Ritchie Valens at 70
Written by admin on May 13, 2011 – 10:09 am - |
Ritchie Valens would have been 70 today if he hadn’t died aged just 17 on February 3, 1959 in the same plane crash that killed Buddy Holly and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson.
It’s impossible to know how well Ritchie would be remembered now if it hadn’t been for that fateful day, but he certainly left his mark during his brief recording career. |
Although Valens died before his 18th birthday and was only eight months or so into his career, he fitted a lot into that short period, including appearances on television shows such as Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, a small role in the movie “Go Johnny Go!” and live performances on bills featuring the likes of Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran, the Everly Brothers, Jackie Wilson, Dion and, of course, Buddy Holly. There were also three albums released posthumously in 1959/60, one of which was live.
Ritchie Valens with Jackie Wilson
Ritchie’s superb reworking of the folk song “La Bamba” was his finest hour. The rock ‘n’ roll classic was recorded on September 23, 1958 at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood, CA. Joining Ritchie on the track were some of the finest session musicians of the period, namely Carole Kaye (rhythm guitar), Buddy Clark (standup bass), Ernie Freeman (piano), Earl Palmer (drums) and Rene Hall (Danelectro bass).
“La Bamba” was coupled with “Donna” as a double A-sided single and was the second and last record released during his lifetime. It hit number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. The pleasant, but less impressive “Donna,” reached number 2.
There’s no better way to remember Ritchie Valens than hearing both sides of that classic single.
Ritchie Valens – “La Bamba”
Ritchie Valens – “Donna”
Ritchie Valens’ original three albums were released last year as a 35-track single CD titled “The Complete Ritchie Valens.”
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The Complete Ritchie Valens (CD) |
Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now |
Tags: Donna, La Bamba, Ritchie Valens, Ritchie Valens 70th birthday
Posted in Rock 'n' roll |
