And we're back to ballad land with this song, which is often used as an example, when discussing the history of this year in music. This is mainly due to the fact that Frankie Avalon traded in a rock sound for a symphonic pop sound with this song. Because of this, it can be seen as an indicator that Rock And Roll was losing popularity.
Today, besides this being one of his signature songs, Frankie Avalon is best remembered for appearing in a lot of 1960's, "Beach Party", movies, most notably with the late Annette Funicello. The more modern generation knows him, not necessarily by name, for singing, "Beauty School Dropout", in the 1978 film adaptation of Grease.
Now, one thing I feel I should clarify is that I do NOT hate soft-pop ballads. Despite having talked down about the genre often on this list, "It's All In The Game", and "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", while very gentle songs, still have powerful R&B vocals that make them pleasing to listen to. "Venus", which heavily features orchestral choir backing vocals certainly falls firmly into the easy-listening symphonic pop vein.
But is this really a death kneel for the song? Not at all. It most certainly is listenable, and that is a positive trait that will rapidly diminish once we reach more modern pop music. Plus, fact of the matter is Frankie Avalon's has a great singing voice. However he doesn't have the same emotional resonance in this song that some of the more R&B ballads I have reviewed have featured. Plus, the backing vocals and very quiet arrangement have dated this song quite a bit.
After closer listening to the music track, there are a few surprises. For one, it actually features electric guitar, (non-distorted), and most importantly HARPSICHORD! Does that make this song one of the first Baroque Pop songs? It really wouldn't be until Brian Wilson developed as an arranger that harpsichord would be more widely used in pop music so it is certainly neat to hear. Also, despite this being an orchestral-sounding song, there is not a heavy wall of sound or massive string section like some of the other songs on this list.
Final Verdict - Despite this song being very much a, "Safe", #1 hit for 1959, and being a very innocent, naive, and easy-listening pop song, the key emphasis is "listening". It is very listenable, although not overly complex. Still, it is considered a treasured pop song from this time period, so if this is your cup of tea, give it a listen.
Coming Up Next - "Come Softly To Me" by The Fleetwoods
Until Next Time - Dr. Rock -
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