Bobbin', Rockin' and Beboppin'

 Hello, 

Before we get to today's feature, a bit of housekeeping. Regarding my last post, about Lt. Calley, I received a nice note back from Jason Brummer, of The Vietnam War Song Project, who offered up a correction. I had directed folks to see # 36 on that list, for a posting about the Gene Marshall record I was featuring. However, it turns out that the song-poet submitted both songs on that record twice, with the Calley song actually having different lyrics each time. The song I posted is on Jason's list, but it is at # 77. 

Also, I encourage you to visit that same post, and read the comments from "Doctor Future", who linked to yet another Calley record (as well as to a song about sewers exploding). 

Finally, Sammy Reed dropped by to explain that he has closed down his blogspot site, which I have linked to many times, and which is in my feebly small links box. He has opened a new site, and has promised to re-populate it with many of the records from the old site, but, sadly, none of the links in my previous posts will now work. I have changed the link in the links box to his current site, and encourage everyone to check it out!

And now, on with the countdown:

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I think today's first tune is a lot of fun, and hope you do, too. 

But first, to understand today's record, you must first be familiar with a 1920's hit song called "When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along". It was a hit in 1926, and again in 1953. A knock of of the 1953 hit was produced for Little Golden Records, and that's the version I grew up being familiar with. 

Well, in 1961, a song-poet decided to update the story, spelling the word "Robin" wrong in the process (unless that was the fault of the person who put the label together), and giving us "The Red Robbin Ain't Bobbin' No Mo'" And lucky us, it was assigned to Tin Pan Alley's Phil Celia, who made far more than his share of oddities during his time with the label. 

For exactly 90 seconds, our song-poet friend lets us know that the robin (sorry, the robbin) has moved on from his "Bobbin'" style and has embraced both Rock and Roll and Bebop - a dual move into two styles which had absolutely nothing in common, and which seems highly unlikely. But maybe birds (sorry, birrds) are more flexible in their musical genres than humans. 

Helpfully, the folks in the Tin Pan Alley band put together a backing track which contains no elements of Rock and Roll or Bebop. Or Bebbop 

Download: Phil Celia: The Red Robbin Ain't Bobbin' No Mo'

Play:

I have nothing even remotely good to say about the tedium found on the flip side, "My Love Never Changes". This inexecrable slab is exactly one minute longer than "Bobbin", but seems about two years longer. Phil appears to be channeling the most unctuous and smarmy of Paul Anka then-contemporary performances, and that's really saying something. 

The opening two lines should give you an idea of the quality of the lyrics: 

My love never changes

My love stays the same

Well, as this seems to have been created as a sort of performance/proposal, I hope the writer's intended said yes. Or maybe "Yes, if you promise to never play that record again". 

Download: Phil Celia - My Love Never Changes

Play: