JACKIE DEE, "BUDDY" C/W "STROLYPSO DANCE," LIBERTY F-55148 (REL. 6/1958)

Jackie De Shannon wasn’t yet herself when she recorded today’s single—her third release—in 1958 at age 17. She hadn’t moved to California, though the release of this single would facilitate her move Westward. Best of all, the A side is the only song I know of that celebrated Buddy Holly’s existence while he was still with us.

Recorded in Nashville with the usual session cats and their unmistakable sound, Jackie Dee’s lone single for Liberty got the attention of more famous label-mate Eddie Cochran, who liked the singer and her songs and invited her to LA. There, she and Sharon Sheeley wrote scores of great pop songs which Cochran, Ricky Nelson and other West Coasters made into hits. In Nashville, Brenda Lee was the recipient of several Sheeley/De Shannon items which she turned into pop hits.

“Buddy” doesn’t describe the bespectacled Texas rocker in detail, but Ms. D works up a sweat on this solid Nashville bopper with drumming by the great Buddy Harman and a guitarist whose style I don’t recognize. Whomever they are, they’re good and it’s refreshing to hear a different player on a Nashville record of this era.

No vocal chorus—what a relief!—and plenty of studio reverb, which suggests this may have been recorded at Owen Bradley’s legendary Nashville studio. In just under two minutes, this li’l cooker delivers the goods with enthusiasm.

Hear it >>>>> HERE. <<<<<

Storlypso, anyone? Cash Box approves of today's single; botches title.

“Strolypso Dance,” which Cash Box couldn’t spell in its review, is a rockaballad made better by what isn’t there. Thank goodness The Anita Kerr Singers were busy elsewhere on May 8^th, 1958 when these two sides, plus one unissued item, were recorded.

It’s easy to get distracted by all of Jackie’s whoa-ho-ho-ha-hos during this narrative about a girl who loses her guy at the titular soiree. I didn’t know strolypso was a thing; a Google search suggests it was her invention and is unique to this recording. It was, perhaps, the world’s loss.

Hear it >>>>> HERE. <<<<<

Jackie would sign with Imperial Records—soon to be allied with Liberty—in 1960. There, her greatest songs would be recorded. She didn’t have hits with any of her own material, but it charted worldwide for other artists. I’m glad Liberty valued her and kept her on their roster through the 1960s. She did well as a songwriter and it’s a pity the public didn’t cotton to her as a singer-songwriter; those Liberty recordings are revered now—and with good cause.

Jackie is still with us and has received the acclaim she deserves.

Tomorrow: a De Shannon/Sheeley song recorded by Brenda Lee, backed with a moody number co-written by Gerry Goffin. The Token Hit!