#brian hyland

[ilikeit-art]

Tho we gotta say goodbye for the summer

Darling I promise you this

I'll send you all my love every day in a letter

Sealed with a kiss

Yes it's gonna be a cold lonely summer

But I'll fill the emptiness

I'll send you all my dreams every day in a letter

Sealed with a kiss

[kisaxiii]

This song just popped in my head and I’m curious.

Basically, do you see the polka dots as being the yellow part of the bikini, or is yellow the base color the polka dots are on?

I always imagined it was red with yellow polka dots for some reason, and there was a commercial that used the song that had the bikini as yellow with black polka dots.

Also I have typed out “polka dots” so much it is no longer a word to me.

[myimaginaryradio]

Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini - Brian Hyland

[peter-griffin-mpreg-the-second]

I love supporting independent artists

[retroactivosigue]

Ginny come lately - Brian Hyland

[allthemusic]

Week ending: 29th August

And it's time for the Americans to show us sappy Brits what's what, with two songs that honestly I think are pretty stylish, and have some striking similarities, despite sounding almost completely different.

Sealed With a Kiss - Brian Hyland (peaked at Number 3)

I know this one. I have absolutely no idea how or why, because I don't think it's this version I know. But when I look it up, it seems like the major cover version is a 1989 one by Jason Donovan. And I don't think it's that one I'd have come across. So the mystery remains. Either way, it was a surprise - I hit play and was immediately struck by a welcome wave of recognition.

And honestly, I like it, as a song, anyway. It's got this stately, unhurried pace going on, some rather mournful Western-sounding harmonica and jangly guitar, some ethereally eerie ooohs, and a tune that meanders around between major and minor in ways that don't feel entirely unexpected, but that certainly feel like they go beyond the standard four chords that you normally get, under the hood in pop songs like this. Between that and the key change near the end, and the tiers de Picardie ending (how often do you see one of those in pop music?!) you have something that sounds surprisingly classical - and so I was hardly shocked to learn that it was apparently based on a Bach finger exercise. The instrumentation and vocals transform it, of course. But fundamentally, you've got something that's still pretty interesting, melodically speaking. Which I for sure appreciate!

And all this is used to frame a story of two lovers forced to split up over summer. Which means you can interpret it as a teenage sort of song, all about not seeing your boyfriend or girlfriend the school break - except it never officially says that it's about the school holidays, which I think is a smart move, because it lets you fill in the gaps however you want. Why are these lovers being split up? No clue, but you can almost feel Brian's anguish over it, as he promises that though they must part, I'll send you all my love / Every day in a letter / Sealed with a kiss. Which is genuinely very romantic. And we get even more poetic in the next lines, as Brian bemoans how it's gonna be a cold, lonely summer, but that he'll be seeing his love in what sunshine there is, will hear her voice everywhere. I'll run to tenderly hold you / But darling, you won't be there. There's a real beauty to the writing here, albeit a sad kind of beauty, as summer, normally a season of warmth and sunshine, becomes something empty, dull, unfulfilling. But hope isn't lost, because Brian finally suggests let us make a pledge / To meet in September / And seal it with a kiss. D'awww.

On a completely irrelevant note that I just wanted to mention somewhere, I will also say that the harmonica line in this also starts almost exactly like the opening line of The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel, and now I want somebody to mash the two up. Just on vibes, you know?

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do - Neil Sedaka (7)

And from a mournful, sad song to a song, at least on the surface, that's super perky. I mean, get a load of that introduction, a silly little come-a come-a down, dooby doo down down. Add some hand claps, and you've got something that sounds pretty cheery. But the cheeriness is deceptive here. Because as the title suggests, this is a song about a guy whose girl looks set to break up with him. As such, the whole song's structured as a plea from Neil to his girl, as he reminds her that breaking up is hard to do, and pleade don't take your love away from me, / Don't you leave my heart in misery, and reminding her that if you go, then I'll be blue. All this is beautifully harmonised, but not the most persuasive of stuff, so Neil goes on to remind her of the good times that they've had together, the times they kissed all through the night, the difficulties they've made it through.

And then we get a B-tune, with a slight change of pace, slipping into something smoother, with flute, a little bit of vibrato on strings, some super cool guitar picking - it's like the song switches mode, just for a moment, with almost a bossa nova vibe, perhaps, or something Latin, definitely. I don't know enough music theory to pin down why it feels like that, but it really does. It also sounds super 1960s, at least to my ears - I think it's the flutes? And then, before I can really get my ear in, we're back to the main tune, with the down dooby downs picking up again in the background.

It's like a greatest hits of early 1960s Brill Building pop, all the going techniques pushed to their limits and perfected. You've got nonsense doo-wop scatting - which was apparently an adlib by Neil - you've got hand claps, you've got piano and guitar doubling each other, you've got strings in the background too, you've got lots of layers of vocals, Neil harmonising beautifully with himself, plus the back and forth between him and the female backing singers. And all of that combines with not one but two genuinely catchy musical ideas, plus lyrics that hit that sweet spot of being simple, but memorable enough to stick in the brain, too. Pop perfection, masterfully calculated to appeal.

I really like both of these songs - both made it into my liked songs list. Both had elements that kept me on my toes, kept me listening. I loved the key changes and changes of pace in both of them. And I think they actually complement each other well, in that one is a sad-sounding song that ends hopefully, while the other is a cheery-sounding song that's actually about Neil trying to hang onto a relationship that's on the outs. They're simple songs, and not too specific about the scenario they set up - which works in their favour, too, since you can project your own relationship dramas onto them, and imagine the various circumstances that have brough Brian and Neil to this point. This is pop at its 1962 best, well-made and very charming, and I had a difficult time picking a favourite from between the two. That said, I think the tiers de picardie was the decider, for me.

Favourite song of the bunch: Sealed With a Kiss

[helloparkerrose]

[filosofablogger]

♫ Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini ♫

Having spent most of the day burying myself in news and politics, I am just in the mood for something fun and silly tonight.  You just don’t get much sillier than a song about an itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny-yellow-polka-dot-bikini!!! According to SongFacts … This song about a bashful girl in a tiny bikini was written by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss. Vance was inspired after watching his 2-year-old…

[howardhawkshollywoodmusic]

23. Gypsy Woman by Brian Hyland debuted Sep 70 and peaked at number three, scoring 1355 points.

Brian was born in Queens and had 22 chart entries 1960-71. Eight made the top 40. This was his third of three top ten hits. His first entry was his only number one, and Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini was the number 32 hit of 1960. Sealed with a Kiss peaked at number three and was the number 57 hit of 1962.

The original version, written by Curtis Mayfield, by The Impressions peaked at number 20 and was the number 98 hit of 1961.

[guitarlessonsbobbycrispy]

Sealed With A Kiss - Guitar Lesson - 1960's Classic Song!

[misquotedmosquito]

[jumptheboogie]

brian hyland

[asidesandbsides]

Starts With H, Part 2

Herman's Hermits - Dandy / My Reservation's Been Confirmed

Another older record that came with my uncle's name on the label, and I think he just didn't take as good care of his records. Or played them too much? "Dandy" is in very fuzzy shape, but I like the Kinks' version better anyway. I actually think "Reservation" sounds pretty cool, it's much more rocking than I'd expect from the Hermits.

The Hollies - He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother / Cos You Like to Love Me

Now, this one is in relatively good shape, and can still soar appropriately. The B-Side is in even better condition, and is pretty fun, even if it can't hope to measure up to one of those songs, the kind that are larger than life.

The Hollies - Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress) / Look What We've Got

Sounds pretty much as good as such an incredibly cool song should. "Look What We've Got" is a worthy match for it, actually. It should be better known among Hollies songs, if you ask me. Or maybe I just need to get to know more Hollies songs.

Jake Holmes - So Close / Django and Friend

To the extent that Holmes is known, he is probably best known for writing "Dazed and Confused" and having it stolen out from under him by Jimmy Page. Led Zeppelin, this guy is not, but "So Close" is a powerful ballad, unfortunately marred by some loud popping in spots. "Django" is more restrained, but also a beautiful tribute to Django Reinhardt, as one surmises the "man with gypsy eyes" to be, naturally. I enjoy the various Reinhardt-esque instrumental touches here. Nicely done.

The Hombres - Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out) / Go Girl, Go

After cleaning off a truly impressive impressive layer of dust, I found this record sounding pretty damn good, actually. Put some weird poetry over a garage beat, and I'm sold. B-Side is pretty good too, but not nearly as weird, alas.

The Honey Cone - Want Ads / We Belong Together

"Want Ads" was apparently a massive hit, and it sounds vaguely familiar, but it's not clicking for me. Still, we have some cool sounds and they are coming through pretty clearly. I think "We Belong Together" is about as good a song, but that's just my opinion.

Brian Hyland - Gypsy Woman / You and Me (#2)

I did a little bit of homework on this guy and honestly wasn't sure what to expect with a cover of a Curtis Mayfield song, but I have to say I really liked the arrangement. The B-Side is also really cool, and they both sound clean. A good record, whatever I was expecting.

[danielelvenmark-blog]

Brian Hyland - Sealed With A Kiss (1962) 4K

[allthemusic]

Week ending: 30th May

Last time we heard from Brian, he was amusing us with tales of his acquaintance in the itsy-bitsy, teenie-weenie yellow polka-dot bikini. This time round, we've got him in a much more serious mood, though. Which raises the question, what direction do you go in, when you've made your name doing novelty material?

Ginny Come Lately - Brian Hyland (peaked at Number 5)

To be fair, this isn't a bad answer to the question I posed in my intro. It's a by no means a novelty song, but it's got a little bit of wit to it, mostly in the title, "Ginny come lately" punning on the idea of a "Johnny come lately". But mostly, this is just sugary sweetness, lovely and gentle and entirely unobjectionable. There's no edge to this, no bite. It's just Brian singing about how much he likes the newcomer in town. I only met you just a couple of days ago, he sings, I only met you, and I want your loving so. Okay, Brian, we get it. She's new, and you're nuts about her. We get a few more lines about the sunshine in your hair and your soft, soft silhouette, and that's basically it. Ginny's sunshine and loveliness, and Brian is fully, properly smitten.

In all this, he sounds a bit like a knock-off Everly brother - I think it's the vocal delivery, which has a sort of youthful-sounding, sweet but slightly melancholy qualiy to it. That, and you have the strings in the background, the gently plucked guitar, and the way that Brian seems to be harmonising with himself, doubled up, giving an effect that's not unlike Don and Phil's tight harmonies. It's nowhere near as complex, though - lyrically, or melodically. Nobody's showing off, here. It's a track that does the job, and sounds pretty enough, and that's just about it.

So yeah, it seems, at least for Brian, that he's taking a step into the "serious but bland teen pop" market. Which I'm not thrilled by, but I can't really object to, either. Certainly, teen idols seem to have been ten a penny, around this point, and I can't blame Brian for trying his hand at it. And I can also hear, just in a few of the string bits, a slight hint of country music - it's tiny, but foreshadows a lengthy career in country music, for Brian. He's not there yet, mind you - we've got at least one more song before we get there - but it's there, already, that country-pop tinge.

I struggle to have many thoughts about this one, honestly. It feels very simple, almost nothing-y. That said, I did start spontaneously humming harmonies, as I listened - me and the two different version of Bobby ended up in three part harmony! Which just goes to show, even songs that aren't consciously doing much to impress me can sometimes be sinking their hooks in, under the surface. Which, of course, is what all good pop should aim to do. This song is pretty unobtrusive, sure. But it did get me humming along gamely. So mission succeeded, I guess? Plus, consider how many artists best known for comedy hits get stuck in the "novelty song ghetto". Brian, however bland this song seems, does at least seem to have escaped that fate. And good for him, genuinely.

Favourite song of the surprisingly catchy bunch: Ginny Come Lately

[myimaginaryradio]

Sealed With A Kiss - Brian Hyland - 1962