what Frank is listening to #222 – BOBBY VEE – Look at Me Girl – (Liberty) – 1966
For biographical detail refer to my other Bobby Vee comment what Frank is listening to #182 – BOBBY VEE – Come Back When You grow Up – (Liberty) – 1967.
I quite like Bobby Vee – as a "teen idol" he put out a lot of great pop in the early to mid 60s before being overtaken by more "progressive" sounds. Like many of his ilk he found it difficult to compete and keep up with the new acts despite being relatively young (he was born in 1943). Many of these artists, Vee included, faced the late 60s with a series of introspective and uncommercial albums which have substantial joys and are waiting to be discovered.
Also, most of those artists had to hit "rock bottom" before turning to the introspective material. This album is from the "rock bottom" period. That's not to say it's bad just it lacks direction and has a slight desperation to it. It's clear that the record executives didn't know how to combat the new sounds. One method that they seemed to try with the former pop stars was to have them cover the new hits of the day, as Vee does here.
This method is fraught with problems. Namely the hits of the day are "hits" for a reason, so to be compared favourably to them is not an easy task. At best I thought the only market for this would be for existing Bobby Vee fans to hear him doing those hits in his own style. And by virtue of the fact he has to do hits of the day would suggest that his fan base is decreasing. A musical catch 22?
In any event Vee tackles a lot of material here which was not in his oeuvre before – folk rock, garage, light R&B. The beauty is he gives them his "treatment" – so everything comes out quite popp-y. Now normally I would have reservations about this but Vee is a master of pop so he makes the new pop versions more convincing than if someone else had done the same. It does not always pay off but when it does, it hits the right groove.
Also, interestingly, you get some idea of what Buddy Holly may have done if he had lived as Vee has a similar voice to Holly's (Vee first came to prominence by playing a gig that Buddy Holly was to have played on February 3, 1959, following Buddy's death. The record executives picked up on the fact that his voice was not dissimilar to Buddy's, and so he recorded his early pop rock hits in the Buddy style – later in 1962 he did an album with Buddy's Crickets and then in 1963 he put out an album of Buddy Holly covers).
Tracks (best in italics)
- Look at Me Girl– Swamp Dogg, Williams -originally by Texas band The Playboys Of Edinburg – a nice bit of garage which has been cleaned up into a pop song. Normally, I would be dismayed with the clean up but this is so pleasant on the ears ….. For info on the original: http://www.imshakin.com/2010/03/18/the-playboys-of-edinburg-look-at-me-girl-pharaoh-1966/
- Sunny- Hebb- the big #2 hit for Bobby Hebb in 1966. Covered by everyone. A bit maudlin but a catchy song and the strength of the song is in the fact that here are more good versions than bad. And this is a good one, not great, but good.
- Growing Pains –Fields, Schwartz- from the Broadway show (of the Hollywood film) "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and done memorably by Tony Bennett in the 50s. Hmmm, not sure about this one..it's catchy but it sure sounds like Broadway goes pop.
- Like You've Never Known Before – Velline – self penned -and a little derivative but …err catchy
- Summer in the City – Boone, Sebastian, Sebastian – The Lovin Spoonful #1 hit from 1966. Pleasant but it will not ever come close to the Lovin Spoonful's version.
- Turn-Down Day – Blume, Keller- The Cyrkle #16 hit from 1966. A nice piece of folk pop.
- Fly Away – Kooper – the Al Kooper song as done by his band Blues Project in 1966. An odd one for Bobby, but at least he is trying less obvious covers.
- Sweet Pea – Roe- Tommy Roe, hit #94 in 1966. A throw back to the early 60s with some typical Tommy Roe cute-sy lyrics. It's not to bad but doesn't really fit in with the "mature" image Bobby is trying to project.
- That's All in the Past – Velline – another better than average original.
- He's Not Your Friend – Reynolds, Lee – a cover of Dee Jay & The Runaways garage rocker from 1966. Again it's cleaned up and given a "big" sound…still it's not to bad.
- Back in Town – Velline – not the best of the originals.
- Lil' Red Riding Hood -Blackwell – Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs #2 from 1966. So so…. Vee never had a chance in doing this one.
And…
This is not the best Bobby Vee but it has some good covers and some catchy originals and is quite surprising. I'm keeping this.
Chart Action
US
Singles
1966 Look at Me Girl The Billboard Hot 100 #52
Album
Singles
1966 Look at Me Girl The Billboard Hot 100 #52
Album
––
England
Singles
Singles
Album
Sounds
Look at Me Girl
and attached
Growing Pains
Like You've Never Known Before
Turn-Down Day
attached
Lil' Red Riding Hood
Others
crappy quality but great 60s clips
Review
Bio
Website
Trivia
- wikipedia: Early in Vee's career, a musician named Elston Gunnn briefly toured with the band. "Gunnn", whose birth name was Robert Allen Zimmerman, later went on to fame as Bob Dylan. In Dylan's autobiography, Chronicles, Volume One, he makes special mention of Bobby Vee and shares significant and complimentary details about their friendship, both professional and personal.
Other Comments
what Frank is listening to #182 – BOBBY VEE – Come Back When You grow Up – (Liberty) – 1967
(Originally Posted: 14/08/2011)
