Before the Beatles -Teen Idols

royclough · Post by **royclough** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:16 pm

Be interested to know your thoughts on this, I have always been a big fan of Bobby Vee but like so many, once the mop tops came along their run of chart success was over. Del Shannon, Billy Fury (In UK),Dion,Tommy Roe,Ricky Nelson etc.

Bobby Vee made some great records and still is, over the last few years he's released three excellent albums backed by his own sons mostly, but very hard to find in stores.

Tommy Roe's Sheila was a classic in my view but I thought the "B" side Save Your Kisses was even better. Judging by some of the posts I suspect most of you probably weren't aware of their stuff or simply didn't like it. BV is a fairly regular visitor to UK now but only since 97, I think he puts on a great show, I may break my own rules as it is related and post a track from one of recent albums for you opinions.

revolver323 · Post by **revolver323** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:22 pm

I loved Del Shannon but never really got into the teen idol scene until the Beatles. When most people my age were grooving on Elvis and Ricky Nelson, I was listening to my brother's Four Freshmen and Stan Kenton albums. I didn't really buy or listen to any teen records until I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. After that, it was all over for me. Gene Pitney also was a favorite.

royclough · Post by **royclough** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:33 pm

Yes forgot Gene, how could I, one of my wife's favourites, he became a regular visitor to these shows especially a place called Batley Variety Club which revived the careers of some acts, notably Neil Sedaka. Considering this was a Small Mill Town in Yorkshire, if someone had said I am going to build a club on a derelict piece of land surrounded by decrepied buildings and get some of the biggest names, admittedly no longer at top of tree, so to speak, to appear here and charge very reasonable prices, you would have thought they were nuts, but it worked for a good few years till acts became more and more expensive.

winston · Post by **winston** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:45 pm

Hey Roy you have to put Tommy Steele, Cliff Richards and Gene Vincent on your list. They were huge. And lets not forget Screaming Lord Such on the other side of that coin.

Personally like Dave I was following a completely different genre of music. I used to go see bands like Manfred Mann (they were originally a jazz band) Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball, Long John Baldry, Fleetwood Mac (they were originally a blues band),John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers etc. Many of these artists played at the Yellow Dog Jazz club in Southampton.

You have a great idea for a thread though.

basstard · Post by **basstard** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:51 pm

Take That rule..

basstard · Post by **basstard** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:52 pm

...and Wham, now we're talking!!!

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 1:52 pm

Wham??? Oh, pleez...

Brian, toy may recall tha, just like we had Miss Peggy Lee, we had Mister Acker Bilk.

I still have his "Stranger on the Shore" on one of my car CD compilations.

But he wasn't really an idol.

Bobby Vee's "Take Good Care of My Baby" was the summer hit of '60. In '63 it was "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes". Then, seven years later, he hit again with "Come Back When You Grow Up, Girl". We had Brian Hyland, Bobby Vinton, and Bobby Rydell, to round out the Philly/New Jersey corridor.

West Coast had Tommy Sands, A Net Full of Jello, and of course, Frankie Avalon. Ricky Nelson was incomparable. He had about twenty top ten hits, and was a genuine talent for an old big band family (dad, Ozzie, led his own big band in the '40s and made the transition from radio to TV in the early '50s).

winston · Post by **winston** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 1:58 pm

Totally agree Paul. I was merely observing that at the time of the teen idol phase of the music biz I was more interested in what was then considered to be more obscure artists. Acker Bilk for example was a relative unknown. He had his hit with "Stranger" after I left England. Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen also had a couple of hits but they were all displaced by the lads from the "Pool".

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 2:21 pm

Kenny Ball--Midnight in Moscow?

brammy · Post by **brammy** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 2:40 pm

I was just a wee pup at the time, but it wasn't The Beatles who got me interesting in playing guitar, it was Ricky Nelson singing on the Ozzie and Harriet show. When the Beatles hit, Ricky and all the rest (in my young mind) were blown away, but still ya gotta give 'ole Rick Nelson his due.

winston · Post by **winston** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 2:47 pm

That's the man Paul. He's one of the worlds best jazz trumpet players.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 7:20 pm

I like a lot of the teen idol stuff, still do, Bobby Vee is great, Dion is in a class by himself, Brian Hyland was good although he seemed to have started out as a Buddy Holly clone. Fabian and Franky Avalon couldn't sing their way out of a paper, especially Franky. Ricky Nelson was great. Tommy Roe was ok although a little too poppy for my tastes, Del Shannon I never considered a teen idol as he wrote most of his stuff and played guitar also I believe anyway, Gene Pitney is great he lives around here, I saw him a few years ago, he still has it. He also played piano on the first and second Stones albums.
Bobby Vinton was good until he got into that polish stuff, Bobby Rydel was good., many early 60's teen idols we're missing too.

royclough · Post by **royclough** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 10:51 pm

Kelly

Take it you have had too much to drink or you've lost the plot as they say.

royclough · Post by **royclough** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 10:58 pm

Brian

I did not include Tommy Steele, though a good shout,as I do not believe he was affected by the moptops, he was moving in a direction as an all round family entertainer. Cliff was affected to some degree but contained to have many hits and still does, Gene Vincent in my view his time was over before merseybeat.

Now here's a bit of total trivia that may interest you Brian, you being British originally, as you fell into the trap. When Harry Webb (Cliff's real name) was thinking of a stage name they decided on Cliff Richards but someone had the idea to drop the S because they felt that most people would say Richards and it gave the opportunity to correct them, thereby maximising the opportunity.

Now don't you feel better for knowing that Brian.

admin · Post by **admin** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 11:02 pm

they decided on Cliff Richards but someone had the idea to drop the S because they felt that most people would say Richards and it gave the opportunity to correct them

It seems to have worked Roy as I have had this conversation on many occasions. Trouble is, it did not seem to sell more records for him in North America.