Bobby Vinton turns 90 at present, having made his mark on the Billboard charts through the years. The singer, who gained the nickname “The Polish Prince,” had 4 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Sizzling 100 and three high 10 albums on the Billboard 200.
Vinton holds a particular footnote in popular culture historical past: He had the final No. 1 of the pre-Beatles period. His revival of the previous music “There! I’ve Stated It Once more” was knocked out of the highest spot in February 1964 by the Fab 4’s electrifying smash “I Need to Maintain Your Hand.” However the Beatles’ arrival didn’t finish Vinton’s profession — 5 of his 9 high 10 hits had been launched after the Fab 4 invaded our charts.
In December 1964, when he topped the Sizzling 100 for the fourth time, Vinton turned simply the fourth artist to amass 4 No. 1 hits, following Elvis Presley, who had accrued seven Sizzling 100 leaders at that time; The Beatles, who had had 5; and The 4 Seasons, who had additionally had 4. (Presley additionally had No. 1 hits pre-dating the inception of the Sizzling 100 in August 1958.)
Vinton was born in Canonsburg, Pa., the identical city that gave us Perry Como, who was a well-liked recording artist from the Forties into the Nineteen Seventies, and The 4 Cash, which had a success in 1957 with the rapturous “Shangri-La.”
Vinton had three consecutive hits in 1963-64 – “Blue Velvet,” “There! I’ve Stated It Once more” and “My Coronary heart Belongs to Solely You” – that had been remakes of oldies from the Forties and Nineteen Fifties. Vinton’s greatest hits additionally embrace songs written by legendary songwriters Barry Mann and Burt Bacharach & Hal David, in addition to a number of that he co-wrote himself.
Right here’s an annotated record of Bobby Vinton’s greatest Billboard Sizzling 100 hits.
Primarily based on precise efficiency on the weekly Billboard Sizzling 100. Songs are ranked based mostly on an inverse level system, with weeks at No. 1 incomes the best worth and weeks at decrease ranks incomes much less. On account of modifications in chart methodology through the years, eras are weighted to account for various chart turnover charges over varied intervals.
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“Coming Dwelling Soldier”
Sizzling 100 peak/date: No. 11/Jan. 7, 1967
Songwriters: Gene Allan, Bobby Vinton
Producer: Robert Mersey
Notes: On the time this music was a success, roughly 380,000 American troops had been in South Vietnam. The music doesn’t point out Vietnam, however that was the battle that was top-of-mind when this music was being performed on the radio.
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“My Coronary heart Belongs to Solely You”
Sizzling 100 peak/date: No. 9/March, 28, 1964
Songwriters: Dorothy Daniels, Frank Daniels
Producer: Bob Morgan
Notes: June Christy launched this ballad in 1953. Jackie Wilson had a No. 65 hit with it on the Sizzling 100 in 1961. As you will notice, Morgan produced most of Vinton’s greatest hits.
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“I Love How You Love Me”
Sizzling 100 peak/date: No. 9/Dec. 14, 1968
Songwriters: Larry Kolber, Barry Mann
Producer: Billy Sherrill
Notes: The Paris Sisters had a No. 5 hit on the Sizzling 100 in 1961 with this music. Sherrill was a high Nashville producer who specialised within the “countrypolitan” sound. He was inducted into the Nation Music Corridor of Fame in 2010. None of Vinton’s 10 greatest Sizzling 100 hits made Billboard’s Sizzling Nation Songs chart, however he did lastly break onto that chart in 1980 with “My Elusive Goals,” which Sherrill produced and co-wrote.
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“Please Love Me Endlessly”
Sizzling 100 peak/date: No. 6/Nov. 18, 1967
Songwriters: Ollie Blanchard, Johnny Malone
Producer: Billy Sherrill
Notes: Sherrill additionally produced this music. Tommy Edwards had a No. 61 hit on the Sizzling 100 with this music in 1958. Cathy Jean & the Roommates took it to No. 12 in 1961.
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“Blue on Blue”
Sizzling 100 peak/date: No. 3/July 6, 1963
Songwriters: Burt Bacharach, Hal David
Producer: Bob Morgan
Notes: This was an early hit for the peerless pop staff of Bacharach and David. On the time of this session, Vinton had had a No. 1 hit (“Roses Are Crimson (My Love)”). Bacharach and David wouldn’t land their first No. 1 till 1968 (Herb Alpert’s “This Man’s in Love With You”). Bacharach additionally organized and carried out this lilting recording.
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“My Melody of Love”
Sizzling 100 peak/date: No. 3/Nov. 16, 1974
Songwriters: Henry Mayer, Bobby Vinton
Producer: Bob Morgan
Notes: For some time, it appeared like this would possibly turn out to be Vinton’s fifth No. 1 hit on the Sizzling 100. In two weeks within the fall of 1974, it jumped from No. 17 to No. 6 to No. 3. However that’s the place it stopped. This comeback smash was sung partially in Polish. It’s a decidedly old-fashioned-sounding file, particularly when you think about that it was within the high 10 alongside such hits as Elton John’s “The Bitch Is Again” and John Lennon’s “No matter Will get You Through the Evening.” Vinton adopted it up with a remake of the 1939 hit “Beer Barrel Polka,” which cracked the highest 40 in 1975.
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“Mr. Lonely”
Sizzling 100 peak/date: No. 1 (one week)/Dec. 12, 1964
Songwriters: Gene Allan, Bobby Vinton
Producer: Bob Morgan
Notes: Vinton recorded this music on the similar session (on Feb. 16, 1962) that yielded “Roses Are Crimson.” (Now, that’s a fruitful session.) Buddy Greco, additionally on Epic, launched “Mr. Lonely” first. His model reached No. 64 on the Sizzling 100 in 1962. Vinton’s model is most notable for his reaches into falsetto, which echoes Roy Orbison, and for the abject heartbreak in his vocal. Vinton obtained his solely Grammy nomination for this efficiency. He misplaced to Petula Clark’s thrilling “Downtown.” The class they competed in would possibly shock you: Finest rock & roll recording. Neither file actually match the class.
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“Blue Velvet”
Sizzling 100 peak/date: No. 1 (three weeks)/Sept. 21, 1963
Songwriters: Lee Morris, Bernie Wayne
Producer: Bob Morgan
Notes: This music was first a success in 1951 for Tony Bennett and was lined within the mid ’50s by The Clovers and The Moonglows. Vinton’s model was used to nice impact in David Lynch’s 1986 movie Blue Velvet, which additionally featured such different songs of the interval as Roy Orbison’s “In Goals.”
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“There! I’ve Stated It Once more”
Sizzling 100 peak/date: No. 1 (4 weeks)/Jan. 4, 1964
Songwriters: Redd Evans, Dave Mann
Producer: Bob Morgan
Notes: This was one other case of Vinton reaching again to revive an previous music. This music was launched in 1941 by the Benny Carter Orchestra. Vaughn Monroe had a smash with it in 1945. Sam Cooke took it to No. 81 on the Sizzling 100 in 1959. Vinton’s model is most well-known because the final No. 1 of the pre-Beatles period.
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“Roses Are Crimson (My Love)”
Sizzling 100 peak/date: No. 1 (4 weeks)/July 14, 1962
Songwriters: Al Byron, Paul Evans
Producer: Bob Morgan
Notes: This was Vinton’s very first Sizzling 100 hit. It has a loping, countryish gait, nevertheless it wasn’t a rustic hit. Robert Mersey organized and carried out the music. He would additionally serve in these capacities on “Mr. Lonely” and “Coming Dwelling Solider.” Co-writer Evans was a singer/songwriter who had had a pair of high 10 hits on the Sizzling 100 as an artist in 1959-60, “Seven Little Women (Sitting within the Again Seat)” and “Blissful-Go-Fortunate-Me.” Evans additionally co-wrote hits for Elvis Presley and The Kalin Twins.
