Module 2

Bandstand, Teen Idols & the Twist

Connie Francis

As the 1950s came to a close, a shift began to take place in rock and roll. In 1957, American Bandstand debuted on national television, hosted by music industry legend Dick Clark. The show began as Philadelphia Bandstand in 1952 and aired only to a regional audience. On the national stage, Bandstand featured teens dancing the latest dances. A new generation of rock and roll artists provided the soundtrack. These “teen idols” included Frankie Avalon, Paul Anka, Chubby Checker, Fabian, Bobby Rydell, Connie Francis, and many more. Record labels aimed to present a more clean-cut image of rock and roll artists, very different from the first rock and roll stars of the mid-to-late 1950s. Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero, better known as Connie Francis, was born in 1938 in New Jersey. She epitomized the new clean-cut image and was a featured artist on Bandstand. In 1958, Francis recorded “Stupid Cupid” for Aldon Music. The song was written by another teen idol, Neil Sedaka, and reached number fourteen on the pop charts. The song’s lyrics reflected the innocence of teen romance and further projected a nonthreatening image of Francis.

Watch the following breakdown of "Stupid Cupid."

Arguably biggest trend on Bandstand was the twist, a popular dance among teens. In 1959, Hank Ballard wrote and recorded “The Twist” with the dance in mind. The song ended up on the B-side of an R&B single for King Records. The A-side happened to be a love ballad, “Teardrops on Your Letter” also written by Ballard. His recording of “The Twist” achieved a modest Number 89 on the Billboard Hot 100. When Dick Clark first observed teens dancing the twist on Bandstand, he began to pursue a remake of Ballard’s song. Ballard himself was not considered because of his reputation for writing “dirty” songs in the R&B market. Ernest Evans, a Philadelphia native, was chosen to record the song for Cameo Records. Evans cut the record under the name Chubby Checker and made his debut appearance on Bandstand in 1960. The record shot up to number one on the pop charts and became a nationwide phenomenon.

Rock & Roll & the Producer

In the early 1960s, the role of the record producer gained increasing importance in rock and roll. Phil Spector rose quickly as a top producer with hit songs including the Ronettes’ 1963 single “Be My Baby.” Spector was known for his “wall of sound,” a result of studio and orchestration techniques that included doubling instruments, multi-tracking, and ambient microphone placement to create a natural reverb in recordings. His recording sessions typically included complete orchestras made up of string players, horns, woodwinds, and various percussion instruments. A standard rock and roll rhythm section of guitars, piano, and drums was always at the nucleus of the ensemble. Spector often held recording sessions at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles where he worked almost exclusively with a select group of top studio musicians known as the “Wrecking Crew.”

Watch the following breakdown of "Be My Baby."

Girl Groups

BackTrackin' by The Shirelles

The late 1950s and early 1960s proved to be the golden era of girl groups. Modeled after the male vocal doo-wop groups that had already been popular for decades, girl groups featured rich vocal harmonies. The typical girl group record also included full orchestral music accompaniment, especially those produced by Phil Spector. Top hits included the Shirelles “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (1960), the Chiffon’s “He’s So Fine” (1963) and the Dixie Cups’ “Chapel of Love” (1964). Each of these recordings reached the number one slot on the pop charts and represent but a few of the many girl group hits in the early 1960s. “Be My Baby” by the Ronettes is one of the most successful and influential records of the era, and continues into the present day as a relevant record. By his own testimony, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys first heard the song on the radio while driving and was so affected that he had to pull over to regain composure and finish the song. Heavily influenced by the record, he wrote “Don’t Worry Baby” which ended up on the B-side of the Beach Boys’ 1964 single “I Get Around.”

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