Hello Mary Lou
| "Hello Mary Lou" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Ricky Nelson | ||||
| A-side | "Travelin' Man" | |||
| Released | 1961 | |||
| Length | 2:17 | |||
| Label | Imperial Records #5741 | |||
| Writer(s) | Gene Pitney, Cayet Mangiaracina | |||
| Ricky Nelson singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Hello Mary Lou" is a song written by U.S. singer Gene Pitney[1][2][3] first recorded by Johnny Duncan in 1960,[4] and later by Ricky Nelson in 1961.
Nelson's version, issued as the B-side of his No. 1 hit "Travelin' Man", (Imperial 5741), reached No. 9 on the Billboard music charts on May 28, 1961. In the United Kingdom, where it was released as an A-side (with Dorsey Burnette's "It's Late" as the B-side), it reached No. 2. It was also a hit in much of Europe, particularly Norway, where it spent 14 weeks at No. 1. In New Zealand, the song reached No. 4.[5]
A 1991 reissue following the song's use in a TV advert gave the song a second chart run, peaking at number 45 in the UK Singles Chart.
The song features an influential guitar solo by James Burton, often cited by later guitarists such as Brian May. Piano was by Ray Johnson, who had succeeded Gene Garf as Nelson's regular session pianist in November 1959.[6] other musicians on the record included Joe Osborne on bass and Ritchie Frost on drums.[7]
The song appears on Nelson's sixth album Rick Is 21.
Plagiarism controversy
Hello Mary Lou, was not strictly an original composition. Pitney reworked a version of an earlier song 'Merry, Merry Lou', recorded by a band called The Sparks in 1957, which was covered later that year by Bill Haley and His Comets, as 'Mary Mary Lou'. The composer of the track was Cayet Mangiaracina, band member of The Sparks, who would later become ordained as a Catholic priest. When Hello Mary Lou was released, recording company, Decca, sued for plagiarism of this song and won. Furthermore, Mangiaracina was awarded writer co-credits for Hello Mary Lou, as composer of the original song.[8]
Cover versions
- The Seekers on their 1968 live album Live at the Talk of the Town
- Brownsville Station on their debut album No BS (1970)
- Led Zeppelin, frequently covered the song as part of their "Whole Lotta Love" medley from 1970 til 1972. One notable example of this is on their How the West Was Won live triple album (recorded 1972, released 2003)
- Creedence Clearwater Revival's last album Mardi Gras (1972)
- Fumble on their first album Fumble (1972)
- New Riders of the Purple Sage on their second album Powerglide (1972)
- The Statler Brothers on their album Pardners in Rhyme (1985)
- Queen played the song on their 1986 Magic Tour and can be heard on the live album Queen: Live at Wembley (1986)
- Bobby Lewis recorded the song in 1970, reaching the US Country Top 15.
- Stig Anderson, as Stig Rossner, wrote the Swedish lyrics for "Hallå Mary Lou", recorded by Sten & Stanley.
The song was also recorded, in French, by Petula Clark as "Bye Bye Mon Amour" and was covered by LMP on their album A Century of Song as their selection for 1961.
References
- ↑ "Hello Mary Lou Goodbye Heart (Legal Title)". Repertoire.bmi.com. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
- ↑ Lee Jensen (19 Oct 2011). "Rock and Roll Heaven: How a Priest Helped Write "Hello, Mary Lou"". Yahoo Inc. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
- ↑ Don Ellzey (2013). "Ponchatoula priest shares special part in Rock 'n Roll history". actionnews17.com/. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
- ↑ "Freddy and His Go-Cart by Johnny Duncan". Secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
- ↑ "flavour of new zealand - Lever hit parades". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
- ↑ "Ray Johnson". Rockabilly.nl. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
- ↑ "Rick Is 21 : Rick Nelson Records". Rickynelson.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
- ↑ https://secondhandsongs.com/work/114094
External links
- Lyrics of Queen's cover of "Hello Mary Lou" from Live at Wembley '86, from Queen official website.