"ECHO, Echo echo" was a hit for Don Lee in 1957. With its reverb effect it is an early example of Space Age Pop.
| "ECHO, Echo echo" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Don Lee | ||||
| A-side | "Charmaine" | |||
| B-side | "ECHO, Echo echo" | |||
| Released | 1957 | |||
| Genre | Pop, space age pop | |||
| Label | Blue Chip Records 0013 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Bloomquist | |||
| Don Lee singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background edit
The single was issued with "Charmaine" as the A side on Blue Chip Records, cat# 0013 in May 1957.[1][2] With its happy arrangement and multi tracking of a harmonica, Cash Box said that it could be a big record and gave it a B+. The B side "Echo" was given a C+ with the review saying that the electronic trickery used in "Charmaine" was employed by Lee here in this snappy Affair.[3]
"ECHO, Echo echo" was an instrumental, and the accordion was used as the solo instrument with a steady backing from bass and piano. Ethelyn Sexton the music editor for the Lansing State Journal speculated that the solo effects by Lee with the accordion were the first to be used in this fashion.[4] In Australia it was given a brief mention by The Sydney Morning Herald who referred to it as "Electronic-tricks-with an accordion". It was released there on Prestige PSP 1061.[5]
In addition to being a hit and selling 140,000 copies in Chicago, it was used by a California disk jockey as the theme song on the radio show seven days a week.[6]
Chart performance edit
In July 1957, Jerry Blaine of Jubilee Records was quoted in Cash Box as saying "We've got nothing but hits" and Lee's single was among the ones he mentioned.[7] By August 19, 1957, it was indicated by The Billboard that the single was climbing steadily and heading for the charts.[8] By September 9, it was already being recognized as a hit.[9]
It became a hit for him in the summer of that year with a ten-week run in Chicago charts, peaking at No. 18.[10]
References edit
- ^ The Cash Box, June 1, 1957 - Page 35 Record Reviews
- ^ Global Dog Productions - Discography for Blue Chip Records
- ^ The Cash Box, June 1, 1957 - Page 35 Record Reviews
- ^ Lansing State Journal, Sunday, February 9, 1958 - Don Lee's Accordion Career Echoes Back to 8
By ETHELYN SEXTON
(Journal Music Editor) - ^ The Sydney Morning Herald, Sunday, February 9, 1958 - Page 88
- ^ Lansing State Journal, Sunday, February 9, 1958 - Don Lee's Accordion Career Echoes Back to 8, VARIATION OF AN IDEA
By ETHELYN SEXTON
(Journal Music Editor) - ^ The Cash Box, July 13, 1957 - Page 40 R & B Ramblings, NEW YORK
- ^ The Billboard, August 19, 1957 - Page 34 D.J.'s-Hot Tips on Hot Hits from Jubilee!
- ^ The Billboard, September 9, 1957 - Page 50 the hits are on jubilee
- ^ Evansville Courier & Press, Nov. 06, 2015 - MR. MUSIC for Nov. 6