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Hall of Fame series completed
Critic salutes lesser known inductees
by Gary L. Nolan
Collegian Staff Writer
Editors Note: This article
completes a four-part
series on the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame.
Several of 1989's Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame inductees
remain a large part of what is
now termed rock and roll, but are
often overlooked. Among these
are Bobby Darin, The Platters,
The Four Tops, and The Four
Seasons.
Bobby Darin hit the Billboard
charts early in his career,
beginning in 1958 with the teen
anthem "Spiish Splash.” He later
went on to write classic hits that
have been covered by such greats
as Frank Sinatra and Sammy
Davis Jr., including the famed
"Mack the Knife.”
Darin, in the midst of his
successful career, followed the
leads of many of his musical
contempories by venturing into
acting. Darin is distinguished
from these contemporaries by his
credits for 13 movies, filmed
between 1960 and 1973, and a
1964 Oscar nomination.
Darin's musical career credits
sixteen hits in the US and the
UK, including one number-one
hit. Darin died in December of
1973 of heart trouble, but his
catelog of songs lives on.
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The Platters, on the other
hand, started their career in 1953
and climbed from obscurity; their
first record on a national label
reached the top five on the charts.
Unfortunately, they were plagued
throughout their career by
numerous personnel changes.
These changes, however, did not
stop the band from recording
fifteen hits, including four which
topped the charts.
Due to legal differences, the
Platters can exist no more. The
band broke up in 1977, and
members still face a legal
injunction if any attempts are
made to use the Platters' name in
show billings.
The Four Tops were a
Motown Records band formed in
1954 under the name The Four
Aims. The group showcased the
talent of Levi Stubbs, the lead
singer whose ability gave them
the reputation of a powerful live
act
Their first record, "Baby I
Need Your Loving," climbed to
number eleven on Billboard's
charts. Their follow-up hit "I•
Can't Help Myself gave the band
its first number-one hit "Reach
Out I'll Be There,” the group's
second number-one hit, firmly
established Motown Records as a
commercial, as well as a musical,
success.
Although The Four Tops also
struggled through personnel
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changes, the band recorded 23
hits. They still remain together,
but the tend members now live
primarily off their successful
reputation.
The Four Seasons, though
famous for their harmonies like
The Four Tops, were led by
falsetto singer Frankie Valii.
They served as the only American
answer to the Beatles during the
mid-sixties.
The Four Seasons began in
1953 under the name The Four
Lovers, and their career boasted
over eighty-million record sales.
Their first hit, "Sherry," released
in 1962, went to number one.
They followed it with other chart
topping hits like "Big Girls
Don't Cry" and "Walk Like a
Man."
The group spent many years
in a recording hiatus, and cashed
in on the nostalgia act in
cabarets, later signing to Motown
Records. The Four Seasons piled
up 22 hits, including five which
topped the charts, and their sound
remains a distinctive, guiding
force in music.
These bands, though often
overlooked in a history of the
rock and roll institution, remind
listeners that rock and roll’s
sound, much like America itself,
is a melting pot of different ideas
and beliefs. It is only through
this combination of parts that the
whole can be defined.
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The Collegian Wednesday, March 14,1990
Liner Notes
Teen celeb charged with
heroin possession
by Robb Frederick
Entertainment Editor
Lock the doors, keep a close
eye on the children, and stay
away from the mall - Tommy
Hammond has been set free.
Hammond, a vile, corrupt threat
to God-fearing Alabama
residents who have nothing
better to do, has been acquitted
of obscenity charges stemming
from the sale of a 2 Live Crew
record containing sexually
explicit lyrics. That's right, he
was arrested for selling a record.
Is this really necessary? In a
society where schools across
the nation are riddled with drug
abuse, violence, and pregnancy,
these parents who care so much
about the purity of their children
need to worry about the real
threats the world offers, not
about a few "offensive" song
lyrics.
And now for the news...,
• Teen star Corey Feldman is
free on $5,486 bail after Los
Angeles police charged him
with heroin possession.
Feldman, who appeared in Stand
by Me and Lost Boys, had been
pulled over for a traffic violation
when the heroin was found.
• Bob Weir of the Grateful
Dead has been seen dining in
New York with executives from
Marvel Comics. The two parties
are exploring the possibilities of
a comic bode revolving around
the Dead.
• Will it never end? Plans
for yet another superhero movie
were announced after comedian
Robin Williams expressed
interest in bringing life to
Dudley Do-Right, the cartoon
Canadian Mountie who spent
most of his time rescuing the
Reminder:
Student Organization
Budget Requests for the
1990-1991 academic year
are due this Friday,
March 16, 1990.
You
Budget
Student
Council
David at 6452.
same girl from the same railroad
ties. Considering the
unprecedented negative criticism
Williams drew for his film
portrayal of Popeye, I'd rather
pay to see a Village People
reunion tour.
• Ron Kovic, the disabled
Vietnam veteran whose life was
chronicled in Oliver Stone's
Born on the Fourth of July, has
squelched rumors that he intends
to run for Congress.
• Comedian Redd Fox, who
starred in the TV series Sanford
and Son, allegedly owes the IRS
over $900,000 in past taxes. He
has been ordered to turn over a
gold watch given to him 13
years ago by Elvis Presley.
• Has anyone figured out
how Bonnie Railt won the
Grammy for Best Album? If so,
please enlighten me - I've been
losing a lot of sleep.
• Director Oliver Stone has
won this year's Directors Guild
of America award, which
usually forecasts the winner for
the Best Director Oscar. In the
42 years that the Guild has been
giving the awards, only three
winners have not gone on to
take the Oscar.
• Simple Minds, Peter
Gabriel, Tracy Chapman, the
Neville Brothers and Neil
Young have committed to the
"International Tribute for a Free
South Africa,” a festival
scheduled for Wembley Stadium
on April 16. Nelson Mandela
has promised to attend and speak
at the event
• The next release by the Jeff
Healy Band will include songs
by Mark Knopflcr and John
Hiatt. Included on the disc will
be a cover of The Beatles'
"While My Guitar Gently
Weeps."
can pick up
Request Forms
in the
Organization
office or call