Ronnie Diamond, "Life Begins At 4 O'Clock," Imperial X5588 (rel. 5/1959); "Candy Store," Imperial X5570 (rel. 2/1959)
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Born Alec Ramos in Honolulu, Hawaii, Ronnie Diamond, like Robin Luke, was a pre-state-dom teen rock 'n' roll export from the islands. He made four singles for Imperial Records in Hollywood; his last single is crazy-rare. He was 16 and 17 when he cut his eight known sides for Imperial. I've selected my two favorites; there are soppy ballads with zero hepcat appeal in his discography.
Ramos has a zesty style and should've done more rockers. Public demands meant ballads were an onus for all young singers. Ain't nothin' ballad-y about "Life Begins at 4:00," one of the best Hollywood rockers of 1959. The song was penned by Danny Wolfe, who supplied several young rockabillies with solid material. This ode to escape from "six long hours just sittin' in school" stirs a sense of freedom and joy from this long-graduated rascal.
Diamond's bright voice, in a rowdy setting with blazing guitar and a tight band, excels on this iconic ditty steeped in late 1950s teen life. At this time, teenagers had their own culture and argot and began to forge a social identity. Songs such as this fortified that sense of belonging; they retain their flag-planting excitement many decades later.
Wish I knew more about this performer: he was popular in Hawaii, to judge by two clippings from Cash Box included in today's post. This short, energetic kid made good copy; too bad this didn't translate into at least one major hit, as Robin Luke got with his "Suzie Darlin'." Perhaps Diamond was too ethnically exotic for the 1959 mainstream.
Born Alec Ramos in Honolulu, Hawaii, Ronnie Diamond, like Robin Luke, was a pre-state-dom teen rock 'n' roll export from the islands. He made four singles for Imperial Records in Hollywood; his last single is crazy-rare. He was 16 and 17 when he cut his eight known sides for Imperial. I've selected my two favorites; there are soppy ballads with zero hepcat appeal in his discography.
Ramos has a zesty style and should've done more rockers. Public demands meant ballads were an onus for all young singers. Ain't nothin' ballad-y about "Life Begins at 4:00," one of the best Hollywood rockers of 1959. The song was penned by Danny Wolfe, who supplied several young rockabillies with solid material. This ode to escape from "six long hours just sittin' in school" stirs a sense of freedom and joy from this long-graduated rascal.
Diamond's bright voice, in a rowdy setting with blazing guitar and a tight band, excels on this iconic ditty steeped in late 1950s teen life. At this time, teenagers had their own culture and argot and began to forge a social identity. Songs such as this fortified that sense of belonging; they retain their flag-planting excitement many decades later.
Wish I knew more about this performer: he was popular in Hawaii, to judge by two clippings from Cash Box included in today's post. This short, energetic kid made good copy; too bad this didn't translate into at least one major hit, as Robin Luke got with his "Suzie Darlin'." Perhaps Diamond was too ethnically exotic for the 1959 mainstream.
The B-side of this single is a snoresville ballad, but "Life Begins..." is one of the great rockers of 1959 and deserves to be better-known. Cash Box-approved as "a fine sock session." Darn it all!
Bonus Foto-Feature: publicity pic from around the time
our first song went out to the public.
our first song went out to the public.
"Candy Store" was the top-side of Ronnie's debut disc, issued in February 1959, as the rock 'n' roll community reeled from the deaths of Buddy Holly and Richie Valens.
This folkish teen tune features a vocal chorus that's not intrusive as Ronnie describes another teen haven of note.
A brief but fab guitar break and potent percussion distinguish this sleek li'l bopper, which went out without notice from the music journals and flopped. None of Diamond's 45s are easy to find. This one doesn't have the collector cache of "Life Begins...," which can fetch 50 bucks for a mint copy, but it's my second-favorite of his handful of sides.
A brief but fab guitar break and potent percussion distinguish this sleek li'l bopper, which went out without notice from the music journals and flopped. None of Diamond's 45s are easy to find. This one doesn't have the collector cache of "Life Begins...," which can fetch 50 bucks for a mint copy, but it's my second-favorite of his handful of sides.
I'm certain the life story of Alec Ramos, who passed on in 2015, is fascinating, but no one appears to have told it. He is a subject worthy of in-depth research. For now, I hope you've enjoyed his two best sides, IMHO.
Tomorrow: Ann Cole returns with a beat-but-great Baton Records 45 from 1956.
'Chicken in the coop makes a man wanna shout'—sorry, you say what now? Crazy good guitar on "Life Begins..." and a song that sounds like a mash-up of "At The Hop" and "Jailhouse Rock'—not a bad thing. I lost count how many times candy store is sang in "Candy Store." Both songs are definitely 'a fine sock session.' Hooray for socks!
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