“Marianne” by The Easy Riders was one of those songs that I heard as a youngster that became more than just a song.

I first heard it in 1957 when I was 8 years old. It was one of those light-hearted songs, with a catchy melody, that kids just like. It had a calypso sort of rhythm to it, which was somewhat unique in pop music of the time. It had simple lyrics about a girl who spends her time at the seashore looking for seashells, and the guy who loves her from afar. Enchanting.

As a youngster, I didn’t pay too much attention to the artists singing it. I came to know more about them later. All I knew then was I liked the song and their sound.

It was probably just about a year later, in mid-1958, that I came to know the artists, and learned more about their talent. My parents took me to Hollywood, to the Grauman’s Chinese Theater to see a spectacular movie called “Windjammer.” Many of the songs performed in that movie were written by the same group who did “Marianne” – The Easy Riders. The movie was incredible, and the music was as delightful as anything I’d heard in my young life.

The Easy Riders – Terry Gilkyson, Richard Dehr and Frank Miller – were a talented group whose musical background was in country/western, folk and traditional songs and ballads. “Marianne” was their breakthrough into pop music, but their entire body of work transcended that simple melody. For example, I later discovered that they had written and performed backing vocals for Dean Martin’s 1956 hit, “Memories Are Made Of This.” I’d actually heard them a year earlier than I’d thought!

“Marianne” by The Easy Riders was actually the fore-runner to the popular folk music movement of the 1960′s. Their music gave rise to other folk artists such as The Kingston Trio, and later Peter, Paul & Mary, Bob Dylan, The Brothers Four and a host of others.

But it was that movie, “Windjammer,” that woke me up to all of this and made me interested in this trio of marvelous musicians. I paid homage to that movie, and provided some of the music to hear for yourself at Windjammer – The Movie

The movie is being restored for re-release soon. The Easy Riders music is largely out-of-print, but available in limited quantities.

Listen to some Easy Riders song samples:

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All of the above selections, and 130+ more are available on the 6-CD Box Set, “The Easy Riders: Marianne”

The song was originally composed in 1952 by Richard Rodgers for the NBC TV documentary series “Victory At Sea,” with the title “Beneath The Southern Cross.” Later, in 1953, while working on the music for the film “Me and Juliet,” Rodgers’ collaborator, Oscar Hammerstein II set lyrics to the melody, and it was re-titled “No Other Love.” Perry Como recorded the tune, and it became one of his big hits.

You can read more about the song, about Perry Como, and a little more about me at my Boomers Rock

In the late 1980′s and early 1990′s there was a relatively steady stream of oldies but goodies reissue CD’s being released. Major players in the reissue industry, such as Rhino, ACE UK and others were putting out CD’s with digitally remastered oldies music to the tune of, perhaps, several a month.

In the past few years, though, reissue compilations have subsided considerably. The market for oldies is most definitely still there. People are searching for new releases of their favorite oldies constantly. But the oldies material itself is getting harder to find, at least in a condition that warrants the licensing and the work that goes into remastering and restoring.

But the reissue labels are still diligently working to find and restore those treasures from our youth – that great baby boomer stuff so many of us grew up with (or grew up to). One of those reissue labels is Hit Parade in Canada. They have become one of the newer major players in the marketplace, and have gained a reputation as being a true audiophile quality reissue label.

Hit Parade just released two new collections in their series of Hard To Find Jukebox Classics, this time covering the year 1959. These two releases are pretty spectacular. Obviously, considerable time and effort were expended in putting them together. They are worth a look, especially for collectors.

First up is Hard-to-Find Jukebox Classics 1959: Pop Gold, which features a full 27 tracks, all but five of which are in True Stereo. Of those, a couple are making their stereo debut on CD, most notably the spectacular rendition of The Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s “Battle Hymn Of The Republic.” This is the original single version rather than the more commonly available LP version(s). Audio quality is superb throughout, as should be expected from one of the premier reissue labels around today. Highly recommended – a worthy investment.

Next comes Hard-to-Find Jukebox Classics 1959: Teen Pop Gold – the perfect companion piece to the Pop Gold collection above. Another 27 tracks from the “teen idol” side of the 1959 pop music scene. Again, some are making their debut on CD, and a couple are making their first CD appearance in True Stereo. Review the track listing and I’m sure you’ll find a buried treasure or two.

Bobby Rydell, a bona fide Teen Idol hit #2 on the charts with his hit Wild One in 1959. Chubby Checker hit the top #1 position twice in 1960, first with The Twist, then again with Pony Time. Over a period of about three or so years, you couldn’t turn on the radio without hearing Cameo Parkway music artists like those two, and The Orlons, Dee Dee Sharp, and The Dovells.

Cameo Parkway Records folded in 1967, unable to compete with both the British Invasion and Detroit’s Motown Records. Their last #1 charting hit was 96 Tears by a Flint, MI garage band calling themselves ? & The Mysterians in 1966. They were bought out by ABKCO, which counted The Rolling Stones among others on its artist list.

All the songs that had been released on the Cameo Parkway label(s) – they were actually two companies under one umbrella, Parkway being a subsidiary of Cameo Records – virtually disappeared from the market.

Read more about the story of Cameo Parkway and their hits and misses at The StereOldie Shop