawaii soundtrack in a stack of Mom’s records.



I was going to say “Elvis is the best part of this,” but while Elvis usually is the best part of any Elvis record, there’s other stuff of worth here. The up-down piano arpeggio that weaves through the entire track does a good job of tying it all together (is that Floyd Cramer? Possibly Elvis himself?). The Jordanaires are back and wonderful as usual on backing vocals. There’s also a sweet, slinky guitar hook during the B verse that grabs the listener. And do I detect a ukulele in the background? It’s from Blue Hawaii after all.

A lesser producer would have just swamped the whole thing in a treacly string orchestration, but fortunately that doesn’t happen. The production on this record is flawless, as is, typically, Elvis’ singing performance. The problem with this is the song itself. I’ve always found it to be bland, sentimental mush designed to appeal to weepy teenaged girls. Yuck.

At least it’s well-done, and Elvis gives it his all as usual, but that can’t save the song from the junk pile.

Rating: 2

SHG: Bobby Vee: "Run to Him"

Bobby Vee: “Run to Him”
Entered the chart on: 9/18/1961
Peaked on: 12/25/1961
Weeks at #2: 1
Song at #1: “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by the Tokens

Bobby Vee, if I ever think of him at all...actually, let me stop right here. I tend not to think of him at all. He’s never struck me as anyone’s favorite. I can’t imagine legions of raving, screaming, stomping Bobby Vee fans showering him with adulation. He seems like someone who had chart hits mainly to fulfill some kind of quota. The sort of artist where you ask someone about him, they respond with, “Eh, he’s all right I guess.”

Which isn’t to say that his output was completely without worth (he had a decent singing voice and “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes” was well-crafted, if not quite a masterpiece) but the mere mention of his name doesn’t exactly quicken the pulse.

Now, in my copy of the Whitburn Book, I’ve placed check-marks next to all the songs I’ve heard. This isn’t completely helpful, as there’s no context for it. It doesn’t explain where and under what circumstances I heard it. My guess would be that I was listening to some charts-obsessed oldies radio personality, a Dick Bartley or Casey Kasem presentation, probably. More pertinent for our purposes, just because I’ve heard a song doesn’t mean I’ll remember it years later, and that’s definitely the case with “Run to Him.” Not conjuring up memories of any kind of melody based on the title. So let’s “refresh” my “memory” of this one...



The loping rhythm of this almost makes me feel of an old cowboy song, but the swaths of strings and the drippy Johnny Mann Singers tell us we’re solidly in Bobby Rydell territory. That said, this might be the first teen-idol song I’ve heard done with any sort of competence. Yes, it’s sugary-sweet as hell, but it’s at least well-produced and well-written (Gerry Goffin co-wrote it). Yes, I’ll probably forget it as soon as it’s done playing (again) but Bobby’s singing voice is quite spiffy. No punched notes, no overwrought teenage melodrama, just a sweet melody performed well. The chord and key changes on this are actually surprisingly sophisticated for a tune made to appeal to teenaged girls.

Not in love with this, but I appreciate that it’s not just a quickie done with zero effort and hustled out the door to earn a quick buck. Like most of what I’ve heard from him, perfectly adequate.

Rating: 3

SHG: The Dovells: "The Bristol Stomp"

The Dovells: “Bristol Stomp”
Entered the chart on: 9/18/1961
Peaked on: 10/23/1961
Weeks at #2: 2
Song at #1: “Runaround Sue” by Dion

Not to obsess, but after listening to “Crying,” I went ahead and re-familiarized myself with Don McLean’s version and k. d. lang’s also for good measure*. And you know what? Both versions are very, very good! Neither is quite as spectacular as the original, at first, but both are performed by first-rate singers with reverence to the source material, yet who make the song their own. Isn’t that what good cover songs do?

Something tells me I’ll be referring back to this text in the near future.

Anyway, the Dovells. Is this the first “dance craze” record we’ve covered at Second Hand Goods? Was there really a dance to go with this song? Or did they just want to get their home-town some air-time on national, public radio. No idea if it’s actually true, but I understand the BBC banned this tune**, considering its lyric too salacious. “Bristols,” you see, is a slang term for women’s breasts.

Methinks someone at the BBC has a dirtier mind than any of us. What did they think this song was about? The mind boggles...



Oh yes, this is a Cameo-Parkway joint, so I think that’s a big, fat “yes” on the “is this a dance craze song or not?” Cameo-Parkway were the crassest of the early “youth-oriented” labels; they had no shame in jumping on any trend that came down the pike and exploiting it with ruthless abandon.

The thing that sticks in my mind about this, more than the insistent “The kids in Bristol are sharp as a pistol, etc.” backing vocal litany, is that jaunty guitar strumming accompaniment. Trust me to notice something about the instrumental track!

I guess we’re in “white people trying to sound black” territory again, which explains Len Barry’s wailing lead vocal on this. I don’t dislike it, but he’s kind of all over the place, missing notes right and left. Is it just me? Maybe it is, because obviously a lot of people bought this record.

I don’t know, maybe I’d like it better if they used a different take, but I bet Cameo-Parkway wanted to rush-release this and get it out the door as quick as possible to exploit the ever-fickle teenage taste. Because that’s the Cameo-Parkway way.

Rating: 3

*Still haven’t worked up the nerve to check out the rendition by Dutch Schlager singer Gerard Joling. I’m still burned by the time I heard what Wayne Newton did to “In Dreams.”
**It did become a hit, albeit belatedly, for the UK nostalgia group the Late Show in 1979.

SHG: Roy Orbison: "Crying"

Roy Orbison: “Crying”
Entered the chart on: 8/28/1961
Peaked on: 10/9/1961
Weeks at #2: 1
Song at #1: “Hit the Road Jack” by Ray Charles

And here we have the light at the end of the tunnel I spoke of earlier. After “Only the Lonely,” I was certainly eager to review more Roy Orbison songs. Sadly, this is the last one. Happily, it’s another tune I love.

Full disclosure time, and I’m showing my age here, but I heard Don McLean’s cover before I even knew it was a Roy Orbison song. Similarly, I had heard (and loved) Linda Ronstadt’s version of “Blue Bayou” long, long before Roy’s. I think that’s testament to Roy’s talent that so many other talented people were inspired by him.



Dare I compare this with the Dick & Deedee song from the last edition? That one had a fantastic snare drum hook, this one opens with an equally splendid tom-tom hook. And is that a celeste I hear? Bob Moore’s orchestration is, typically, just lovely. As with his chart-topping “Running Scared,” this one builds solidly from start to finish.

Damn, Roy, is it impossible for you not to knock one out of the park? And has there ever been anyone who ever made heartbreak so compelling? The man’s voice was a force of nature, nobody else could hit those high notes in the last refrain and still sound smooth as a pane of glass. Nobody else could tug at your heart-strings with the touch of sorrow in his voice.

I’m just going to bask in this moment of bliss. Don’t mind me!

Rating: 5

SHG: Dick & Deedee: "The Mountain's High"

Dick & Dee Dee: “The Mountain’s High”
Entered the chart on: 8/28/1961
Peaked on: 9/25/1961
Weeks at #2: 2
Song at #1: “Take Good Care of My Baby” by Bobby Vee

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I know something good is coming on the horizon. Gifted with foresight, I also know that 1962 has much better songs. In the meantime, let’s take a look at “The Mountain’s High,” an oldie you don’t really hear much anymore. Methinks there might be a reason for that. Only one way to find out.



[makes sour lemon face]

Right, I get what they’re going for. Whitewashing isn’t cool anymore. It’s 1961, and sounding like you’re black is cool. I think this might be our first instance of “blue-eyed soul.” I would have preferred the Righteous Brothers, but I got Dick & Deedee. Them’s the breaks, I suppose.

The best thing about this is that “rat-a-tat” snare drum hook. The worst thing about this is definitely Dick & Deedee themselves. Dick sounds strained most of the time while Deedee is so insufferably shrill. If I had a dog, no doubt he’d be howling in agony at this, begging me to turn it off.

And then Deedee starts making cuckoo bird noises at the end, for no real good reason. Deedee, Martha Reeves you are not.

[needle scratch]

Well, that’s enough of that then. Time to put on some Mary Wells and cleanse the palate. And the brain.

Rating: 1

SHG: Chris Kenner: "I Like It Like That"

Chris Kenner: “I Like It Like That, Part 1”
Entered the chart on: 7/3/1961
Peaked on: 7/31/1961
Weeks at #2: 3
Song at #1: “Tossin’ and Turnin’” by Bobby Lewis

So, after two very “meh” R&B tunes and a talented artist at his worst*, I’m ready to be entertained again. Can Chris Kenner turn that around?

I will tell you this, it probably helps not to know about this guy going in. His life would make the most depressing Todd in the Shadows episode ever. “He died of a heart-attack at the age of 46 while serving his prison sentence for statutory rape” doesn’t exactly cast sunbeams on your day.

So...not exactly the nicest guy in the world. But we’re not here to censure people for their moral standing, we’re here to review songs. After all, if people only listened to music produced by people of high moral values and good character, nobody would ever listen to Richard Wagner. Last I checked, they were still producing festivals in the guy’s honor.

Back on the subject of Chris Kenner...there’s a part 2? Hell, I’m listening to both parts! I don’t want to suffer that “Honky Tonk” disappointment all over again! Which won’t happen, because I’ve already heard this song before.



Right, this song has always confused me. “The name of the place is ‘I Like It Like That’?” Is that the actual name of a club in New Orleans or something? I’ve said before that I don’t really care for spoken word stuff before, but the refrain is so infectious and Kenner’s performance is so involving, I’m willing to cut him some slack. Plus this tune hooked me from the start with that rousing piano intro.

Speaking of “rousing piano intros,” is that Allen Freaking Toussaint? I think it is! Allow me to add that I am so glad I chose to listen to Part 2 as well. First off, as with “Honky Tonk,” Part 1 cuts off abruptly...at a paltry one minute and 55 seconds. Second, we’re offered splendid sax and piano solos on the flip. It’s functionally an instrumental, with just the backing vocalists doing their thing (Chris must have gone outside for a smoke break) as Allen and the mysterious sax player wail away.

Have I mentioned that I could just listen to Allen Toussaint’s piano playing all day?

A good selection to get your party jumping.

Rating: 4

*Suit at Mercury Records circa 1961: “Say, Brook, did you see Calvin and the Colonel last night? Funny stuff! You ought to write a song like that!”

SHG: Brook Benton: "The Boll Weevil Song"

Brook Benton: “The Boll Weevil Song”
Entered the chart on: 6/5/1961
Peaked on: 7/10/1961
Weeks at #2: 3
Song at #1: “Tossin’ and Turnin’ by Bobby Lewis

Allow me to preface this by saying that Bobby Lewis’ “Tossin’ and Turnin’” is one of the most underrated rock & roll records of the early 60s.

Speaking of underrated, here’s Brook Benton. He charted an amazing 22 hits on the top 40 between 1959 and 1970 and virtually nobody ever talks about him anymore. Even more than Sam Cooke, he is the true inheritor of Nat “King” Cole’s crown; his early singles could practically be clones of Cole ballads. He didn’t do as much uptempo material as Sam, but he could excel when called on to do so (see “Hotel Happiness”). And he even did a series of duets with jazz legend Dinah Washington.

If anyone talks about him anymore, it’s usually in regards to his last hit: a rendition of Tony Joe White’s “Rainy Night in Georgia” which hit the top 5 in early 1970. But his highest charting hit was this. And it’s a freaking novelty song! That’s just typical of our luck here at Second Hand Goods.



So, we start off with what sounds like a country song, with some very Floyd Cramer-ish piano. And then...ugh! This is a spoken-word number, isn’t it? Yep, the only Brook Benton song I’ll be covering won’t even feature Brook Benton doing what he does best. Well, we get the “Gotta have a home” refrain but that’s, like, 5% of the “song.” The rest is Brook just narrating this whimsical story about a boll weevil moving into a cotton farm, bringing his whole family along and basically making a nuisance of himself for the poor farmer.

As near as I can tell, this was loved by the same people that loved Disney’s Song of the South. It features the same Southern dialect storytelling style and, frankly, comes across as a bit stereotypical and embarrassing today.

Oh well, Brook Benton has 21 other hits to choose from. I’d rather be listening to any of them.

Rating: 1

SHG: Dee Clark: "Raindrops"

Dee Clark: “Raindrops”
Entered the chart on: 5/22/1961
Peaked on: 6/26/1961
Weeks at #2: 1
Song at #1: “Quarter to Three” by U. S. Bonds

I’m at a loss on how to start this review. Clark is another one of those artists like Lloyd Price who’d been kicking around in some form or other since the early 50s who just had to bide his time until popular tastes caught up with him. This was his biggest hit...and his last top 40 entry. It’s also the first song here at Second Hand Goods on the legendary Vee Jay label. I know I’ve heard this before, but I’m not remembering it clearly except as an excerpt of the hook in one of those K-Tel or Sessions ads.

Might as well get on with the review, since I’m running out of stuff to talk about.



CRASH! Rain and thunder sound effects...are these the first sound effects since...when was that that we last had sound effects on SHG? Could someone click on the “sound effects” tag and tell me?

“It must be raindrops, because men ain’t supposed to cry.” Oh, Dee, did you learn nothing from Rosey Greer? Right, it’s 1961, a decade too soon for Free to Be, You and Me. This is another song of heartbreak, along the lines of “Greenfields” or “Only the Lonely.” But for whatever reason, this isn’t doing it for me. The production is fine, there’s certainly a lot of money lavished into the lush string arrangement here. And I like how Dee lets the soul overtake him during the emotional chorus (even if I take exception to its dated sentiment). But in general, his voice is a little too clinical for my tastes. We’re not quite in Johnny Tillotson territory, but we’re edging awfully close.

For period R&B, you can do a lot better. Meh.

Rating: 2

SHG: Shep & the Limelites: "Daddy's Home"

Shep & the Limelites: “Daddy’s Home”
Entered the chart on: 4/10/1961
Peaked on: 5/29/1961
Weeks at #2: 1
Song at #1: “Travellin’ Man” by Ricky Nelson

And so, here we have our first “Answer Song.” My bible, the Whitburn book, informs me that this song was written in response to the Heartbeats’ “A Thousand Miles Away,” a song I’ve never heard, and a song I think few modern listeners have, considering it didn’t crack the top 40 and never shows up on oldies playlists.

On to the subject of the “Answer Song,” it’s a bit of a dead horse trope. It was a big deal in the 50s and 60s, Roger Miller’s “King of the Road” begat Jody Miller’s “Queen of the House,” the Shirelles “Mama Said” begat Jan Bradley’s “Mama Didn’t Lie,” Claude King’s “Wolverton Mountain” begat Jo Ann Campbell’s “(I’m the Girl On) Wolverton Mountain.” And so on and so forth. In retrospect, it seems a rather silly conceit, not to mention a lazy songwriting device. “What’s popular right now? ‘Please Help Me I’m Falling’? OK, I can bang something out. ‘(I Can’t Help You) I’m Falling Too.’ Bang! It’s a hit!”

I guess the last we got of the “Answer Songs” was that whole “Roxanne, Roxanne” business in the late 80s, which has to be the only song that begat not only an Answer Artist in Roxanne Shanté, but an Answer Artist to the Answer Artist in The Real Roxanne. I never knew what the big deal was, and to be honest, I couldn’t hum you any of the Roxanne songs even if you paid me.

Back on the subject of Shep & the Limelites, technically “Daddy’s Home” is the sequel to “A Thousand Miles Away” and not an “answer song” since James “Shep” Sheppard was the lead singer of both groups, and co-wrote both songs. I had their name wrong all these years. I had thought it was the Limeliters, but no, the record label ensures me it’s Limelites, with no “R.” So shall we get on with the review?



Ooo...more vibes! They were one of my favorite featured instruments on “He’ll Have to Go,” and they add a lovely, glassy sound to this. The “rat-a-tat” backing vocals are a nice touch, too. Before they get to the bridge, it sounds like the sax player runs out of breath. Made me giggle!

Now for the negative side, this kind of doo-wop was rather old hat by ’61 and while the singing is excellent (Shep nails the “I’m not a thousand miles away” at the end in particular), the song doesn’t completely involve me. The “Daddy’s home to stay” refrain is the only really memorable thing about it.

So...a bit of a throwaway, in a gloriously pretty package.

Rating: 3

SHG: Jørgen Ingmann: "Apache"

Jørgen Ingmann & His Guitar: “Apache”
Entered the chart on: 2/20/61
Peaked on: 3/3/61
Weeks at #2: 2
Song at #1: “Pony Time” by Chubby Checker

Here’s the last of the instrumentals I promised you. We shan’t get another until ’62, so we better savor it.

Jørgen Ingmann was part of a miniature explosion of Danish instrumentalists on the pop charts in the early 60s, along pianist Bent Fabric (“Alley Cat”) and trombonist Kai Winding (“More*”). Ingmann is better known abroad for “Dansevise,” the Eurovision-winning tune from 1963 featuring his wife Grethe playing the Mary Ford to his Les Paul.

While this song is heavily linked with Ingmann, especially in Scandinavia, it’s actually a cover. Burt Weedon did the original. The Shadows, roughly the UK answer to the Ventures and Cliff Richard’s backing band, did the second version, a UK chart-topper in the summer of 1960. Having only heard Ingmann’s version (and the cheesy 70s cover by Danish keyboardist Tommy Seebach), I shall duly preface my review with a listen to Weedon’s and the Shadows’ versions.



OK, the Shadows’ version is excellent, but very much in the Ventures mould. Not so fond of Weedon’s show-offy version, which seems to lose the melody in lots of showboating. As for Ingmann’s version, they’re not kidding with the “and his guitar” business. I wasn’t far off the mark with the Les Paul comparison earlier, this is just multiple tracks of Ingmann’s guitar and nothing else.

Not just because it’s the one I’m most familiar with, but this version is winning out for me. I’m a huge fan of the echo effects on this one, a touch of outer-space as befits the astronaut craze of the times. There’s something utterly enigmatic about the stark “layers of guitar only” arrangement of this that draws me into the melody.

A stunner, and by far the best instrumental I have reviewed thus far.

Rating: 5

*This was the theme to the controversial Italian documentary Mondo Cane, from the brief American craze for European cinema, on account of the more permissive values (read: more prurient content) compared to Hollywood, which was still clinging to the tattered remains of the Hays Code.