Here's a couple of sad songs from 1959 and 1961, each of which was only a hit in the midwest. Cathy Carroll hit the Billboard Hot 100, barely, in 1962, with something called "Poor Little Puppet". But one year earlier, while missing the national charts completely, she barely missed the top ten on the legendary WLS in Chicago, with the tale of "Jimmy Love". I came across this one by accident, and felt as if I'd stumbled across something that was meant to stay hidden. If Cathy sounds a little sad for someone who is singing on her wedding day, just wait 'til you hear the whole story. It's not nice to fool with Mother Nature.
Cathy Carroll - Jimmy Love (MP3)
Two years earlier, while taking part on the ill-fated midwest tour which claimed the life of Buddy Holly et al, Frankie Sardo managed to popularize his song "Fake Out", enough that it climbed the charts on several midwest radio stations, including WJJD in Chicago, early in 1959. As opposed to "Jimmy Love", which I enjoy only in a sort of ironic, detatched way, there is something about "Fake Out" that I genuinely enjoy, enough that I actually went to my local vinyl hideaway and sought a copy, which was procured for a few dollars. It's not nearly as tragic as the former song, but rather, well, "that's too bad" about sums it up.
Cathy Carroll recently made her total output available for those who collect 60s music-other girl high school poppers who did the same thing are Diane Renay,Janie Grant,Andrea Carroll and Leslie Miller.
She was as good as anyone as a listen to the CD will show-her powerful voice was well suited to her revival of Johnnie Ray's Cry for instance.
Really the only difference between Cathy and say Peggy March is that the latter as luckier.
A few months before songwriters Tepper & Bennett were commissioned to provide songs for the Cliff Richard movie THE YOUNG ONES there was a recording of a song of this title by Cathy still in the can.However when the Cliff movie was released in the States it was retitled Its great to be young!
Meanwhile Cliff had a No 1 hit in the U K which was issued in the States on the Big Top label.And Cathy's original was put out in competition with it.
Probably Cliff sold more copies as he had a higher profile than a girl singer whose only chart entry had made the lower 90s.
Cathy also cut the only girl version of Brian Hyland's Ginny come lately as Johnny Come Lately.
Its all down to radio plays obviously but Cathy Carroll should have been massive
Posted by: Richard | October 20, 2008 at 06:54 PM
"Jimmy Love" is just BEGGING for a stark, organ-driven reinterpretation by some indie rock band.
Posted by: Roxy | October 21, 2008 at 10:27 PM