SHG: Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown

The Rolling Stones: “19th Nervous Breakdown”
Entered the chart on: 3/5/66
Peaked on: 3/19/66
Weeks at #2: 3
Song at #1: “The Ballad of the Green Berets” by Ssgt. Barry Sadler

So we come at last to the “bad boys” of the British Invasion. Which is a bit silly, if you ask me; the Beatles weren’t exactly saints. That said, it’s obvious the Stones’ music was a lot more raunchy, with darker lyrical undertones. There weren’t any smooth vocal harmonies here, no George Martin sweetening, just Mick Jagger’s snarling vocals and Keith Richards’ violent guitar. You could definitely see their appeal as something your Perry Como/Joni James-loving parents were guaranteed to hate.

This isn’t one of the first songs to come to mind when I think of them, but it’s not exactly “obscure” these days (In fact, I’m pretty sure I heard it on the radio within the past two weeks).



Well, Nobel has gone on to canonize Bob Dylan for his lyrical skills, so let’s use this little review to shine the spotlight on Mick Jagger. Yes, it’s probably “Like a Rolling Stone” that opened doors for songs like this, because this is far from the “love and loss” lyrics that had been part and parcel of popular music heretofore. Hell, even the early Beatles sides were essentially love songs. Here we have something different: an analysis of a young woman who’s lost her mind, and how she got there.

Which begs the question: why nineteenth nervous breakdown? Presumably because it was attention-getting, euphonious and fit the rhythm of the song. As near as I can tell, the hapless subject of the song’s lyrics is spoiled by her wealthy but neglectful parents, and turns to recreational drugs which only makes matters worse. So...not exactly painting a rosy picture, then.

Musically, the highlight is—as it so frequently is with Stones songs—Keith Richards’ dazzling lead guitar work. This isn’t quite the firestorm of that harsh, broken-speaker beehive buzz found on “Satisfaction,” but this was still harder and edgier guitarwork than people were accustomed to hearing at the time. Soon the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page would descend onto the scene and ear-bleeding guitar timbres would become the norm. Let it be noted that Keith, for better or worse, got there first.

I don’t know if this is my favorite Stones song of this era, but listening to it again, I realize it’s not only good, but really first-rate! Well done, guys!

Rating: 5

SHG: The Beach Boys: "Barbara Ann"

The Beach Boys: “Barbara Ann”
Entered the chart on: 1/15/66
Peaked on: 1/29/66
Weeks at #2: 2
Songs at #1: “We Can Work It Out” by the Beatles and “The Sounds of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel

I was just about to say, “I can’t believe this is the first Beach Boys song we’re covering at Second Hand Goods. Spoiler alert: it’s also the only Beach Boys song we’ll be covering.

Hopefully, the Beach Boys should need no introduction. Piggybacking on a popular trend for summer fun pastimes, they went on to take vocal harmony pop to its very limits. This tune was right on the cusp, before they released their legendary Pet Sounds album, where chief songwriter Brian Wilson attempted to take them away from surfing/cars/high school tunes and start making “grown up” music. Unfortunately, his attempts at following his muse were met with resistance, not least of such detractors was his own stubborn cousin and bandmate Mike Love*, who gladly embraced the nostalgia/oldies circuit, and wanted them to stay making fluffy teenage pop.



All right, obviously this is closer to the “classic” Beach Boys than to Pet Sounds. And I’m surprised how raw this sounds. The intro almost sounds like a demo. And how had I forgotten all the background chatter, à la “Louie Louie.” Someone even starts laughing at one point, and they just left it in! I think, since I’ve become so accustomed to listening to their Pet Sounds and later material, it’s easy to forget how visceral they could be (with exceptions...Wild Honey for example).

Obviously, they’re going for a classic 50s rock & roll throwback with this. That said, you can hear why they came across as so revolutionary. The vocal harmonies on this are just insane! There’s just so much going on, with rhythm, bass, melody, counter-melody and harmony parts. It never becomes inaccessible, though, retaining the delightful lead melody straight through.

Which explains why this was such a big hit. Impossible to resist.

Rating: 5

*actually said by a friend of mine about Mike Love: “How can someone be so into TM and still be such an asshole?”

SHG: Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs: "Wooly Bully"

Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs: “Wooly Bully”
Entered the chart on: 5/10/65
Peaked on: 6/5/65
Weeks at #2: 2
Songs at #1: “Help Me Rhonda” by the Beach Boys and “Back in My Arms Again” by the Supremes

Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs, no matter how you look at them, are a damn strange band. First, there is the matter of their image. I’m guessing Domingo “Sam the Sham” Samudio decided, on account of his angular features and Van Dyke beard, that he looked good in sultan drag, and the rest of the band just fell in behind him on that.

Second, there is the matter of this song. On the surface, it’s following in the footsteps of the Kingsmen, more of that scrappy garage-y rock, only this time with Tex-Mex spice. But dig a little deeper and...um...huh? Well, let’s examine this more closely...



I have a hard time believing this was released on MGM. Really? The label that brought us Connie Francis and Joni James also brought us something this raucous and crude? It hardly seems possible!

While Sam’s cheap transistor organ places this squarely in the middle 60s, they seriously tap into the 50s rock spirit with this song, replete with wailing sax solo. It’s Sam’s crazy vocal performance that makes this, and I love that he includes a bit of his heritage in the count-in for the song right at the beginning (“Uno, dos...one, two, tres, cuatro!”).

And then there’s the matter of the lyrics. Um...what is this song about? As near as I can guess, it’s about a werewolf, tapping into the monster craze spurred by Universal’s re-release of their classic monster pictures around this time. But really, it’s anyone’s guess. It’s just funny doggerel for Sam to spit out as he and the band get the party hopping.

And really, I can’t imagine a more fun way to get it done.

Rating: 5

SHG: Johnny Rivers: "Memphis"

Johnny Rivers: “Memphis”
Entered the chart on: 6/13/64
Peaked on: 7/11/64
Weeks at #2: 2
Songs at #1: “I Get Around” by the Beach Boys and “Rag Doll” by the Four Seasons

Here’s a song that’s already been around the block a few times. It’s of course a Chuck Berry song, released back in ’59, but weirdly was only a hit in the UK. (#6 on the British pop charts). The version I’m most familiar with is the 1963 instrumental version by guitarist Lonnie Mack, which cracked the top 5. This was another record from my parents’ collection, and one I wore the grooves out of listening to as a kid.

Which brings us to Johnny Rivers. While he was an Italian-American born in New York (real surname: Ramistella), his family moved to Baton Rouge when he was very young, so his Southern Delta accent isn’t a pose, unlike some later artists I’ll be covering. Apparently, he was persona non grata with Elvis Presley on account of this song. Elvis wanted to cover this using this arrangement, but Johnny got there first and had a huge hit with it.



Well, I daresay I think the Beatles are the ones to thank for something like this making it back on the charts. Real rock & roll, the likes of which hasn’t been heard in quite a while. À la the Kingsmen, we get background chatter to give it a spontaneous feel. Other than that, there’s not a lot to it. Guitars and drums. Like I said, real rock & roll.

Johnny does credit to the Chuck Berry original. He has a twang to his voice and, as I said before, it doesn’t seem phony. There isn’t really a lot more to say about this. A solid, old-school rock & roll number.

Rating: 4

SHG: The Beatles: "Twist and Shout"

The Beatles: “Twist and Shout”
Entered the chart on: 3/21/64
Peaked on: 4/4/64
Weeks at #2: 4
Song at #1: “Can’t Buy Me Love” by the Beatles

The Beatles’ debut appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show created a craze heretofore unseen in popular music. Not even Elvis Presley’s iconic debut caused such a commotion. Of course, a big part of the Beatles’ absolute dominance of the pop charts has to do with the backlog of material they’d accrued; they may have debuted with their then-current single, “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” but they had already been a “thing” in the UK since ’62.

Obviously, the pop music industry, being then as now a den of crass opportunists, rushed to fill the void. Numerous labels—namely Capitol, Swan, Vee-Jay, Tollie* and Atco—all wound up releasing Beatles singles at once. On top of that, MGM blew the dust off of one of the recordings by lounge singer Tony Sheridan featuring the Beatles as the backing band (a rendition of the moldy oldie “My Bonnie”) and that, likewise, charted during this period.

Not wishing to be left out, those clowns at London International assembled a group of girls dubbed the Carefrees, exhumed “We Love You Conrad” from the [stifles laughter] “rock” musical Bye Bye Birdie and thanks to the magic of Mad Libs™ style name substitution, released the result as “We Love You Beatles.” This too hit the charts, despite being utterly worthless.

With all that said, it’s odd that the first Beatles song I should review is a cover, albeit a beloved one. Little known, the Isley Brothers’ version on which the Beatles so obviously based their version is not the original. That honor goes to the Top Notes, whose version was produced by none other than Phil Spector. I have not heard that version, so I need to educate myself...

I have to tell you, after being familiar with later versions, hearing the Top Notes version is...weird. It has a completely different feel, despite being full of the rock energy that the later versions also have. Reportedly, Bert Berns (who co-wrote the song with Bill “Righteous Brothers” Medley) hated what Spector did with his tune, so he helmed the Isley Brothers version himself.

And with all that said, let us finally get round to the serious business of examining Beatlemania in action.

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John Lennon owns this version. His voice on this is kind of like a blown-out speaker, and it totally works for the tune, riding over the top of his and George’s rubber-band-y guitars. And we of course get Paul McCartney’s “woo” in the background, on loan from Little Richard (a fact Little Richard would be glad to point out to you, whether you asked him to do so or not). The harmonized “aahs,” the crack of Ringo’s drums, John’s cat-like scream near the end, it’s all just so perfect.

You really get what a revelation the Beatles must have been listening to this, and you only really understand it when doing a feature like the one I’ve been doing. With a few exceptions (see: Bobby Lewis’ “Tossin’ and Turnin’”) “black music” began going in a direction other than rock & roll, and there were few white artists still doing an effective job of it. We’ve seen Dion and the Kingsmen and, of course, Elvis**, but little in the way of real rock & roll outside of that. To have four kids with funny haircuts from Liverpool going for the spirit of Buddy Holly and absolutely nailing it must have been magical.

Pop music would never be the same. And I mean that in the best way possible.

Rating: 5

*All right, Tollie was a subsidiary of Vee-Jay, albeit one that seemed to exist solely to capitalize on the Beatles success. That’s not strictly true, but it sure feels like it. Incidentally, one of the last singles released by Tollie was Jimmy Cross’ infamous “I Want My Baby Back.”
**Well, Roy Orbison and Gene Pitney had some fine uptempo rockers as well, but we only covered their ballads here at Second Hand Goods.

SHG: The Kingsmen: "Louie Louie"

The Kingsmen: “Louie Louie”
Entered the chart on: 11/30/63
Peaked on: 12/14/63
Weeks at #2: 6
Songs at #1: “Dominique” by the Singing Nun and “There! I’ve Said It Again” by Bobby Vinton

And so we say farewell to 1963 with this song. Spoiler alert for people unfamiliar with popular music history: we’ll be saying goodbye to a lot of things in 1964. Remember those consistent hitmakers up to this point? Most of them will be long gone by next year. You’ll see why ere long.

In the meantime...what more is there to say about this, perhaps the quintessential “garage rock” anthem? I will say that the fact that it stalled at Number Two for six freaking weeks behind two of the most white-bread pieces of crap is extremely suspicious. You see, there was a rumour that there was all sorts of filthy sailor talk and pornographic poesy lurking under the murky production and Jack Ely’s marble-mouthed delivery. It wasn’t true, of course, but it apparently required an FBI investigation, of all things, to get to the bottom of things. They could have just listened to Richard Berry’s original and saved a lot of time and taxpayer money!

In any case, the rumour help build the song’s legend, and went on to make it the most-covered song of all time.



I’ve talked about iconic riffs before, but I don’t think anything can top that electric piano intro to this. After years of increasing slickness in rock & roll, we’re back in Sun Records territory with this. This literally sounds like it was recorded in someone’s garage, the vocal mic sounds like it’s four feet away*, while the drums sound like they’re at the other end of the room.

The high point of this is undeniably the guitar solo, which somehow I completely forget about every time I listen to it. I don’t know why, the stinging tone the guitarist uses absolutely slayed me this time. The sludgy production is part of the song’s charm; the band’s energy and excitement comes through even though it sounds like it was recorded on a cheap Montgomery Ward’s tape recorder.

This is one of those records like “Walk—Don’t Run” and “Be My Baby” that inspired lots of people to pick up instruments and form bands. There weren’t a lot of songs that sounded like this before, but there were tons after.

Rating: 5

SHG: Dion: "Ruby, Baby"

Dion: “Ruby Baby”
Entered the chart on: 1/26/63
Peaked on: 2/23/63
Weeks at #2: 3
Song at #1: “Hey, Paula” by Paul & Paula and “Walk Like a Man” by the Four Seasons

So...we’ve made it to 1963 unscathed. I’m biding my time until 1964—savvy readers of this feature ought to know what happens then. In the meantime, some interesting developments in ’63 mean it’s shaping up to finally really feel like the 60s, instead of the dregs of the late 50s. Which is fine for me; as much as I enjoyed watching the movie Hairspray*, it’s not a place I’d want to live.

So...we’re back to Dion. Of the Italian-American pretty boys that were in vogue at the time, he is by far my favorite, questionably sexist lyrical content aside. Unlike Frankie Avalon, Paul Anka and the Bobbys, Dion had actual rock & roll credibility, as well as a dynamite singing voice.

That said, I’m not conjuring up a memory of this one in my head. Which is odd, since it’s technically his second-biggest hit**. Clearly I need a refresher course, so let’s get to it!



OK, the Leiber-Stoller credit on the label (his first for Columbia after years with Laurie) gives me hope. As does the stark intro of just guitar chords. Dion’s voice enters, so slinky and loaded with soul. This is almost a throwback to Sun Records rockabilly stuff. I just adore how off-the-cuff Dion’s performance is here, all the casual asides he throws out in between phrases add to the appeal of this one.

Wow! How did I forget this was a thing? Why bother with Tame Elvis when Dion was more in the spirit of those early Elvis sides in ’63 than Elvis was anymore?

Shame on me for forgetting about this! This has to be the best classic rock & roll styled number I’ve covered on Second Hand Goods in a while!

Rating: 5 *the John Waters original, not the musical abomination, thank you. **after “Runaround Sue,” his only #1. As you’ll recall “The Wanderer” went to #2 as well, but only spent one week there.

SHG: Elvis Presley: "Return to Sender"

Elvis Presley: “Return to Sender”
Entered the chart on: 10/27/62
Peaked on: 11/17/62
Weeks at #2: 5
Song at #1: “Big Girls Don’t Cry” by the Four Seasons

So, you’ve tamed your Wild Elvis, now what do you do with him? If you’re Colonel Tom Parker, you’ll have him star in a series of progressively more embarrassing movie musicals until they stop being profitable/Elvis realizes they’re making him look like a dork, decides he’s had enough and exerts his will to exact some damage control on his flagging career.

This tune’s from Girls! Girls! Girls! which is about...honestly, does it really matter? I’m convinced the scripts for Elvis movies were written Mad Libs™-style; you know: “In this film, Elvis plays a [GLAMOUROUS PROFESSION] in [EXOTIC LOCALE], where he falls for a gorgeous young woman played by [CURRENTLY HOT HOLLYWOOD STARLET]. But she resists his charms, until she hears him sing [SONG WRITTEN FOR FILM].” And so on and so forth.

But we’re not here to review Elvis’ filmography (thank the Gods), we’re here to review a song. And this time it’s an uptempo number and not a dreary ballad.



Oh my, is that a baritone sax opening this? I already like this better than that Blue Hawaii sleeping pill!And you sure don’t hear guitar this clean on rock songs anymore! I’d comment on the dated postal reference in the lyrics but, hey, think of that Lady Gaga/Beyoncé feature-length ad for Samsung and how silly it will look one day already looks.

Make no mistake, this is Tame Elvis. You could easily imagine the likes of the Bobbys (Vee, Rydell, et al) singing this. But it’s Elvis. Elvis does his usual Elvis magic to lift average material above the norm. Elvis makes this song not suck.

Rating: 3

SHG: Dion: "The Wanderer"

Dion: “The Wanderer”
Entered the chart on: 12/18/61
Peaked on: 2/24/62
Weeks at #2: 1
Song at #1: “Duke of Earl” by Gene Chandler

I was wondering when I’d get around to Dion, who rose from the ranks of Italian-American street-corner doo-wop groups in the Bronx (The Belmonts, in this case) to the top of the singles charts. He started questionably (as a soloist, at any rate) with “Lonely Teenager” but there’s no doubt that he had some serious pipes, and could really deliver the goods when presented with A-material. I get the feeling, unless my memory’s failing me, that the lyrics to this one are questionable for other reasons, but we’ll get to that.



Yeah...the lyrics to this one are pretty sleazy, about a serial love-maker who’s probably looking for a nasty case of V.D. if he keeps up this behavior. That said, there’s something oddly irresistible about this one, the shuffle beat, the sax solo and Dion’s raunchy vocal lead, which captures the mood of the song perfectly.

Others have pointed out the double-standard of this song following up “Runaround Sue.” The protagonist of this song is the male equivalent of Sue, but while there’s all sorts of finger-wagging towards Sue and her wanton ways, the subject of “The Wanderer” is deemed “cool.” Yes, it’s incredibly sexist. I still highly enjoy both songs.

A product of its time, sure, but an enjoyable one all the same. Call it a guilty pleasure if you must.

Rating: 4

SHG: The Ventures: "Walk—Don't Run"

The Ventures: “Walk—Don’t Run”
Entered the chart on: 7/25/1960
Peaked on: 8/29/1960
Weeks at #2: 1
Song at #1: “It’s Now or Never” by Elvis Presley

It’s funny, this is the first instrumental I’ve reviewed since “Raunchy” all the way back in 1957. “Funny” because I’m looking ahead, and I see three instrumentals (more or less) in quick succession in my near future. Funny because I’m looking at the plentitude of instrumentals that charted in 1961. But more on that later.

It’s also funny that the Ventures, the most successful and influential of instrumental rock bands possibly of all-time, are hardly ever talked about these days. Imitators like Dick Dale receive gushing praise from hipster lips all the time, but hardly anyone mentions the originators of the surf-guitar sound anymore. And I have to wonder why that is?

For the record, this originated as a 1956 jazz guitar tune by Johnny Smith. It had also previously been done by country guitarist and musical arranger Chet Atkins (the man behind the memorably subtle orchestration of Jim Reeves’ “He’ll Have to Go”), on whom the Ventures apparently based their version.



I have to say, there’s a certain something about the Ventures’ rendition of this that just clicks with me the way the Johnny Smith and Chet Atkins versions don’t. The melody is there and present in all three versions, but why does the Ventures version seem so much better to me? I guess the other two are competent, but rather typical. The Johnny Smith version follows a steady “head-solos-head” form that was typical of 1950s jazz, while the Chet Atkins tune could be any instrumental track off of a “guitarist plays popular songs” album of the day.

The Ventures version has a certain je ne sais quoi about it. Maybe it’s that drum fill that opens the tune, making you stand at attention. Maybe it’s that spiky guitar tone that’s present on both lead and rhythm guitars. For whatever reason, it really works for this song and it’s memorable melody. Bob Bogle’s handling of the melody is very fluid, and he knows just when to bend a note and how to do so to make the most of it.

Apparently this song influenced a ton of young, budding musicians to pick up guitars and form bands of their own. And you know, I can hear that. Timeless stuff.

Rating: 5

SHG: Phil Phillips: "Sea of Love"

Phil Phillips: “Sea of Love”
Entered the chart on: 7/20/1959
Peaked on: 8/24/1959
Weeks at #2: 2
Song at #1: “The Three Bells” by the Browns

I don’t recognize the song at #1. Should I even bother to listen to it? For context, you understand.

I definitely recognize “Sea of Love,” which is another one-hit wonder, alongside the Impalas in the Class of ’59. Lots of these short-run artists struggle for years to have a second hit (see: Cathy Carr) without success, but Phil only had a couple of other singles to his credit. Not sure what’s happening there, but let’s examine the case of “Sea of Love” just the same...

Ooh...Phil’s voice is like honey! I could listen to a voice like that every day. The backing vocals are by a vocal group by the Twilights and they’re nice, as is the seesaw piano part which forms the base of the instrumental backing. This sounds like it came from earlier on in the 50s, based on the very stripped-down arrangement compared to the last few tunes I reviewed. It’s piano, vocals, and not much else.

Lyrically, it isn’t anything super spectacular. “La la la, I love you,” that sort of thing. But the piano arrangement is memorable and...damn! I could listen to Phil’s voice all day long.

Again, I’m regretting that he was only a one-hit wonder. What a voice!

Rating: 5

SHG: Lloyd Price: "Personality"

Lloyd Price: “Personality”
Entered the chart on: 5/11/1959
Peaked on: 6/15/1959
Weeks at #2: 3
Song at #1: “The Battle of New Orleans” by Johnny Horton

Lloyd Price, now there’s a name you don’t hear much anymore! I don’t know why, he was an R&B legend with singles going all the way back to 1952 and already one number one hit to his name by this point. And that was with a song about a man who goes around shooting people!

That song (“Stagger Lee”) and this were both arranged for Price’s own orchestra by ABC-Paramount’s Don Costa. And I guess this song must have left a mark on people, as Price was hereafter dubbed “Mr. Personality.” So let’s re-acquaint ourselves with this one:



Hmm...I sense a pattern forming with these 1959 rock releases. Someone like Price, who once had to starve in cheap digs, was now afforded high-budget production values the likes of which were lavished only on white-bread artists like Perry Como and Joni James. We’ve come a long way since “Blue Suede Shoes” in three short years. Rock & roll was now big business, so we have full-on productions with horns, choruses and slick sound. That’s Costa’s doing.

But all this would be worthless were it saddled with a second-rate performer performing a lackluster song. Fortunately, such is not the case here. I really like the lyrics to this one: apparently the protagonist’s friends are down on his lady love, but not him. Why? Because she has personality! What a refreshing sentiment! I had forgotten about the “over and over” hook, so it’s interesting that this song has two hooks, not just one.

I also love the way Price just belts this song. I mean, man, he really sells it. I hadn’t really listened to this song analytically before, but not only does he have a very strong voice, but a powerful vocal presence. That’s really something to be cherished.

Better than “The Battle of New Orleans” any day of the week.

Rating: 5

SHG: Bobby Darin: "Dream Lover"

Bobby Darin: “Dream Lover”
Entered the chart on: 5/4/1959
Peaked on: 6/8/1959
Weeks at #2: 1
Song at #1: “The Battle of New Orleans” by Johnny Horton

Lots of folks forget that Bobby Darin started out as a rock & roller. I mean, nobody would confuse him with Jerry Lee Lewis, but I think that “Splish Splash” was definitely a credible stab at the genre (and it’s obvious he was really trying to emulate JLL, so let’s give him an A for effort).

This one was from that era, too. In fact, right on the cusp of that era, as we’ll soon find out.



The first thing that strikes me is the quality and smoothness of Bobby’s voice. There’s a little “catch” in it, though, that lets you know he’s feeling the lyric. Call me cynical, but I relate better to songs like this, about a lonely man wishing for someone to warm his bedside, than in songs that espouse how good it feels to be in love. For the record, I do believe this pre-dated Bobby’s romance to popular starlet Sandra Dee.

I guess because rock & roll was now Big Business, the arrangements were getting bigger too. Yes, the spiky electric guitar is there plucking along, but like with the Impalas song we have a full orchestration with a big mixed-voice choir backing him. The producer also added a smidgen of reverb to Bobby’s voice which isn’t strictly necessary, but is nonetheless a nice touch.

This is a very good song, but you could kind of already hear that Bobby felt that he was outgrowing this kind of thing. He graduated from this song to transform himself into an old-school song stylist à la Tony Bennett. Apparently, in an interview after his performance of this very song on American Bandstand, Dick Clark came out and told Bobby he thought he’d lost his mind when he said that the next song he’d be doing would be an old and already much-covered standard from Kurt Weill’s A Threepenny Opera.

Obviously Bobby had the last laugh, as that song topped the charts for nine straight weeks and acted as the second wind for his music career. That is, until 1966 when he picked up an acoustic guitar and re-invented himself as a folk troubadour, with an affecting rendition of Tim Hardin’s “If I Were a Carpenter.”

Bobby Darin, pop music’s original chameleon. Move over, David Bowie.

Rating: 4

SHG: The Impalas: "Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home)"

The Impalas: “Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home)”
Entered the chart on: 4/13/1959
Peaked on: 5/11/1959
Weeks at #2: 2
Songs at #1: “The Happy Organ” by Dave “Baby” Cortez and “Kansas City” by Wilbert Harrison

Another one from my parents’ record collection! And I think this is the first one from the consolidated chart to be stuck at #2 behind two different #1 hits. The single (on MGM’s short-lived Cub subsidiary) “helpfully” contains the annotation “With Vocal Accompaniment.” Thanks for that, Cub, but aren’t the Impalas a vocal group? Despite having spun this on my crappy old GE Show ’n Tell record player (I now call it the Record Killer™) numerous times, I’m having difficulty remembering it clearly. Good sign or bad sign?



You can put the Impalas in the same box as the Crests in that they’re another multi-racial vocal group from Brooklyn. I wouldn’t put this on the same level as “Sixteen Candles,” which was simply stunning on every level from Johnny Maestro’s vocal on down. But this is a solid slab of peak-period doo-wop. Joe “Speedo” Frazier does a more than credible job singing lead, his voice having a youthful, innocent tone that has a touch of boyish irreverence to it (the repeated “Uh-oh!”). The song comes close to novelty song status without ever crossing the border.

Thanks to Leroy Holmes and his orchestra, this one has a fuller, more produced sound than a lot of rock & roll tunes of its era. And I think this might be the first trombone solo we’ve covered at Second Hand Goods since “A Blossom Fell” way back in ’55.

So, a good tune, indicative of its era, without being a classic. Worth listening to.

Rating: 4

SHG: Elvis Presley: "A Fool Such as I"

Elvis Presley: “A Fool Such as I”
Entered the chart on: 3/30/1959
Peaked on: 4/27/1959
Weeks at #2: 1
Song at #1: “Come Softly to Me” by the Fleetwoods

Step 2 in the taming of your Elvis: have him sing some unapologetically sentimental ballads. Before you know it, he’ll be singing English-language adaptations of “O sole mio” and making cheesy movie musicals in Hawaii.



Technically, the full title of this is “(Now and Then There’s) A Fool Such as I,” but I didn’t feel like typing out the whole thing with the parenthetical subtitle over and over. You get that, right? Actually, it’s clearly been a long time since I’ve heard this, as the arrangement is way more rock & roll than I’d remembered. This song is actually a cover version, the original version by Hank Snow hit the country charts way back in 1953.

The loping guitar part gives this one a nice swing and the Jordanaires provide ample support on backing vocals (as with “Charlie Brown,” the bass singer gets a solo singing the title hook). Elvis is, as usual, good, but he seems to have tamed the wildness a bit here. This was the result of a quickie recording session made in the middle of his army service, and it seems a bit rushed and substandard as a result.

So, not bad, but not spectacular. Decent Elvis is better than no Elvis, I suppose, but he’s shown better elsewhere. It’s no “Love Me,” that’s for sure.

Rating: 3

SHG: The Coasters: "Charlie Brown"

The Coasters: “Charlie Brown”
Entered the chart on: 2/9/1959
Peaked on: 3/9/1959
Weeks at #2: 3 weeks
Song at #1: “Venus” by Frankie Avalon

Talk about “the day the music died.” Check out what’s in the #1 spot. It didn’t take long for the fake-rock opportunists to move in!

But never mind about that. We’re here to discuss what hit #2, which if nothing else, saves me the agony of reviewing the execrable Frankie Avalon. And it’s easy to dismiss the Coasters as a novelty act, the Harlem Globetrotters of doo-wop, if you will. But that would be selling them short on being a first-rate vocal group with great songwriting (courtesy of the inimitable Leiber/Stoller, who already gave us Elvis’ spectacular early ballad “Love Me” on this feature). I loved this tune as a kid, let’s see if it holds up...



When I was a kid, I thought this was about the Charlie Brown, i.e.: Charles Schulz’s oft-harangued character. It would explain the solo refrain for bass singer “Dub” Jones: “Why is everybody always pickin’ on me?” It seems not to be the case, though. This Charlie Brown shares the name of the comic strip character, but has a completely different personality. This Charlie Brown is a rebellious teen, an irreverent class clown who’s frequently in trouble for being such a merry prankster.

No wonder this song was such a big hit. Not only is the subject matter unique and attention-grabbing, but so is the vocal arrangement, with not only Jones’ repeated solo line, but also the brief appearance by David Seville’s Chipmunks* on background vocals. The sax hook is also completely infectious. When listening to this for this review, I was thinking, “Oh please, give this guy a solo!” Fortunately, my wish was granted. Never doubt Leiber/Stoller.

If all novelty songs were this good, maybe I wouldn’t be so down on them in general.

Rating: 5

*I know David Seville had nothing to do with this recording, they were just using the same trick of monkeying with the tape-speed. I’m guessing Leiber/Stoller heard “Witch Doctor” on the radio and decided to use the same gimmick, albeit mercifully not for the length of a record.

SHG: Richie Valens: "Donna"

Ritchie Valens: “Donna”
Entered the chart on: 12/15/1958
Peaked on: 2/23/1959
Weeks at #2: 2 weeks
Song at #1: “Stagger Lee” by Lloyd Price

Suddenly, this feature becomes a lot less fun, and a lot more tragic.

And I don’t mean tragic in the “so bad it’s horrible” way (Believe me, we’ll get to Paul Anka in time, and I am not looking forward to it!). I mean actual tragedy, of the “talent taken from us too soon” variety. I think the only thing that could make this hurt more would be to have Buddy Holly in the top spot.

For those of you, presumably quite young, twisting your faces in confusion, do please research Richard Valenzuela, rock music pioneer and Hispanic icon, and learn of his tragic end and what it meant to popular music. Because it was a distinct dividing line. Popular music was not the same after the plane crash that took the lives of Buddy, Richie and the Bopper.

And for the record, the B-side of this single, a piece of infectious Spanish-language rock & roll called “La Bamba,” also charted, saving poor Richie the indignity of one-hit wonder status.



How did I forget that this song is in 6/8 time? And how nice the guitar accompaniment is (is that Richie himself*?)? Listening to Richie’s plaintive voice on this song (an ode to his real-life girlfriend, Donna Ludwig, fact fans) really hammers home the tragedy of his short life. In a just world, he would have lived long enough to produce a whole slew of sweet rock ballads of this quality. But as we are well aware, this world is anything but just.

Even divorced of its backstory, there’s something extremely touching about this ballad. Richie’s voice, while on the thin side, oozes sincerity and emotion, and sells the sorrow of lost love very well. And I just can’t get over the guitar playing on this one, it’s just so sweet and arranged to perfection.

Absolutely a delight. Such a shame we were robbed of more like this.

Rating: 5

*Yes, it is, along with Rene Hall, Irving Ashby and the legendary Carol Kaye. Is there any record she didn’t play on?

SHG: Bill Parsons: "The All-American Boy"

Bill Parsons: “The All-American Boy”
Entered the chart on: 12/28/1958
Peaked on: 2/2/1959
Weeks at #2: 1
Song at #1: “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” by the Platters

When is a song not a song by who you think it is? When the record company screws up. Infamously, this song is actually by Bobby Bare, but Fraternity Records screwed up and listed Parsons as the singer. So not only were they unable to give Cathy Carr a follow-up hit, they couldn’t even credit their performers correctly! Doesn’t inspire confidence in their competence, does it?



Bleah...I really dislike spoken-word records. Not a big fan of novelty songs, either. It’s a spoof of Elvis, apparently, but it could be about any guy who wanted to be a rock star and wound up getting drafted. You know, because there were so many of those in 1959. Topical humor, who needs it? That’s Bobby Bare singing doing the vocal, but Parsons did in fact write and arrange this. It’s a fine rock & roll song from an instrumental standpoint, but the vocal just makes me cringe.

Sorry, I don’t think this has aged very well. I think there’s a reason I’ve never heard this before now, and I really don’t think I need to explain why.

Rating: 1

SHG: Everly Bros.: "Problems"

The Everly Bros.: “Problems”
Entered the chart on: 11/24/58
Peaked on: 12/15/58
Weeks at #2: 1
Song at #1: “To Know Him Is to Love Him” by the Teddy Bears

October 27th, 1958.

That is the magical date. The date that Billboard Magazine consolidated all their various charts into the Hot 100. The magical date where my work on this feature suddenly becomes less of a confounding boondoggle. If I were to do another similar feature like this, I think I’d start it from that date instead of January 1st, 1955.

Anyway, another day, another Everly Brothers tune. “Bye Bye Love” is, of course, a classic, but this one’s not ringing a bell for me for whatever reason. Let’s investigate this one together.



God, how I love the acoustic guitar strumming on this. Like a lot of Everly Brothers tunes, there’s a real bluegrass feel to this. You can feel the link from old-timey hillbilly music to this in everything they do. At least I can. There’s not really so much separating old folk tunes like “The Cumberland Gap” to this.

The electric lead is another nice touch. Lyrically, this isn’t your typical stuff. I mean, they put it in teenager terms by making references to high school, but there aren’t many songs from that era that are basically saying, “life is confusing and I don’t know which way to turn.” Not only that, there doesn’t seem to be any clear-cut solution to the protagonist’s titular problems.

Rather existentialist for 50s rock & roll.

Rating: 5

SHG: Bobby Day: "Rock-in Robin"

Bobby Day: “Rock-in Robin”
Entered the chart on: 8/4/1958
Peaked on: 10/13/1958
Weeks at #2: 2 weeks
Song at #1: “It’s All in the Game” by Tommy Edwards

It’s funny how many of these songs are evoking strong memories of the last time I went to Mel’s Diner, either the one on Geary or the one on Lombard. Both are very 50s themed, with tons of these tunes on the jukeboxes, and stills from American Graffiti plastered all over the walls. I suppose I’m forever meant to mentally associate Ron Howard and Cindy Williams with this era, in spite of the fact that they were actually children and not teenagers when these songs were popular.

And yes, Joel Whitburn’s tome reliably informs me that this is the correct spelling of this song’s title. I’m looking at the label of the original 45 RPM Class label single over at rateyourmusic, and this confirms it.



Damn, this song is fun! Yes, this is one of those very silly songs like “Tweedlee Dee,” or “Wear My Ring Around Your Neck” for that matter, that is elevated by its performer. I’m rather shocked to learn that Bobby Day is a one-hit wonder, as based on this, he really should have had a hotter career as the man really knows how to sell a song!

Again, like “Wear My Ring Around Your Neck,” the backing vocalists do a lot to help support the lead performer. I’m not going to pretend a song about various species of bird having a rock & roll party is somehow going to change your life, but for three minutes, it’ll make you tap your foot and put a smile on your face.

Plus, how many other rock & roll numbers can you name that feature a piccolo solo?

Rating: 4