Miserlou by Dick Dale and His Del-Tones holds a special place in my heart. If I were to start listing all the reasons, this post would go on for pages. I’ll just tell you one:
I met Dick Dale in 1962, and I was so impressed by both the man and his music that I have never forgotten how important it all was to my musical development. He made me want to learn to play guitar.
In that year, at the age of 13, I entered my freshman year of high school. It was a tradition at my new school that they held a “Freshman Welcome Dance” in the gym. The first live performance by a star act I ever saw was that of Dick Dale and His Del-Tones.
While Dick Dale had been recording for about a year at the time, and had an album out, his recording of Miserlou had only just hit the airwaves locally. It was to become his signature tune, and we at that dance were among the first ever to hear it performed live.
A video is worth a thousand words. Here is a vid that shows Dick Dale and His Del-Tones very much as they were on stage that night at my high school
Watch Dick Dale and His Del-Tones Live
During the show, after about three songs, Dick Dale addressed the audience and asked that we please hold our applause between songs. He explained that if it weren’t for us, he would be just another wannabe musician, and that he felt he should be the one applauding us, not the other way around.
Dick Dale and His Del-Tones played over two hours that night. While on a between-set break, Dick came over to the refreshment stand and asked for a lemonade. He also asked if he should get the Milk Duds or the Junior Mints. I told him he should go for the Junior Mints, since the Milk Duds gummed up the mouth. He laughed and took the Junior Mints. He actually paid me for what he got. And gave me a tip “for the advice.” Imagine a rock star doing that today!
I could go on and on about Dick Dale, but suffice it to say that he is a true star, and a gentleman. If any oldies but goodies artist deserved to have his music listened to and downloaded, it’s Dick Dale!
Dick Dale’s First Album: Surfer’s Choice
My Personal Favorite: Summer Surf
The Whole Enchilada: Guitar Legends: The Very Best Of Dick Dale
All Dick Dale Downloads: Dick Dale MP3 Catalog
“It’s Now or Never” by Elvis Presley is one of those songs that I loved as a kid. Based on an Italian melody, “O Sole Mio,” with new lyrics, it was inevitable that I’d love it. My mother’s side of our family is Italian, and I’d heard that melody many times before.
Today, August 16, marks the anniversary of the passing of Elvis, at age 42, in 1977. As a lover of oldies music, I couldn’t let this day slip by without mention of The King. To be completely honest, I was not a big fan of Elvis Presley. What few songs I’d heard by him prior to 1960 weren’t really appealing to me musically. I’d never seen the now-famous Ed Sullivan television broadcast, so I really had no conception of the magnitude of his celebrity and talent.
To put it frankly, I simply didn’t like tunes like “Hound Dog” and “Jailhouse Rock.” I know, in retrospect those songs have taken on almost mystical proportions. Today, they’re treasured classics in oldies music and beyond. But as a kid of 10 or 11 at the time, I had no idea of their greatness, nor that of Elvis Presley himself.
Historically, now, I can appreciate that Elvis Presley was probably the greatest single performer and star of the post World War II era. But as a brat back then, if it weren’t for “It’s Now or Never,” I would likely have dismissed him as just another rockabilly singer. If I’d known then what I know now…
“It’s Now or Never” was the first of several Elvis Presley songs I would truly enjoy over the next few years. Not long after, he released another song, “Surrender,” also based on an old Italian melody, “Torna a Surriento” (“Come Back To Sorrento”).
Other Elvis recordings I consider personal favorites, as well as classic oldies, are “Marie’s The Name (Of His Latest Flame), written by Del Shannon, “Return To Sender,” “Blue Hawaii,” and “Wild In The Country.” The latter two are from two of his movies with the same titles, which I think were among his best.
Recommended:
All of Elvis Presley’s #1 Hits (Listen/Download)
Read more about Elvis Presley:
- Graceland Vigil Marks 33 Years Since Elvis’ Death (Article)
- The Ultimate Guide To Elvis
- Elvis Presley on Wikipedia
Elvis In Print: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The King
Last week I noted the passing of Mitch Miller in a post. I’m back with some more notes now.
I loved Mitch Miller as a kid. I remember some of my fondest memories as a pre-teen were gathering around the Zenith black-and-white television watching Sing Along With Mitch. Some of my favorite childhood songs were courtesy of my mother’s old Decca Phonograph and Mitch Miller LP’s and 45′s.
In that post I mentioned that one of my favorite songs by Mitch Miller was his rendition of the theme to the movie “The Guns Of Navarone.” The music score and the song were composed by Dimitri Tiomkin, who also composed the scores for such highly-acclaimed movies as “The High and The Mighty,” “High Noon,” and “The Alamo.”
In my post, I lamented that that original recording by Mitch Miller was apparently unavailable today in its originally recorded form. Well, I found it, and I invite you to here it, exactly as I did, in 1961. Click below and here it.
The Guns Of Navarone (Theme) by Mitch Miller The Guns Of Navarone by Mitch Miller
Get The Guns Of Navarone on DVD at Amazon.Com
More film music by Dimitri Tiomkin at Amazon.Com
There’s a long-standing dispute among oldies but goodies collectors and fans as to whether the song “Suspicion” was better done by Elvis Presley or by Terry Stafford.
The song “Suspicion” was written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, a prolific songwriting team that composed many songs recorded by Elvis Presley and numerous other artists. It was first recorded and released by Presley on the album “Pot Luck With Elvis” in 1962. According to what data I’ve been able to gather, the single never charted in the U. S.
“Suspicion” by Elvis Presley was re-released as the B-Side of “Kiss Me Quick,” another song from “Pot Luck…” in 1964. The Billboard and CashBox charts indicate “Kiss Me Quick” charted as high as #34, while “Suspicion” never broke into the Top100.
Terry Stafford’s version of “Suspicion,” released initially in 1964, peaked at #3 on the U. S. charts that year. Interestingly, that was during a week when The Beatles held every other top position on the charts.
OK, so much for dry stats and data. I’m simply going to say that the Terry Stafford version was the first I heard, and it became a favorite. I didn’t have a clue that Elvis had done the song originally two years earlier, and his version wasn’t getting airplay at that time, or any other time, apparently.
It wasn’t until the advent of CD technology, and the growth of the re-issue industry, that I discovered older albums and songs that I’d missed the first time around. Remember, in the 50′s, 60′s, 70′s and even 80′s there were no computers, downloads, MP3′s, YouTubes, Napsters or Amazons. Finding and getting music was strictly a manual thing. You had to go shopping outside the house! That, or mail- or phone-order from catalogues, and all without hearing it first.
I honestly can’t say that either version is better than the other. They both have their good points. While it’s the same song, and both versions are incredibly similar in style and delivery, I actually prefer the sound quality of the Elvis version. It was obviously recorded, mixed and mastered by professionals. The stereo is excellent.
On the other hand, the Terry Stafford version is more in tune with the music of its period, having a similarity to the British Invasion “sound.” It was reported that “Suspicion” was recorded as a demo for a record label, not intended for release. The label did some re-mastering and released it anyway. I think they could have done a better job, actually. Still, the song has irresistible charms.
For what it’s worth, Terry Stafford was not an Elvis Presley imitator. That was his voice. I’ve read that he really didn’t like being pidgeon-holed, but in those days recording artists did what they were told.
So what do you think? Do you have a preference? Just for fun, listen to a sample of each of the versions of the song by clicking the links below. Then, if you dare, tell me which version you prefer, and why.
Click to hear Suspicion by Elvis Presley
Click to hear Suspicion by Terry Stafford
Mitch Miller, composer, musician, conductor and leader of Mitch Miller And The Gang passed away today at the age of 99.
Mitch Miller? I know the question must be circling around up there. What’s Mitch Miller have to do with a blog about rock ‘n’ roll oldies but goodies music? The answer is really very simple.
Before I ever heard my first note of rock ‘n’ roll, I’d grown up listening to, and enjoying, the music my parents and grandparents listened to. That music included everything from big bands to opera and the pop standards of the era, including the music of Mitch Miller. I remember many evenings sitting in front of the family television watching Sing Along With Mitch, and loving the words and music of those old-time songs.
Even after I discovered rock ‘n’ roll, I didn’t lose my musical interest in the older stuff. I remember Mitch Miller getting some airplay on then-current rock ‘n’ roll and pop stations I listened to. Yes, Mitch Miller got rock ‘n’ roll airplay. That’s material for another post, though.
As a matter of coincidental fact, just a few weeks ago, I went net-shopping for some music by Mitch Miller. My brother and I had been talking about old movies we loved, and I mentioned The Guns Of Navarone back around 1962 or so. Later I remembered that one of the old LP albums I’d owned as a kid was the soundtrack from that film (composed by Dmitri Tiomkin). One of the songs on that album was the main title theme sung by Mitch Miller and the Gang! So I went searching for it.
It appears that not only is the song no longer available, but the original soundtrack album from then isn’t either. But I did find almost everything else Mitch Miller, including a couple of surprises.
For example, I found a CD called “Sing Along” which contains stereo versions of “The Yellow Rose of Texas” and “March From River Kwai/Col. Bogey.” I also found several of his albums and individual songs available as MP3 Downloads.
Mitch Miller will be missed by this long-time fan.
