Radio Rewind is a time machine of sorts; travel back with us as we blow the dust off the old record jackets and remember the forgotten hits and good times past. Be sure to check out my Blog Archive, where you'll find all the songs and commentary featured in weeks past.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

"Come On, Let's Go" - Ritchie Valens (1958)

a coin toss cost this man his life...

Born Ricardo Steven Valenzuela, AKA Ritchie Valens was a pioneer of rock n' roll and a forefather to the Chicano rock movement. His most familiar song, "La Bamba," a timeless classic was spurned when Valens thought better to infuse the Latin classic with a modern rock n' roll tempo.

Lesser know hits like "Donna" and this featured number "Come On, Let's Go" offer a sheen of constant professionalism..... oh hell who am I bullshitting ? I just think its a great song.

Sadly, Ritchie Valens' music career lasted just a short eight months. After performing his final performance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear lake, Iowa; Valens along with fellow musicians Buddy Holly and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson , succumbed in a single-engine plane crash on February 3, 1959, on what has later become known as The Day the Music Died.

The charted four passenger aircraft was too small for five musicians to travel. so a coin toss was decided between Valens and Tommy Allsup for the final seat....Allsup currently lives in Azle, Texas.

The featured video contains clips from the 1987 biopic titled "La Bamba" introducing Lou Diamond Phillips as Valens.

9 comments:

tommygooch said...

Did anyone ever notice that the guy who plays Richie Valens looks like Peter North......
So far 3 degrees is the best.

JMD said...

Okay...the hairstyle. Look folks, i'm not trying to emulate WCBS or even MTV for that matter, just looking to bring something different to the table.

ajm027 said...

I pretty much hate all 50's music, but I kinda like this song. Another great talent taken from us too early...

tommygooch said...

Did he just say he hates all 50's music? My God Anthony how have we survived this long?

ajm027 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ajm027 said...

Yeah, I know...Elvis was good...please...!

ajm027 said...

All 50's music sounded the same...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8axTYTh_jI

JMD said...

AJM... I know you provided that link to support your opinion, but I found this case study pretty entertaining regardless of the similarities.

Anonymous said...

Ritchie Valens had great musicians that backed him up on "Come On, Let's Go".

On drums was Earl Palmer who just shortly before arrived in Los Angeles from New Orleans. Listen to his shuffle rhythm, that he also used on Little Richard and Fats Waller records.

On rhythm guitars there are Carol Kaye (who later becam number one electric bass player Los Angeles) and Irving Ashby (formerly guitarist with the Nat King Cole trio).

Arranger and guitarist René Hall plays the Danelectro guitar (6-string bass guitar), and jazz musician Buddy Clark is on bass.