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Gary Lewis and the Playboys were a 1960s pop group fronted by Gary Lewis, son of comedian Jerry Lewis.
Original members- Gary Lewis - Drums and vocals
- David Walker - Guitar
- Allan Ramsay (died in 1985) - Bass
- David Costell - Guitar
- John West - "Cordovox" (electronic accordion)
1960s fameThe group auditioned for a job at Disneyland, supposedly without telling Disneyland employees about Lewis' celebrity father. They were hired on the spot, audiences at Disneyland quickly accepted them, and the Playboys were soon playing to a full house every night. Band leader Les Brown had known Jerry Lewis for years, and he told record producer Snuff Garrett that the younger Lewis was playing at Disneyland. After listening to the band, Garrett thought using Gary's famous name might sell records. Garrett took them into a recording studio with the song "This Diamond Ring" in a session financed by Jerry Lewis' wife Patti. However, according to Lewis, the Playboys weren’t allowed to play their instruments except on the backing tracks. Garrett wanted to maximize the chances for a hit, so he insisted on using experienced studio musicians for the overdubs, which included guitar and keyboard solos, additional bass and drum overdubs, and timpani. These musicians included Tommy Allsup on guitar, Leon Russell on keyboards, Joe Osborn on bass, and Hal Blaine on drums. Session singer Ron Hicklin did the basic vocal track. Garrett then added Gary’s voice twice, added some of the Playboys and more of Hicklin
. "When I got through, he sounded like Mario Lanza," Garrett commented.
Garrett got airplay in New York City for "This Diamond Ring" by making a deal with WINS disc jockey Murray the K Kaufman, who ran a series of all-star concerts at theaters around the New York area, promising that if he played Lewis’ record, the Playboys would do his shows. Garrett then had Jerry Lewis use his contacts to get his son onto The Ed Sullivan Show. However, Sullivan had a general policy that all acts appearing on his show were to perform live (although one of his frequent guests, The Dave Clark Five, had lip-synched from their second appearance on, in early 1964).
In 1965 Gary Lewis was Cash Box magazine's "Male Vocalist of the Year," winning against nominees Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra and was the only artist during the 1960s to have his first seven single releases reach Billboard magazine's Top 10 on the Hot 100 chart, with "Count Me In" (#2), "Save Your Heart for Me" (#2), "Everybody Loves a Clown" (#4), "She's Just My Style" (#3), "Sure Gonna Miss Her" (#9), and "Green Grass" (#8) all hitting the upper reaches of the chart. Lewis was drafted into the U.S. Army in January 1967 and discharged in 1968. He immediately returned to recording but was unable to regain his group's earlier momentum. Lewis continued touring, eventually marketing the band as a nostalgia act. He also appeared and performed on many of his father's Labor Day telethons for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Gary Lewis had eight Gold Singles, 17 Top 40 hits and four gold albums. In addition to The Ed Sullivan Show, he appeared on American Bandstand, Shindig!, Hullabaloo, The Sally Jessy Raphaël show, Tonight Show, The Mike Douglas Show, Nashville Now and Wolfman Jack. Despite the group's huge US success, it made no progress at all in the UK.
DiscographySingles1965- "This Diamond Ring" (#1) / "Hard To Find" -- Liberty 55756
Later pressings replace the B-side with "Tijuana Wedding". Both B-sides are non-LP instrumental tracks - "Count Me In" (#2) / "Little Miss Go-Go" -- Liberty 55778
- "Doin' The Flake" / "This Diamond Ring" & "Little Miss Go-Go" -- Liberty 65-227
''Mail order record from Kellogg's Corn Flakes, issued with special sleeve - "Save Your Heart for Me" (#2) / "Without A Word Of Warning" -- Liberty 55809
- "Everybody Loves A Clown" (#4) / "Time Stands Still" -- Liberty 55818
''B-side features Gary's impersonation of a very close relative - "She's Just My Style" (#3) / "I Won't Make That Mistake Again" -- Liberty 55846
1966- "Sure Gonna Miss Her" (#9) / "I Don't Wanna Say Goodnight" -- Liberty 55865
B-side is a non-LP track - "Green Grass" (#8) / "I Can Read Between The Lines" -- Liberty 55880
- "My Heart's Symphony" (#13) / "Tina (I Held You In My Arms)" -- Liberty 55898
- "(You Don't Have To) Paint Me A Picture" (#15) / "Looking For The Stars" -- Liberty 55914
- "Where Will The Words Come From" (#21) / "May The Best Man Win" -- Liberty 55933
1967- "Way Way Out" -- Liberty (No number issued)
Promotional single for the movie of the same name - "The Loser (With A Broken Heart)" (#43) / "Ice Melts In The Sun" -- Liberty 55949
- "Girls In Love" (#39) / "Let's Be More Than Friends" -- Liberty 55971
- "Jill" (#52) / "New In Town" -- Liberty 55985
1968- "Sealed With A Kiss" (#19) / "Sara Jane" -- Liberty 56037
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1969- "Rhythm Of The Rain" (#63) / "Mister Memory" -- Liberty 56093
- "Hayride" / "Gary's Groove" -- Liberty 56121
- "I Saw Elvis Presley Last Night" / "Something Is Wrong" -- Liberty 56144
1970- "I'm On The Right Road Now" / "Great Balls Of Fire" -- Liberty 56158
1972 (Gary Lewis solo)- "Then Again Maybe" / "Peace Of Mind" -- Scepter 12359
1975 (Gary Lewis solo)- "One Good Woman" / "Ooh Baby" -- Epic 50068
Albums- This Diamond Ring -- Liberty LRP-3408 (Mono)/LST-7408 (Stereo) -- #26, 3/65
- A Session With Gary Lewis & The Playboys -- Liberty LRP-3419/LST-7419 -- #18, 9/65
- Everybody Loves A Clown -- Liberty LRP-3428/LST-7428 -- #44, 12/65
- She's Just My Style -- Liberty LRP-3435/LST-7435 -- #71, 3/66
- Hits Again! -- Liberty LRP-3452/LST-7452 -- #47, 5/66
- Golden Greats -- Liberty LRP-3468/LST-7468 -- #10, 10/66
''Original copies are mispressed as Side 2, Track 2 plays "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" instead of "I Won't Make That Mistake Again". Later copies include the correct track. - You Don't Have To Paint Me A Picture -- Liberty LRP-3487/LST-7487 -- #79, 2/67
Original copies are mispressed as Side 1, Track 5 plays "Ice Melts In The Sun" instead of "Tina (I Held You In My Arms)". Later copies include the correct track. - Gary Lewis & The Playboys -- Sunset SUM-1168/SUS-5168 -- Did not chart, 1967
- New Directions -- Liberty LRP-3519/LST-7519 -- #185, 7/67
- Listen! -- Liberty LRP-3524/LST-7524 -- Did not chart, 1967
- Gary Lewis Now! -- Liberty LRP-3568/LST-7568 -- #150, 8/68
On the back of the album "Now you have Gary Lewis "Now." His tenth album-a milestone of sorts." - More Golden Greats -- Liberty LST-7589 -- Did not chart, 1968
- Rhythm -- Sunset SUS-5262 -- Did not chart, 1969
- Close Cover Before Playing -- Liberty LST-7606 -- Did not chart, 1969
- Rhythm Of The Rain -- Liberty LST-7623 -- Did not chart, 1969
- I'm On The Right Road Now -- Liberty LST-7633 -- Did not chart, 1969
- Legendary Masters Series -- 2000
- The Complete Liberty Singles -- Collector's Choice Music -- 2009
Copyright Citations
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