- Yellow Balloon
"Yellow Balloon" is a
Billboard Magazine Pop 100 Top-30's single byThe Yellow Balloon , included on the group's 1967 self-titled album in the "sunshine pop " sub-genre.Music and lyrics
In late 1966, when
Dean Torrence ofJan & Dean needed some songs for a new album, he enlisted the help ofGary Zekley , a very talentedLos Angeles singer/songwriter/producer Torrence had worked with previously. One of the songs Zekley gave Torrence was called "Yellow Balloon" and Torrence went on to record it.Zekley was proud of the song, but didn't like Torrence's recording, so Zekley shopped the song to different labels. Among those who Zekley visited was Ken Handler of Canterbury Records, who was very excited about the song and immediately set about having it recorded. Handler had Zekley do the
lead vocals , and brought in noteworthy studio musicians to add the rest. The results were magnificent, full of circular keyboard lines and a slighttremolo effect on the guitar.Release and aftermath
The single was released under the group name
The Yellow Balloon , in direct competition to Torrence's version of the single; under the duo's nameJan & Dean , even thoughJan Berry was not on the recording, having been in a recent near fatal accident. The Yellow Balloon's version placed at #25 [cite web |url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0333589/bio |title=Biography for Don Grady |accessdate=2007-10-11 |work=imdb]May 20 ,1967 on Billboard's Pop-100 charts, while Jan & Dean's version placed at #111. [cite web |url=http://www.jananddean-janberry.com/66-present/begin-end/disc_dean.html |title=Dean Torrence Discography |accessdate=2007-10-11 |work=jananddean] This was due largely to the fact that many disc jockeys around the United States played only the Yellow Balloon version of the song.There was a lot of excitement with the single (the B Side was the song played backwards, entitled "Noollab Wolley"), along with fervor for the band make an album and perform at various shows. The problem was that there was no actual
The Yellow Balloon band. Quickly, Handler elicited the help of Canterbury recording artistDon Grady , a formerMouseketeer , better known at the time as the character Robbie Douglas of the TV series "My Three Sons ". Grady knew several other musicians, Alex Valdez (lead vocals ), Paul Kanella (lead guitar ), Don Braucht (bass guitar ), and Forrest "Frosty" Green (keyboards ), and they were brought in to record the self-titled album. Zekley produced the album and co-wrote 8 of the 11 tracks. [cite web |url=http://www.music.bizerks.com/Y.html |title=Bizerks Music Home Page |accessdate=2007-10-11 |work=bizerks] The results were fantastic. While "The Yellow Balloon" album has long been considered a classic in the "sunshine pop " sub-genre, it's the "Yellow Balloon" song that's become the legend. [http://www.spectropop.com/hgaryzekley.html]Notes
External links
* [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?pid=21742&aid=54027 Billboard Magazine "Yellow Balloon" Discography]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
