Song #122 - "Ringo" - Lorne Greene

Recorded - November 1, 1963

Released - 1964

#1 for week of December 5, 1964. 

     Now here's a genre you wouldn't expect to see hit #1 in 1964, a spoken word Country/Western song. Before hearing "Ringo", I had a theory that the main reason this song became a hit is because everyone thought it was a tune about Ringo Starr, (It isn't). Seeing as this song and the music of Lorne Greene are new to me, this will be my first fresh listen on this list since late 1963. Let's dig in - 

     Well, turns out I was slightly correct in my assumption. This song was originally recorded in late 1963 for an album of songs based on the show Bonanza, which Canadian actor/singer Lorne Greene starred in. In October of 1964, due to The Beatles immense popularity, "Ringo" was extracted as a single and hit #1 on the charts. It just goes to show you how the American record companies did whatever they could to capitalize on Beatlemania. 

     This song reminds me heavily of Jimmy Dean's #1 hit "Big Bad John" which is another mostly spoken word tall tale. With that being said, "Ringo" is a whole lot more musically, and lyrically interesting. The song is a semi-fictitious tale of real life old west outlaw Johnny Ringo. Occasionally, an unknown group of singers sing the title of the song, which at times gets a bit hammy. Otherwise, the song is entirely spoken word. 

     The music track on "Ringo" is very subdued, with clip-clop percussion, acoustic guitar, and finger cymbals being the most prominent instruments. During the song's climax where the title character is killed, the music reaches its peak with brass entering the picture and the backing vocalists doing an almost Gregorian chant-like vocal melody. It's actually quite impressive to listen to the first time. 

     In the end, I personally wouldn't consider this to be representative of the best songs of 1964. Clearly, it was meant for a more esoteric market, not one that is dominated by British Invasion rock and Motown. It's one of those songs that I probably won't end up remembering as I progress on this list. Yet, as always, I appreciate something different every once in a while and this song certainly is far removed from rock and roll.  

Final Verdict - If you're not a country or western fan, don't you fret as this song is very accessible and who knows, you might even get into the story that Lorne tells. Give it a spin and determine for yourself. 

                Coming Up Next - "Mr. Lonely" by Bobby Vinton. 

    Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, the meanest outlaw in rock and roll -