Bobby Vee: Legendary Master of '60s Pop

Maybe it was an acquired taste. Back in 1962 when I was nine, an older brother had a couple of Bobby Vee mono LPs he played on the living room stereo (you know, one of those little Muntz maple-veneer consoles with speakers so close together that, in retrospect, the term stereo seems laughable?). Very impressionable, I got indoctrinated with a daily dose of captivating King/Goffin numbers like "Take Good Care of My Baby," Run to Him, Sharing You, and In My Baby's Eyes. Really catchy material, with all the right hooks. Along with Rick Nelson, Neil Sedaka, Del Shannon, and Jan & Dean, Bobby Vee remained one of my (guilty) pleasures throughout subsequent years of British invasion, psychedelia, metal, glam-rock, and whatever. In fact, though nowadays I only intermittently reprise my Beatles, Bubblepuppy, Black Sabbath, Bowie, or Blondie, my fondness for the early BV tunes only mellows with age.

I know, I know. Some won't think it cool to like Bobby Vee songs as much as I do. But I'll take his best melodies any day over the quickly forgettable glop of the '80s and '90s.

In fact, by early 1991 I'd collected the entire thirty or so BV LPs then issued, not to mention various rarities on film and tape. In late 1992 I finally got to see Bobby live at Topeka, Kansas (of all places). Age hasn't diminished his performance. Not long before that concert, I'd written him expressing my appreciation of his music over the years; rather than firing back a form letter, he wrote a personal response addressing some of the points I'd raised. Based on this and occasional TV, radio, and print interviews I've caught over the decades, he seems one of the true class acts in pop history--very unpretentious and natural. Must be his midwestern roots: he hails from Fargo, ND, and, last I heard, continues to make that part of the country home base.

And so, it's with special pleasure that I launch this review of what may be the BV CD to own--if you could have but one. I bought my copy of Bobby Vee: The Legendary Masters Series (alternatively titled EMI Legends Of Rock & Roll: Bobby Vee) sometime around 1990 when it was first issued. That was as good as it got with BV CDs; to my knowledge, there were no domestic reissues of his original LPs, excepting Merry Christmas from Bobby Vee, available in bargain bins during successive holiday seasons. Even today, the only way to get (most of) his original albums on CD is via imports, mainly from England's BGO Records which bundles two original LPs on each of its BV CDs. So far, I've "upgraded" eight of my vintage vinyl albums in this manner, with still more on order.

The BV Legendary Masters CD comprises twenty-five songs plus a one-minute "Radio Spot;" total time is just under one hour. Snuff Garrett, who, coincidentally, lent his expertise to many of my favorite recordings by Julie London and Gary Lewis, produced the first twenty tracks.

Instead of a "booklet," there is an impressive 9.5 by 14-inch foldout sheet featuring a color montage of various vintage BV 45s, EPs, and LPs. On the reverse are detailed track listings and exceptionally thorough liner notes by Steve Kolanjian, to whom I owe a debt of gratitude in preparing this review.

One aspect of this Legendary Masters compilation I greatly appreciate is that the twenty-five songs, in sync with the liner notes, are presented chronologically, from 1959 to 1968:

1. 'Suzie Baby'. In the late 1950s, when Bobby was just fifteen, he sang in his older brother's band, The Shadows. The group played parties around Fargo, ND. After being encouraged by a local DJ, they recorded four songs at a Minneapolis studio; one of those was "Suzie Baby," a number written by Bobby himself. Most noteworthy is the interplay of Bobby's plaintive vocal lines with the lead guitar. The owner of the studio liked it and agreed to release it on his own label, Soma Records. The song became such a big hit in the upper Midwest that eventually Liberty Records released it nationally. It charted in August 1959, peaking at #77 on Billboard, although it did much better than that in various cities around the country. About this time Bobby began a happy association with Liberty producer Snuff Garrett.

2. 'What Do You Want'. Garrett liked Bobby's voice because it resembled Buddy Holly's; he convinced Liberty to record Bobby doing some Holly-styled songs. Of these, "What Do You Want," a former hit in England, was picked for Bobby's next crack at the national charts. But neither he nor the nation had much enthusiasm for it, and it peaked at #93 in April 1960. While not altogether irritating, it's the weakest song on this CD.

3. 'One Last Kiss'. This song from Bye Bye Birdie was Garrett's next brainchild for a BV hit. Released several days after "What Do You Want," it didn't even chart. Nonetheless, Bobby's Holly-like rendition grows on you and fits in surprisingly well toward the start of this compilation. It also features The Johnny Mann Singers, whose backup harmonies would figure prominently in many BV hits.

4. 'Devil or Angel'. With Bobby in danger of being dropped by Liberty, in May 1960 Garrett got another notion; he resurrected this 1956 hit by The Clovers. By August it charted and peaked at #6--Bobby Vee had finally cracked the top ten! This song, unmistakably, embodies the classic BV sound. The mid-fifties doo-wop's are replaced by the lush vocal harmonies and orchestration characteristic of "the new sound" of the very early '60s. Elements of Holly's inflections, however, still survive in Bobby's rendition.

5. 'Rubber Ball'. Written by Gene Pitney (using a pseudonym), this lively tune established Bobby's use of double-tracked vocals with which he would have great success on many later hits. It was also his next big commercial success, peaking at #6 in late 1960. While its 'bouncy-bouncy' vocal embellishments make it a bit too 'early-sixties cute' to be one of my favorites, there's no doubt it was an important step in the evolution of Bobby's style. If you're fortunate enough to attend a BV concert, don't be surprised to see beach balls thrown into the audience during this one.

6. 'Everyday'. This gentle Buddy Holly classic was the B-side of 'Rubber Ball.' Bobby's hiccupping intonations are consciously derivative here. Although nobody's covered it more faithfully, this one wasn't a nationwide hit.

7. 'Stayin' In.' This offbeat number peaked at #33 in early 1961. Here the adolescent protagonist is stranded after school, doing time after punching a guy who'd insulted his girl. There's some effective use of semi rhyme here: 'He was tellin' things that were not true about her / So I let him have it in the [pause] cafeteria.' I always thought this song pretty goofy, in a Wally Cleaver way, but, somehow, it works.

8. 'More than I Can Say.' Originally performed by The Crickets, this was the B-side to 'Stayin' In.' Since some radio stations considered the latter too violent (!), 'More than I Can Say' became the de facto 'hit,' but only reached #61. This puzzles me, because it's one of Bobby's better early songs, with deftly double-tracked vocals, tasteful backup harmonies, subtle orchestration, and a nice piano bridge.

9. 'How Many Tears.' In mid-1961 this galloping ditty stalled at #63. I'm not surprised it fared no better; while it fits well enough at this point in the Legendary Masters compilation, it's never been a personal favorite. Carole King and Gerry Goffin, who wrote many far superior songs thereafter, provided this one.

10. 'Take Good Care of My Baby.' This King/Goffin classic soared to #1 in August 1961, and will ever remain the quintessential BV song. What more need I say? If you don't like this gem, you probably don't like Bobby Vee!

11. 'Run to Him.' This Gerry Goffin/Jack Keller follow-up to 'Take Good Care' flew nearly as high, peaking at #2 near the end of the year. I've heard Bobby say this is his personal favorite from those days. Regarding percussion, he was especially pleased with the 'different sound' the tom-toms provided on this and several other numbers recorded around that time, including 'Sharing You' and 'I Can't Say Goodbye.' (Note: The latter is not here but rather on my favorite album, 1962's A Bobby Vee Recording Session.)

12. 'Walkin' With My Angel.' The percussive gimmick of leather shoes walking across a board opens this Goffin/King product, which reached #53 in December 1961. The storyline here is how proud and cool the teen protagonist feels knowing he's got the prettiest girl in town hanging on his arm. Though this catchy number isn't my very favorite BV melody, I wouldn't have minded being that guy.

13. 'Please Don't Ask About Barbara.' One of Bobby's best, this wistfully beautiful ballad peaked at #15 in early 1962 but would have surely reached the top ten, had Dick Clark not declined to play it on American Bandstand. Clark was in the middle of a divorce from a wife who just happened to be named--well, you can guess.

14. 'Sharing You.' With double-tracked vocals, engaging harmonies, and dramatic orchestration, 'Sharing You' builds to a brilliant crescendo of romantic frustration in only two minutes. It also rose to the #15 position in spring 1962; why it didn't take #1 is a mystery--I've always loved this song! Another example of classic Goffin/King genius.

15. 'Punish Her.' This exuberant little number was not greatly favored by Bobby (or yours truly). Bobby likens it to a sideways version of 'Take Good Care of My Baby.' Like 'Rubber Ball,' it does carry a catchy lilt, though a tad too 'cutesie' for my taste.

16. 'The Night Has a Thousand Eyes.' This Weisman-Wayne Garrett song reached #3 in early 1963, marking the last time a BV song would make the top ten'until 1967 (see below). With sprightly harmonies by the ubiquitous Johnny Mann Singers, this briskly paced number ranks alongside 'Take Good Care' as one of Bobby's signature songs. Effective as it is, to me it's not as endearing as many subtler melodies by King/Goffin, et al.

17. 'Charms.' If its vocals and instrumentals weren't so impeccably produced (there's that Vee/Garrett artistry at work), this 'sweet-as-sugar' song would surely get permanently deleted from my Sony megachanger's memory. Indeed, if anyone less skilful than Bobby rendered this pabulum, I'd disdain it. At any rate, in the spring of '63, others liked it well enough to lift it into the #13 slot.

18. 'Be True to Yourself.' Bobby's comments make it clear he respects this Burt Bacharach/Hal David contribution more than I. While it serves as a decent intermission, I'm glad it's no longer than two and a half minutes. It made #34 in summer 1963.

19. 'Yesterday and You.' A minor hit in late 1963, this was originally an obscure instrumental called 'Armen's Theme' by David Seville in 1956 'before his Chipmunks fame. This nostalgic tune begins with gentle, orchestrated backing that's gradually superseded by a brash upwelling of brass and percussion sounding more appropriate for Wayne Newton in Vegas--yet Bobby does it credit. It's a very uncharacteristic BV number, but an agreeable change of pace.

20. 'I'll Make You Mine.' Shortly after the Beatles hit it big, Bobby wrote this song that was palpably derivative of the Fab Four--even including McCartney-like 'ooh's' from the background singers. In early 1964 it managed to reach #52. With predictable but effective hooks, it sounds a little less gimmicky today than it did back then!

21. 'Look At Me Girl.' Obviously, the British Invasion interrupted the course of Bobby's hit-making career. Not until two years had passed would he chart with this song that topped out at #52. Instead of Snuff Garrett, Dallas Smith produced it and the remaining songs on this CD. Probably the most infectiously upbeat of Bobby's mid-1960s releases, 'Look At Me Girl' features beguiling vocal harmonies from Bobby and his studio backups dubbed The Strangers. It's such well wrought '60s pop that I'll never understand why it didn't break into the top ten, at least briefly.

22. 'Come Back When You Grow Up.' Just one year later, Bobby did have himself a top ten hit--the first in five years, and the last ever. Peaking at different times of the year in various cities, this one took a considerable time to run its course. The LP of the same title opened promisingly with this fine ballad then abruptly descended into a morass of horrendous 1967 triteness. (There was a plethora of great music that year, but not, alas, from BV.) Thus began an unfortunate stretch of three mediocre, badly produced albums--sorry, Bobby, I know you disagree--that were punctuated by four songs, ranging from fairly good to excellent, which are all included here. (Album collectors, do yourselves a favor and avoid listening to the other songs on Come Back When You Grow Up, Just Today, and Do What You Gotta Do; these LPs sounded bad enough back then, but are now so dated it's like fingernails across a chalkboard!)

23. 'Beautiful People.' This Pollyannish paean to romantic infatuation reached #37 in late 1967. As if the title itself doesn't already date it, the lyrics' inclusion of the words 'groovy' and 'grooviest' hammer the message home, as in this cheery passage: 'People turn around and know we're the happiest people today in this whole town / And it's no wonder that they kinda wonder if we're not the grooviest couple around.' Even so, this is by no means a bad song. Aside from the female backups' 'la-la-la-la-la's,' which soon grate, it's pleasantly sung. That's as much as I can muster in its praise.

24. 'Maybe Just Today.' Like 'Beautiful People,' this is from the 1968 LP Just Today. In the liner notes Bobby comments on his struggles to sing this piece and his ultimate feeling that it should never have been released. Frankly, I think he's totally wrong. Regardless of his studio struggles, the end result is very satisfying. This one definitely belongs on a 'best of BV' compilation as sizable as this.

25. 'Medley: My Girl/Hey Girl.' This is the third and final track taken from Just Today. It was Bobby's final top 40 hit, reaching #35. An excellent cover of the two classics by The Temptations and Freddie Scott, it also points up the glaring need for a CD reissue of two mid-1960s BV albums: 30 Big Hits of the 60's, Volumes '1' & 2. I'm puzzled that those LPs' delightful medleys have yet to be reissued by BGO Records, considering that they've been releasing almost all the other BV albums--including the three horrendous ones from 1967-68!

26. 'Bobby Vee Radio Spot.' This one-minute track was a 'promo' (i.e., radio ad) for the 1961 LP Take Good Care of My Baby. While its dawn-of-the-sixties hype is amusing for one or two listens, it quickly gets irritating and has been deleted from my changer's memory.

By the way, having blasted the three late-sixties LPs above, I'd like to add that Bobby did one more album for Liberty before closing out the decade: 1969's Gates, Grills & Railings. Producer Dallas Smith fared much better with that project, managing to keep the arrangements pretty consistently tasteful while exploring new musical trends. There's some quality songwriting there, and at least one number, Toni Wine and Carole Bayer's '(I'm into Lookin' for) Someone to Love Me,' got some airplay that year. While Gates, Grills & Railings doesn't rank with the best Snuff Garrett-produced albums, it's generally a respectable, satisfying recording. For better or worse, none of its tracks are included on the Legendary Masters compilation.

Considering its large number of superior tracks, Bobby Vee: The Legendary Masters Series is a great bargain. And it can now be had for a pittance of what I paid for my copy a decade ago. For example, as I write this, Amazon.com's third-party sellers have it on sale "used" for only five or six bucks.

Some closing observations:

First, don't miss the chance to see Bobby Vee in concert if he comes to your area. When he performs his old '60s classics live, the vocal magic largely returns in force.

I'd be remiss, however, if I didn't counter that endorsement with a cautionary note: listen before you buy any of Bobby's 'relatively recently' sung CDs or tapes, including Down the Line. Unfortunately, his voice on such 'modern' recordings sounds so utterly different from its '60s counterpart that you wouldn't recognize it. Indeed, only a select few of his songs after the '60s equal those he did for Liberty in his heyday. If you doubt this, listen to the latter, then listen to some sound clips from Down the Line via Tower Records, Amazon.com, etc. Honestly, beginning with 1972's Nothin' Like a Sunny Day LP (which he released under his actual name, Robert Thomas Velline), Bobby's recorded voice has sounded a weak, warbling, and wandering version of the beautiful instrument he wielded throughout the 1960s. Apparently this regrettable trend began with his conscious intention to explore new styles in the early '70s; but one can't help wondering if it subsequently hasn't involved at least some diminution in vocal control as he's aged.

Bobby, if by some chance you read this, please prove me wrong by singing as you did from 1959-69 on just one new CD filled with King/Goffin and other such standards that we've never heard you do. And please include a higher proportion of delicate upbeat numbers and lovely ballads--produced as 'Snuffy' might've done them. For us old fans who still cherish your Liberty output, what a treasure such a new recording would be! Call it being 'stuck in the sixties,' but we know what we like. Rick Nelson, Buddy Holly, Del Shannon and The Beatles will never return. But couldn't you?