Graham Reid | | <1 min read
The cover of this British album from '64 gives the title as "Bobby Rydell Sings" . . . but the most interesting two tracks are where he doesn't.
Rydell was one of those lightweight US teen-pop artists whose success far outweighs his talent, and these days he has become a footnote in pop culture.
In Grease the college the kids went to was Rydell High, and McCartney has said that She Loves You was in part inspired (the "yeah yeah yeah") by a Rydell song (most likely We Got Love, but who would know after all this time?)
None of that is important and for serious music people nor is Rydell.
But on this album ($4 in a discount bin) each side of vacuous pop ends with instrumental tracks, Soul Full of Surfin' closing the second side.
This piece -- which may even owe a little to the noir mood of Slaughter on 10th Avenue -- takes out the first.
There are no writing or playing credits anywhere, so until someone can fill in the gaps this remains an enticing and odd mystery. Unless that is Rydell playing sax over the top of the vinyl surface noise.
For more oddities, one-offs or songs with an interesting backstory check the massive back-catalogue at From the Vaults.
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