Last week we learned of the death of Teen Idol Bobby Rydell at the age of 79. My sisters loved Bobby Rydell and even joined his Fan Club in the early 1960s.
In 2006, Time Life issued an 8 CD set of Malt Shop Memories. I only have two of these compilations but Malt Shop Memories: Jukebox Gems includes two Bobby Rydell hits: “Wild One” and “Volare.”
I remember Bobby Rydell best for his role in Bye, Bye Birdie in 1963. In the 1980s, Rydell joined a trio called The Golden Boys with fellow former teen idols Frankie Avalon and Fabian Forte and he continued to tour up until his death.
| 1-1 | Lesley Gore– | It’s My Party | 2:16 |
| 1-2 | Neil Sedaka– | Breaking Up Is Hard To Do | 2:22 |
| 1-3 | Tommy Edwards– | It’s All In The Game | 2:39 |
| 1-4 | Elvis Presley– | Are You Lonesome Tonight? | 3:08 |
| 1-5 | The Tokens– | The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) | 2:43 |
| 1-6 | Little Peggy March*– | I Will Follow Him | 2:28 |
| 1-7 | The Toys– | A Lover’s Concerto | 2:41 |
| 1-8 | Kathy Young & The Innocents (2)– | A Thousand Stars | 3:14 |
| 1-9 | Lesley Gore– | Judy’s Turn To Cry | 2:12 |
| 1-10 | Elvis Presley– | Don’t Be Cruel | 2:04 |
| 1-11 | Mickey & Sylvia– | Love Is Strange | 2:55 |
| 1-12 | Lloyd Price– | Personality | 2:39 |
| 1-13 | Jay & The Americans– | Come A Little Bit Closer | 2:46 |
| 1-14 | Ray Peterson– | Tell Laura I Love Her | 2:56 |
| 1-15 | The Shirelles– | Baby, It’s You | 2:38 |
| 2-1 | The Tymes– | So Much In Love | 2:11 |
| 2-2 | The Orlons– | Don’t Hang Up | 2:19 |
| 2-3 | Chubby Checker– | The Twist | 2:35 |
| 2-4 | The Dovells– | Bristol Stomp | 2:21 |
| 2-5 | The Orlons– | South Street | 2:13 |
| 2-6 | Dee Dee Sharp– | Ride! | 2:26 |
| 2-7 | The Dovells– | You Can’t Sit Down | 2:20 |
| 2-8 | Chubby Checker– | Limbo Rock | 2:23 |
| 2-9 | Dee Dee Sharp– | Mashed Potato Time | 2:32 |
| 2-10 | The Orlons– | The Wah-Watusi | 2:31 |
| 2-11 | Bobby Rydell– | Wild One | 2:22 |
| 2-12 | Charlie Gracie– | Butterfly | 2:24 |
| 2-13 | The Rays (2)– | Silhouettes | 2:44 |
| 2-14 | Bobby Rydell– | Volare | 2:27 |
| 2-15 | The Tymes– | Wonderful! Wonderful! | 2:52 |
A few songs on here I like, Elvis, The Shirelles, Dovells. I never had any use for Bobby Rydell, Ray Peterson, Lesley Gore, Kathy Young, Littler Peggy March. Fabian or Frankie Avalon. That was the type of music the British Invasion got mostly rid of., thankfully. And as far as malt shops go. Never saw one. Mostly a fifties thing., i guess. I was a child of the suburbs. We didn’t have them there.
Steve, I actually had milk shakes in malt shops in Niagara Falls, NY where I grew up. But that was back in the 1950s and 1960s. Malt shops are a thing of the past, now.
You might be surprised, George, though our local one is self-consciously Retro.
Todd, I’ve been to malt shops in other cities–NYC has a few–but you’re right. The existing malt shops are Retro to the max!
I remember at least half of these songs, more on the first disc than the second, but didn’t necessarily like them. At least Time-Life was willing to shell out some money. I’d guess Elvis songs are expensive. Like Steve, I was a child of the suburbs, and remember malt shops from tv and movies rather than real life. Unless my chronology is jumbled, which it may well be, during the time these songs were popular there was a lot of really good music out there by the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis, The Everly Brothers, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and others. And, of course, Elvis.
Michael, as Steve points out music completely changed with the British Invasion. Many of the artists on Malt Shop Memories were swept away by the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and the many British solo artists.
I know all these songs and like them as memory pieces more than music. I did go to a malt shop every day after school when I was 14-15. It was called Bakers and we had to order something to stay. You could tell he didn’t really like kids so why have this kind of business.
Patti, as a teenager, I hit the malt shop or the local pizza place after school. Only the pizza place–Buzzy’s–is still around. The juke box in both stores played constantly…with many of these songs!
Totally disagree with Steve. I know ALL these songs and at least like most of them.
Here’a a question that will win you trivia contests: Name the only #1 song that was co-written by a former Vice President of the United States. Anyone? Bueller?
“It’s All in the Game” by Tommy Edwards is the answer. Charles G. Dawes, later Calvin Coolidge’s VP, wrote “Melody in A Major” in 1911. In 1951, Carl Sigman wrote the lyrics of what turned into a #1 hit in 1958.
I really started listening to music extensively in the early ’60s, so the age of Chubby Checker, Dee Dee Sharp The Orlons and the Dovells (in fact, I had a Great Hits album that had the Orlons on one side and the Dovells on the other), etc. Jackie is a big Neil Sedaka fan, also of “death on the highway” sogs like “Tell Laura I Love Her,” “Teen Angel,” “Leader of the Pack,” and “Last Kiss.” In fact, we have a CD called LAST KISS: SONGS OF TEEN TRAGEDY.
Jeff, thanks for that bit of VP trivia! I didn’t know that about Charles G. Dawes. And I really like “It’s All in the Game.” I think I have a copy of LAST KISS around here somewhere.
The NYT included a photo with Rydell’s obituary.
I recognized Bobby and Frankie Avalon but who the hell was the 3rd guy?
Fabian! He seriously needs to stop with the plastic surgery.
I remember Rydell’s two big hits but he was not one of my favorites.
Beth, Fabian is more of a cyborg after all the work he’s had done!
Wasn’t Fabian the first person to die in the mid-1960s movie version of AND THEN THEY WERE NONE (called TEN LITTLE INDIANS)? He actually has quite a few acting credits. I don’t even remember him being very good.
I, too, totally disagree with Steve. I know ALL these songs and at like almost all of them. (pretty much what Jeff said. I can hum or whatever just about every one. This was prime top 40 radio times for me, in L.A. it was KRLA and KFWB, in the car, on the transistor. I’d listen to this CD in a minute.
Rick, if I find another copy of MALT SHOP MEMORIES: JUKEBOX GEMS I’ll send it to you.
Great!
Well…Brill Building pop simply continued to fuel bands/choruses such as the Monkees (till they began writing most of their own songs) and Sonny & Cher, as well as setting the model for Motown and many others, and allowing a number of eventual singer-songwriters to get into the business…so a whole lot of them didn’t go much of anywhere, even if singers such as Rydell stopped having hits (but the nostalgia tours and Vegas beckoned).
Still like Lesley Gore, albeit some songs are better than others. Also true of nearly everyone else. Certainly true of the Stones, for example.
Todd, excellent analysis! Even though tastes change, I have fond memories of many of these songs from my youth.
I’m with Jeff and Rick! I know all these songs and like or love them! I probably have all of them spread out over 50 different compilations!
Bob, I’ll make you the same promise I made to Rick: if I find another copy of MALT SHOP MEMORIES: JUKEBOX GEMS I’ll send it to you. But Rick gets First Dibs!
I envy you!
In the small city I lived there were no jukeboxes and radio played only German kitsch.
Later there was a very successful One hour show called popshop which then became a new channel.
Also we had no soda shops but when we were 16 (late 50s) we often went to a bar to have a beer or two …
Yes, that was totally legal, beer and wine was ok but no hard stuff …
The bar i went to as a student in the early 60s had a jukebox however.
We also were big fans of the British invasion and I really liked the Brill Building songs.
Carole King was a big favorite of mine, while my friends preferred the Stones.
Wolf, as I’ve said before, you have excellent taste in music! Love Carole King and The Rolling Stones. And…they’re still around!