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| "The music didn't die; if you're really a music fan, you're going to end up in the mid-fifties. Then you have the whole story. Everything makes sense."." -- Bobby Vee |
| A 15 year old Bobby Velline was part of a band in Fargo North Dakota in 1959 and was very excited that a rock and roll show was coming to town. And one of his favorites, Buddy Holly would be performing. On February 3rd it was all over the radio that the plane carrying Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens had crashed. Midst the shock and sorrow a call went out for replacements because "the show must go on." The band contacted the KFGO radio station and said they were experienced and knew the Buddy Holly songs. In reality they had only been practicing a few weeks and made up a name for themselves on the spot -- The Shadows. They bought outfits on the way to the auditorium. They put on a good enough performance that night to be noticed by a local promoter and were hired for some local events. They were invited to Minneapolis in June to cut a record for the Soma label -- "Suzie Baby" which was written by Bobby -- and credited to his new name, Bobby Vee and the Shadows. The record did well regionally and the band was invited to Los Angeles to record for Liberty records. After a few less than successful efforts, young producer Snuff Garrett (19) decided to take the group to Clovis, New Mexico and the Petty studio where Buddy Holly had first been successful. There they recorded a former doowop hit by The Clovers, "Devil Or Angel." It became a national hit in 1960. After a second top ten hit with a Gene Pitney written, "Rubber Ball," Garrett turned to Brill Building writers Carole King and Gerry Goffin. They had a song that Garrett liked, but it had already been recorded by Dion. But Dion chose not to release it as a single. Believing it needed a better intro, Garrett sat down with King and they worked out a new intro: "My tears are fallin', since you've taken her away. And though it really hurts me so, there's something I've gotta say ....." The song was "Take Good Care Of My Baby" and it became Bobby Vee's biggest hit, going to #1 on September 18, 1961. (It was Goffin/King's second #1 of the year.) Over the next two years, Bobby Vee would consistently place his singles on the top 40 charts, but that success would disappear when the Beatles introduced U.S. audiences to a "new" sound in 1964. But Bobby Vee continued to perform and record, and in 1967 found his way back on to the national scene with "Come Back When You Grow Up Girl" which would make it to #3 on the chart and actually become his top selling single. |
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