Let’s review the ground rules here. The Mystery Date song is not necessarily something I believe to be good. So feel free to rip it or praise it. Rather the song is something of interest due to the artist, influences, time period… Your job is to decipher as much as you can about the artist without research. Who do you think it is? Or, Who do you think it sounds like? When do you think it was recorded? Etc…
If you know who it is, don’t spoil it for the rest. Anyone who knows it can play the “mockcarr option.” (And I’ve got a hunch at least one of you know this one.) This option is for those of you who just can’t hold your tongue and must let everyone know just how in-the-know you are by calling it. So if you know who it is and want everyone else to know that you know, email Mr. Moderator at mrmoderator [at] rocktownhall [dot] com. If correct we will post how brilliant you are in the Comments section.
The real test of strength though is to guess as close as possible without knowing. Ready, steady, go!
[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Mystery-Date-062612.mp3|titles=Mystery Date 062612]
This song is definitely from the late ’50s, very early 60s @ the latest. Is the artist a famous country star?
You’ve got the release period right. No, the artist is not a famous country star. Good start!
This is from one of those execrable celebrities-turned-pop-singers albums from the 60s. Recently, I’ve seen a number of videos featuring one particular star trying to parlay his momentary fame — and his unusual on-screen character — into success on the charts. This particular star had a noteworthy basso profundo voice that was essential to his character, and it could be we’re hearing that voice here. Jumping to my guess, then, I’m going to say…
http://staffannouncer.com/blog/images/lurchjacket.jpg
Ted “Lurch” Cassidy!
Tremendous characterization but completely off base!
I like HVB’s idea of an actor trying to cross over into music. Unfortunately, the way this guy’s voice slides up and down the scale is making me a bit sea sick so I’m having trouble listening long enough to get a fix on who it could be.
He’s American, right? From LA?
He’s not from LA.
He’s a Texan, right?
I think he has a British accent.
Nope.
If so that would be strange.
It does seem like somebody trying to shoehorn themselves into a more rock setting, like a Dean Martin type lounge singer trying to jump onto the pop music bandwagon. I know it’s a country song and those are the notes, but there’s something in the way he swoops from note to note that makes me think this is not the singer’s “natural” genre.
Why is it every time I listen to this song, I imagine the Jolly Green Giant wearing a ten-gallon hat.
This song has been done by a lot of people…Ernest Tubb, Tennessee Ernie Ford, The Caravelles (English one hit wonder girl duo), Skeeter Davis and even Claudine Longet….but I’ve never heard this version, which is a little more uptempo and slightly less country-sounding than the ones I’ve heard, esp. either of the Ernie’s….hmmm. That voice is *really* familiar…..damn…
True, he would not be known for this sort of music.
Oh wow.
Jim Neighbors?
Not a TV star.
Wasn’t this from an episode of The Beverly Hillbillies where Jethro wanted to be a Rock N Roll star? And since Max Baer couldn’t sing they had someone else do it for him so he could lip sync to it. I’m pretty sure that’s it.
Obviously the style goes back to the 50s but I’m guessing from the production (and guitar solo) that it’s from around 1964-1965. Beyond that I don’t have a clue.
Kinda sounds like Jim Reeves, who I really only know from 70s afternoon tv K-Tel collection commercials, so I’m probably full o’ crap.
I’m going to swing for the fences & say that it’s Tony Conigliaro of brief & tragic Boston Red Sox fame, who did release a few singles
I don’t know the specific recording date, but this is actually from the late-’50s/very early-’60s.
A Johnny Bench Batter Up-worthy swing, but you missed the pitch by a foot!
Is it a movie star?
No, although the movie industry is a huge reason why I would have ever known this guy.
‘Spect I’ll be kicking myself, but I don’t know. Tell you what, though: this version by Moon Mullican is well-nigh sublime http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHMp8u2XsXE He was pretty tremendous.
I’m impressed by how many folks are talking about this artist. I’ll leave the floor open a few more hours before the BIG REVEAL!
Is it Phil Harris — the guy who was on the Jack Benny radio show?
It’s Wes Anderson’s father!
No, as far as I know whenever this guy was on the radio it was for his music. And that said, for most of his career you could only hear him on the radio or on record.
Hmmm… I was going to suggest the Bog Bopper but in your response to funoka, you appear to be choosing your words very carefully and in a way thaat leads me to believe that this is someone who is usually an instrumentalist. Is it Duane Eddy? Link Wray? Santo or Johnny?
Oops! That’s obviously supposed to be “Big Bopper”. The Bog Bopper sounds like some sort of Bigfoot monster with extra hair on his palms.
No, this was not someone who is primarily known as an instrumentalist. Nor is it the Big Bopper, the Bog Bopper, or Sasquatch.
I’ll take a crack. With that deep voice, is it Bing Crosby???
Last night I thought it might be Bing, and decided to cheat and searched for Bing (but not using Bing) and some of the song lyrics. My guess was wrong but the search turned up the correct answer.
We appreciate your playing it fair and square, cher, and trust that others who are too curious will do likewise and not tell.
After my guess, I did a “Duh”. Bing Crosby was a pretty big movie star, and therefore not a good guess based on recent clues.
My wife thought she recognized the voice and named a singer that fits the profile. It sounded like him. Is this a fellow who simultaneously popularized and nearly killed Rock’n’Roll in its early days?
Interesting guess, but no, this guy’s only remotely a “rock ‘n roll” artist, not even one who threatened to kill the genre.
I meant very remotely. The guess was Pat Boone. And if he didn’t come close to killing Rock’n”Roll with his cover of Tutti Frutti, maybe I mischaracterized him.
This is amazing. I just listened to a Fred Neil album the day before I heard this and I never in a million years would have guessed this was him.