Classic Pop Icons

Connie Francis’ worldwide hit “Who’s Sorry Now?” is Song of the Week on Classic Pop Icons. “Who’s Sorry Now?” was released on single in November 1957 backed with “You Were Only Fooling (While I Was Falling in Love)”. It also appeared on the album of the same name released the following April.

Without the success of “Who’s Sorry Now?” Connie Francis’ music career might have come to an end in 1957. MGM Records had signed her in 1955 but had lost faith in her commercial potential after 10 solo singles had failed to chart and a duet with Marvin Rainwater (“The Majesty of Love”, b/w “You, My Darlin’ You”) had only just scraped into the Top 100. Francis was so sure that “Who’s Sorry Now?” would be her last single that she had accepted a four-year scholarship to study medicine at New York University.

“Who’s Sorry Now?” is one in a long list of career-changing songs that was almost never recorded. Francis had little belief in the material and only recorded it because she was encouraged to do so by her father. In an interview that appeared in the September 1991 edition of DISCoveries, Francis recalled:

Francis’ initial lack of enthusiasm for the song doesn’t come through in her performance, which is one of the best of her career and continues to delight fans more than 50 years on.

At first it seemed that Connie’s scepticism about the song was justified, as the single received very little attention when released and looked like it might sink without trace. That changed in January 1958 when Dick Clark featured it on his popular television show American Bandstand. Within months it would become the first in an impressive run of worldwide smash hits for Connie Francis.

“Who’s Sorry Now?” – Connie Francis

Authorship

The music for “Who’s Sorry Now?” was written by Ted Snyder and the lyrics were by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. The song was written in 1923 and there were numerous renditions released before Connie Francis made the song world famous.

Recording date/location

“Who’s Sorry Now?” was recorded on October 2, 1957 at Coastal Studios, NYC.

Musicians

Connie Francis’ vocals were backed by the Joe Lipman Orchestra and Chorus. Lipman also wrote the arrangement. The session was produced by Harry Myerson.

Chart performance

“Who’s Sorry Now?” reached number four on Billboard’s “Top 100 Sides” survey for the week ending March 15, 1958. This was before the launch of the Billboard Hot 100.

The single did even better in the UK, topping the singles chart for six weeks in May/June 1958.

Other notable recordings

“Who’s Sorry Now?” – Bobby Vinton

Bobby Vinton recorded a country-tinged rendition of “Who’s Sorry Now?” for his 1967 album “Please Love Me Forever”. It’s a fairly standard and predictable arrangement, but Vinton’s strong and clean vocal does ensure that the recording has some appeal. The well worked descending strings part at the start is also a good touch.

“Who’s Sorry Now?” – Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald included “Who’s Sorry Now?” on her 1960 album “Let No Man Write My Epitaph”. It’s a simple recording, with pianist Paul Smith’s jazzy touches perfectly complementing Ella’s warm vocal.

There will be a new Song of the Week on October 22.

Connie Francis’ “Who’s Sorry Now?” is available on many compilations, including the excellent value 4-CD set “Connie Francis – Eight Classic Albums” which includes the original “Who’s Sorry Now?” album. Another good choice is the 2-CD “The Very Best of Connie Francis”.

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The Very Best of Connie Francis (2 CDs)	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now

B.B. Cunningham was shot dead in Memphis at the weekend. The long-time member of Jerry Lee Lewis’ band was 70-years-old.

The keyboard player/bassist also worked as a security guard for an apartment complex and was shot when he went to investigate the sound of a gunshot in a neighbouring building. A 16-year-old male was also found dead at the scene.

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The New Releases page has been updated to include music CD, DVD and Blu-ray releases for October.

Highlights for October include:

• Van Morrison’s new studio album “Born to Sing – No Plan B” (Oct 2)
• The Beatles’ “Magical Mystery Tour” on DVD, Blu-ray and deluxe box set (Oct 9)
• “The Doors – Live at the Bowl ’68” on DVD, Blu-ray and CD (Oct 22)
• Peter Gabriel’s “So” 25th anniversary edition in standard, deluxe and Immersion formats + DVD/Blu-ray documentaries on the album (Oct 22/23)
• Neil Young’s “Psychedelic Pill” (Oct 30)
• “Velvet Underground and Nico” 40th anniversary edition in standard, deluxe and super-deluxe formats editions (Oct 30)

British session guitarist, Big Jim Sullivan, died on Tuesday (October 2) aged 71.

If you haven’t heard of Sullivan, you will certainly be familiar with some of his work as his guitar is featured on more than 1,000 Top 20 hits, including 55 UK number ones.

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Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba” is Song of the Week on Classic Pop Icons. “La Bamba” was released on single in October 1958 as the B-side of the single “Donna”. It would go on to become his best known song and a genuine classic of the rock ‘n’ roll era.

Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba” was adapted from an 18th century folk song that originated in the Mexican state of Veracruz. It is traditionally played at Mexican weddings to accompany a ribbon dance performed by the bride and groom. The melody for “La Bamba” is fairly consistent, but the lyrics vary widely and hundreds of verses exist.

Ritchie recorded “La Bamba” at the suggestion of his producer, Bob Keane, who was the President of Del-Fi records and had signed Ritchie in May 1958 after seeing him perform at a Saturday morning matinée at a movie theater in San Fernando. Keane first heard Valens sing the song while they were on the road promoting Valens’ first single “Come On Lets Go” in the summer of 1958. In July 2000, Keane told NPR’s “All Things Considered”:

Ritchie Valens and Bob Keane

Ritchie had reservations about recording the song because he thought it might be demeaning to his Mexican roots and also because he spoke no Spanish and wasn’t confident about his pronounciation and accent. He would learn the lyrics phonetically, with assistance from his aunt, Ernestine Reyes.

Although Bob Keane was drawn to the song, there was no precedent in rock for a Spanish language song making it big and, as far as he was concerned, little chance of the song getting any radio airplay. The latter point was a factor in choosing the song as the B-side of “Donna,” because it was thought that “La Bamba” would not compete for airplay with “Donna”. As it turned out, “Donna” did receive the bulk of the early airplay, but “La Bamba” was popular enough to also become a hit.

After performing a couple of times on “American Bandstand” and joining Alan Freed’s Christmas Jubilee in New York City, Valens made the fateful decision to join the four-state Winter Dance Party tour alongside Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Dion and the Belmonts. On February 3, 1959, Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper were killed in a plane crash outside Clear Lake, Iowa.

Ritchie Valens had a shortlived career, but made an important and memorable contribution to rock ‘n’ roll history, helping pave the way for other latin crossover artists and songs. His most significant recording, “La Bamba,” is ranked number 345 on Rolling Stone’s list of “the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.

“La Bamba” – Ritchie Valens

Authorship

“La Bamba” is a traditional song, with new arrangement by Ritchie Valens.

Recording date/location

“La Bamba” was recorded on September 23, 1958 at Gold Star Studios, Hollywood, CA.

Producer, Bob Keane, recalled the session in his interview with NPR in 2000:

Musicians

The following musicians appeared on “La Bamba”:

• Ritchie Valens – vocal & guitar
• Carol Kaye – rhythm guitar
• Rene Hall – Danelectro six-string bass guitar
• Buddy Clark – standup bass
• Ernie Freeman – piano
• Earl Palmer – drums & woodblock.

There is some debate over who played the famous lead guitar part and solo. According to the liner notes of the 3-CD set “Ritchie Valense in Come On, Let’s Go,” musician Rene Hall claims that Ritchie was on lead. Other accounts indicate that Rene Hall played the part on his Danelectro six-string bass.

Chart performance

“La Bamba” charted independently of the A-side “Donna,” peaking at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 2, 1958. Ritchie sadly died the next day.

“Donna” did better on the charts, reaching number two.

“La Bamba” reached number 49 on the UK singles chart.

Other notable recordings

“La Bamba” – Los Lobos

Los Lobos recorded “La Bamba” for the soundtrack of the 1987 Ritchie Valens biopic “La Bamba” and had a hit single with their cover. Not surprisingly, given the context, it is very similar to Ritchie’s original, but there is also a well-worked acoustic outro that is a nod to the song’s roots.

“La Bamba” – Glen Campbell

Glen Campbell’s 1964 instrumental album “The Astounding 12-String Guitar of Glen Campbell” included “La Bamba” among its 12 tracks. Campbell shows off why he was an in-demand session guitarist before he was a popular singer.

There will be a new Song of the Week on September 17.

Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba” is available on a number of compilations, including “The Complete Ritchie Valens”.

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