Chart entered : 27 April 1961
Chart peak : 1
Number of hits : 14
Time for a classic here as another ( living ) singer-songwriter arrived to keep Neil Sedaka company in the charts.
Del was born Charles Westover in Michigan in 1934 and grew up listening to country music. In 1954 he was drafted and became the guitarist in a band called The Cool Flames whilst in Germany. Back in Michigan he did blue collar jobs before joining a group called Moonlight Ramblers as rhythm guitarist. In 1958 he took over the band, firing off the singer and renaming them The Big Little Show Band. Crucially in 1959 he added keyboardist Max Crook who brought along his own early synthesiser invention, the Musitron. Besides that Crook had connections and he got Del (and himself as a writer) a contract with Bigtop Records. It was now that Charles Westover became Del Shannon.
"Del" went to New York with Crook and his disc jockey friend Olly McLaughlin but the first recording sessions were unproductive. McLaughlin then suggested they re-write an early song called "Little Runaway" with the Musitron as lead instrument. The result was a Transatlantic number one , one of the most distinctive of the decade.
The Popular review is OK although Tom's mark of 7 is a bit measly. Del Shannon
Total classic. I agree "7" is far too low - some top piano work on the song too. Even this song was one of those that people like me (born 20 years after) recognised as classics from our parents' collections. Just a superbly put together pop record.
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