Gale Storm

Well Gale Storm was a TV actress, she was in a show called My Little Margie. This album, called Gale’s Great Hits, was released originally in 1966, which was nearly 10 years after any of the songs on it had been hits, and I picked up my copy at Records On Wheels; it was a reissue on some collectors label, with the same cover, the same tracks, but new liner notes. It is a good collection –10 of her 11 Dot hits are on here; missing is A Heart Without A Sweetheart, b side of Now Is The Hour.

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Gale Storm:

• On Treasure Island – Infatuation as treasure, romance as an island a story with a happy ending. Hit the charts in March of ’57, the month I was born. • Now Is The Hour – A parting song. Seems to me that this Bing Crosby did this. From the autumn of ’56. • Lucky Lips – This is bizarre. The original was by Ruth Brown. Cliff Richard covered it as well, which is more bizarre. It was the flip of On Treasure Island, and it was also on the chart in the winter of ’57. • Never Leave Me – Ok, another love song. One wonders about the insecurity expressed in a sentiment like “never leave me.” • Teen Age Prayer – Ah, poor teen age Gale fancies the kid in grade 11. You’d think that the artifice of this would prevent actual teenagers from buying it, but someone bought it, because it was in the top 10, and that was in the winter of ’56. • Why Do Fools Fall In Love – A big hit, of course, for Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, and very popular with cover artists. Gale put this on the chart in the winter of ’56, and so did The Diamonds. And Diana Ross covered this many years later, and so did The Happenings, and so did Joni Mitchell, and so did Sha Na Na. And I suppose the answer is that everybody falls in love, fools included. • I Walk Alone – A woman vows, what? Abstinence? Faithfullness? All of the above? • Tell Me Why – Not The Four Aces song, nor The Beatles song, but Elvis did this. From the summer of ’56. • Memories Are Made Of This – A Number one hit for Dean Martin, Gale’s version also made the top 10 in the winter of ’56. The spare arrangement is similar to the one Dino used, and so is the chorus, and I think Gale may even sing it better. Dino Desi & Billy covered this about 10 years later. • Orange Blossoms – Not to be confused with Orange Blossom Special. This is another song of lost romance. Apparently orange blossoms have something to do with weddings. • I Hear You Knockin’ – Written by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholemew, but Fats didn’t release it until 1961. I do believe that Smiley Lewis recorded this, but his version never made the pop charts, so it was up to Gale to put this one over, and she did, her first hit, and that was in the fall of ’55. A song of defiance, go away says the singer, but the message is delivered in a kind of rollicking good time way, except for Dave Edmunds, whose 1970 cover cuts like a proverbial knife. • Ivory Tower – A cover of Otis Williams & The Charms’ hit, from the spring of ’56. Works better sung by a man I think. • My Heart Belongs To You – Wherein our heroine has doubts about her failed love affair from here to tomorrow, but, hey, her heart, you know… • Dark Moon – A hit from the summer of ’57. A song of how the state of nature reflects one’s inner state. Think of End Of The World by Skeeter Davis.