(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please refer to the "Poor Little Fool" post)
Bobby Vinton - "Blue Velvet"
Hit Number 1: September 21, 1963
Stay at Number 1: 3 Weeks
"Blue Velvet" was a song that had been recorded dozens of times. The first and one of the most successful versions of the song was recorded by Tony Bennett in 1951, and that version held up as being the most notable version of the song until Bobby Vinton (the guy who appeared in here once before with the forgettable "Roses Are Red (My Love)") took the song all the way to #1 in 1963. Along with the #3 hit of Vinton's "Blue on Blue", the bright idea occurred to Vinton's representatives to have the entire album of "Blue on Blue" to only have songs that had the word "blue" in the title. (Oh yeah, and "Blue on Blue" is a 7 by the way)
All the way back to its origins in 1951, the song was first written by Bernie Wayne after a visit to the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia. There was a party at the hotel, and Wayne continually caught sight of a female guest dressed in blue velvet, and he would go on to have a holiday romance with her. He wrote the song, and not long after, Bennett recorded his version of it. Vinton had wanted a crack at the song ever since he heard Bennett's recording of it. But contrary to popular belief, it was actually Vinton's friend and music publisher Al Gallico who thought that "Blue Velvet" would be perfect for the "Blue on Blue" album, so he sent his secretary with a dollar to go get the song's sheet music. Just an hour after that, Vinton was able to record the song in just two takes. He wasn't sold that the song would be a hit, as he felt better about his song "Am I Blue?", but was obviously proven wrong.
"Blue Velvet" is a very slow, and somber song. It tells the brief story of a night where a guy is taken away by how his lover looks in her blue velvet that she wore. Some where down the line, their relationship ended, and the singer claims that he can "still see blue velvet through his tears". As I said, it's pretty slow, and it's definitely not the most exciting song out there, but when a song has such sad lyrics like "Blue Velvet" does, that obviously wouldn't be very appropriate. And unlike "Roses Are Red (My Love)", there was definitely a little bit more put into "Blue Velvet". There's those same background singers, but there's also some twangy guitar picking, and what seems to be bells or a xylophone being sparsely played throughout the song. The chorus builds up a little bit, but doesn't go over the top. For the most part, the background singers and instruments shut themselves up, and let Vinton do his thing. He's the heart and soul of the whole song, and he did a good job with it. The song is about as smooth as velvet itself.
GRADE: 7/10
JUST MISSED:
The Jaynetts' bland and average "Sally, Go 'round The Roses" peaked at #2 behind "Blue Velvet". It's a 5.
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