Nov 19th in Pop History
On this day, November 19th, in…
(1964 • 57 years ago today)
(Wow that’s a long time ago - we know the approximate dates on this because the records have been carefully carbon dated by archaeologists - scientists believe these to be from the early rock era in the music rock strata scientific research) 😐
(These aren’t quite as old as early cave drawings, and we know there were older music eras such as baroque pop, big band, and Lawrence Welkian prehistoric polkas).
Gary Lewis & The Playboys record This Diamond Ring, which will climb to number one in the US by January, launching an unstoppable string of Top Ten hits! 🚀
Gary Lewis & the Playboys were an American 1960s pop group, fronted by musician Gary Lewis, the son of comedian Jerry Lewis. They are best known for a string of hit singles they had in 1965 and 1966. The band had an earnest, boy-next-door image similar to British Invasion contemporaries such as Herman’s Hermits and Gerry and the Pacemakers. The group folded in 1970, but a version of the band later resumed touring and continues to tour, often playing for veterans' benefits.
The group began life as Gary & the Playboys. Gary Lewis started the band with four friends of his when he was 18. Joking at the lateness of his bandmates to practice, Lewis referred to them as “playboys,” and the name stuck. They auditioned for a job at Disneyland without telling Disneyland employees about Lewis' celebrity father. They were hired on the spot, audiences at Disneyland quickly accepted them, and the Playboys were soon playing to a full house every night.
The orchestra bandleader Les Brown, who had known Jerry Lewis for years, had told record producer Snuff Garrett that the younger Lewis was playing at Disneyland. After listening to the band, Garrett thought using Gary's famous name might sell more records, and convinced them to add "Lewis" into their name. Garrett brought them to a recording studio with the song This Diamond Ring.
Garrett then had Jerry Lewis use his contacts to get his son onto The Ed Sullivan Show (it’s always about who you know). Sullivan had a general policy that all acts appearing on his show were to perform live. Since so many studio tricks had been used on the record, the Playboys could not recreate its sound. In compromise, Lewis sang along with pre-recorded tracks as the Playboys pretended to play their instruments.
The January 1965 broadcast made Gary Lewis and the Playboys instant stars. This Diamond Ring went to No. 1, sold over 1 million copies by April 1965, and became a gold record.
The group was one of only two acts during the 1960s whose first seven releases on the Billboard Hot 100 reached that chart's top 10 (The Lovin’ Spoonful was the other).
In all, Lewis had eight gold singles, 12 Top 40 hit singles (with only 15 Hot 100 entries (U.S.)), and four gold albums. Gary Lewis & The Playboys sold more than 45 million records.
I personally have a lot of positive childhood memories that coincide with these songs, so they are “feel good” songs to me. So, though you didn’t have my childhood, I hope you’ll enjoy these records half as much as I do. 🙂
This Diamond Ring
The Best of Gary Lewis & The Playboys
Attached here are a couple of great videos of Gary Lewis live in concert:
Here are Gary Lewis & The Playboys in a live TV performance of This Diamond Ring
Here is a 1966 TV appearance of Gary Lewis & The Playboys singing She’s Just My Style
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Also, on this day, November 19th, in…
• 1954 - While driving from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, Sammy Davis, Jr. crashes into another car on Route 66 in San Bernardino, California, and three days later, permanently loses use of his left eye
• 1955 - Carl Perkins recorded Blue Suede Shoes at Sun Studios in Memphis. It became his biggest Pop hit, reaching # 2 on the Billboard chart. Elvis Presley's version, which gets more air-play these days, only managed to get to # 20
• 1955 - David Seville, who magically created the fictitious group the Chipmunks through amazing studio work, released the single The Chipmunk Song
The Chipmunk Song
(“Please Christmas Don’t Be Late”)
• 1977 - Debby Boone stood all alone at # 1 for the sixth week with You Light Up My Life.
Linda Ronstadt became one of a select few artists in the Rock Era to have two singles in the Top 10 simultaneously as It's So Easy joined Blue Bayou on this date
You Light Up My Life (Debby Boone)
Blue Bayou
1977: Rumours by Fleetwood Mac topped the Album chart for a then-record 28th week
• 2012 - Barry Manilow placed his 50th song on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart when Santa Claus Is Coming to Town debuted at # 22. He became just the fifth artist to accomplish that feat in the AC chart's 51-year history. At that time, Elton John led with 68, followed by Barbra Streisand (64), Neil Diamond (58) and Elvis Presley (53)
