Bernadette Carroll-- Part 5: The Ernie Maresca and Lou Christie Connections

Bernadettes's next single, "Party Girl," produced and co-written by Ernie Maresca, who also had a big hit with "Shout! Shout (Knock Yourself Out)" for himself and wrote "Runaround Sue" and the "Wanderer" for Dion, was her big hit, making her one of those one-hit wonders you hear about.

She continued doing work with the Allbut sisters as backup singers.

In the 1960s, she teamed with Denise Ferri and Peggy Santiflia and backed such artists as Connie Francis, Kitty Kallen, Bobby Hebb and Frankie Valli.  She can also be heard singing background on Lou Christi's hits "Lightning Strikes" and "Rhapsody in the Rain."

In 1968, she became lead singer of the Angels for a year and recorded four sides for RCA Records, including "The Boy With the Green Eyes" written by Neil Diamond.

Make sure you go to You Tibe and listen to her "Party Girl" song.  As good as Girl Group gets.

Quite an Interesting Career.  --RoadDog

SIGNS OF OLD AGE: If a young girl looks at you, you check to make sure you remembered to put on your pants.

Bernadette Carroll-- Part 4: A Four Seasons Connection

From Bernadette Carroll's website.

In 1959, she auditioned for and joined the starlets which consisted of sisters Barbara and "Jiggs" Allbut and Lynda Malzone.  They recorded a song called "P.S. I Love You" (nothing to do with the Beatles' song by the same name).  The Starlets disbanded and Bernadette went solo and recorded "My heart Stood Still."  As I mentioned yesterday, the Starlets became the Angels and had that huge hit "My Boyfriend's Back."

After that, she joined Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi of the Four Seasons to record at their studio for Vitomass Productions (a combination of their names).  They sold  their song "Nicky," written by Massi and Bob Gaudio (also of the Four Seasons), to Laurie Records and it became Bernadette's first hit.

Kind of Neat After Just recently Seeing "Jersey Boys" at the Theater.  --RoadDog


SIGNS OF OLD AGE:  You buy a compass for the dash of your car.

Bernadette Carroll- Part 3: The Angels Connection

Continued from July 11th.

Bernadette Carroll sang with and was a good friend of a group called the Starlets before embarking on her solo career.  The Starlets went on to become the group Angels, famous for their"My Boyfriend's Back" which went to #1 in 1963.  Other hits for them were "I Adore Him" #25 in 1963; "Thank You and Goodnight" #84 in 1963 and "Wow Wow We (He's the Boy for Me)" #41 in 1964.

Bernadette sang with them in the later 1960s.

Joel Whitburn wrote: "Female pop trio from Orange, New Jersey.  Formed as the Starlets with sisters Phylis "Jiggs" and Barbara Allbut and Linda Jansen as lead singer.  Jansen was replaced by Peggy Santiglia in 1962.  Barbara Allbut was replaced by Lana Shaw, formerly of the Serendipity Singers.

The group sang backup for Lou Christie in the mid-60s.

Bernadette Carroll's "Party Girl" peaked at #47 on the Billboard charts after debuting May 16, 1964.  It was on the charts for nine weeks.

--RoadDog


SIGNS OF OLD AGE:  You take a metal detector to the beach.

Ernie Maresca

Ernie Maresca wrote Bernadette Carroll's "Party Girl" and also had a Top Ten hit, going to #6 in 1963 "Shout, Shout (Knock Yourself Out)."  Hey, I love that song.

He was born in the Bronx and wrote four of Dion &the Belmont's big hits:

Runaround Sue
Wanderer
Donna the Prima Donna
Lovers Who Wander

Not Bad. "Here's My Story, It's Sad But True."  --RoadDog

Bernadette Carroll-- Part 2 "Party Girl"

My "Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1993" shows "Party Girl" peaking at #47 after spending nine weeks on the chart with a debut date of May 16, 1964.

According to her website, these are some of her other songs:

My Heart Stood Still
Sugar Sugar Sweet
Laughing On the Outside
Nicky
All the Way Home I Cried
I Don't Wanna Know
He's Just a Playboy

There is also an unreleased demo she sang with Ernie Marseca called "Tell Him for Me."

Her big hit "Party Girl" was written by Ernie Maresca.

"I Need a Guy..."  --RoadDog

Bernadette Carroll-- Part 1: "Party Girl"

Back on July 10th, I mentioned a song by Bernadette Carroll, "Party Girl, as being in the top 20 on WLS Radio in Chicago on July 3, 1964 at #13.  It had peaked the week before at #8.  I wasn't sure if I had heard the song before, but after going to You Tube, I had, but obviously not very often.

This song is about as good as the 60s Girl Group, Girl Songs got.

I'd never heard of her before, so had to do some research.

Going to You Tube, the person who posted the song said: "Here is the wonderful 1964 hiy 'Party Girl' by the lovely and talented Bernadette Carroll.  It went to #47 on the national Billboard charts and in Miami zoomed all the way to #8."  And, they noted that she has a website.  I went to the website and found it connected to the New Jersey sound, which is really big now thanks to that great Clint Eastwood movie "Jersey Boys."

It is at www.jerseygirlssing.com.

"I Wanna Be a.Party, Party Girl.  Have Lots of Fun, Al Around, Around the World."  --Roaddog


NOT YOUR USUAL FLIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS:  Ever notice how people generally pay little or no attention to airplane announcements.  But, if they are said like this, People Listen.  "As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings.  Anything left beghind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants.  Please do not leave children or spouses."

Looking Back at the WLS Top 40 for July 3, 1964-- Part 3

Even though the Beatles didn't have any songs in the Top 40, as they'd had since the beginning of the year, the WLS Silver Dollar Survey had the Beatles' Hard Day's Night as one of their featured albums.

These are more songs that I hadn't heard, or thought I hadn't).

I'VE HAD IT--  The Crestones  (Unable to find this one on You Tube, but they had other songs by them that were instrumentals.)
I WANNA LOVE HIM SO BAD--  Jellybeans  (As good of the girl group sound as you'll find and I heard it before.)

HICKORY DIC & DOC--  Bobby Vee  (You Tube had it as "Hickory, Dick and Doc.)
TELL ME WHY--  Bobby Vinton  (Back-to-Back Bobby music.)

I'LL TOUCH A STAR--  Terry Stafford
FATHER SEBASTIAN--  Ramblers

THREE WINDOW COUPE--  The Ripchords
PARTY GIRL--  Bernadette Carroll  (One of the great girl songs.  I'll be writing more about her tomorrow.)

FIRST NIGHT OF THE FULL MOON--  Jack Jones
WHAT HAVE I GOT OF MY OWN--  Trini Lopes (Heard it)

--RoadDog

WLS Top 40, July 3, 1964

*  Haven't heard of it.

20.  HICKORY DIC & DOC-- Bobby Vee*
19.  TELL ME WHY--  Bobby Vinton*  (The two Bobbies)
18.  NO PARTICULAR PLACE TO GO--  Chuck Berry  (Great car, high school song)
17.  I'LL TOUCH A STAR--  Terry Stafford*
16.  DON'T THROW YOU LOVE AWAY--  Searchers

15.  FATHER SEBASTIAN--  Ramblers*
14.  THREE WINDOW COUPE--  Ripchords*
13.  PARTY GIRL--  Bernadette Carroll*
12.  DANG ME--  Roger Miller
11.  FIRST NIGHT OF THE FULL MOON--  Jack Jones*

"They Ought to Get a Rope and ___ __."  --RoadDog

WHY TEACHERS TURN GRAY EARLY (selected test answers):  Q:  If it took eight men 10 hours to build a brick wall, how long would it take four men to build it?  A:  No time at all, it was already built.

WLS Top Ten: June 26, 1964

Still looking back at these great songs from that real turning point in rock history.

1.  LITTLE CHILDREN--  Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas
2.  I GET AROUND--  Beach Boys
3.  MEMPHIS--  Johnny Rivers

4.  A WORLD WITHOUT LOVE--  Peter and Gordon
5.  MY BOY LOLLIPOP-- Millie Small
6.  THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA--  Astrud Gilberto & Stan Getz  (jumped from #21)
7.  CAN'T YOU SEE SHE'S MINE--  Dave Clark Five (jumped from #24)

8.  PARTY GIRL--  Bernadette Carroll
9.  LOVE ME DO/ P.S. I LOVE YOU--  You Know Who
10.  LOVE ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART--  Ray Charles Singers

Thursday, I will list all 40 songs to get a better idea of the numerous types of songs on the chart at the time.  Three of the Top Ten are by British Invasion acts: #1, #4 and #7.  Not sure where Millie Small was from.

Never heard of "Party Girl" by Bernadette Carroll.  You Tube here I come.  --RoadDpg