Memories of El Monte
Encyclopedia
"Memories of El Monte" is a metasong released in 1963 by the Penguins
featuring Cleve Duncan. It was written by Frank Zappa
and Ray Collins
before they were in the Mothers of Invention. The song was first released as Original Sound
27.
released one of the first oldies
compilation, Memories of El Monte, a collection of songs by bands that used to play at the dances Laboe organized at El Monte Legion Stadium in El Monte, California
.
At some point in the next few years, Ray Collins visited Frank Zappa at his house at 314 W. G Street in Ontario, California
(34.070685°N 117.653339°W). Frank told him that he and a friend had thought of writing a song entitled "Memories of El Monte." Ray had been to the dances at El Monte Legion Stadium and had played there with tenor saxophonist Chuck Higgins
. Ray sat down at Frank's piano, played the "Earth Angel
" chord changes and immediately came up with the first lyrics for "Memories of El Monte."
Frank Zappa took the song to Art Laboe, who loved it. Laboe came up with the idea of adding a section that named doo-wop groups and having the Penguins impersonate their songs. The song functions as a de facto
advertisement for the collection Memories of El Monte because it contains references to other songs which are on the original 1960 compilation.
"Memories of El Monte" was recorded at Paul Buff’s Pal Recording Studio in Cucamonga, California
in 1963. The song was copyrighted on February 20, 1963.
Although, the track is credited to the Penguins featuring Cleve Duncan, and Zappa claimed it was recorded by "a bunch of guys from the car wash," it was actually sung by Cleve Duncan of the Penguins, backed by the Viceroys.
It was one of the first songs that Frank Zappa wrote that he was able to get released. It is a doo wop style song. Zappa’s contention was that the music that was happening during the 50's was one of the finest things in American music.
Ray Collins has criticized the recording of the song, saying that, "Art Laboe's always had this thing about people recording R&B ballads too slow, I think he over-compensated and made "Memories of El Monte" too fast."
"Memories of El Monte" appears on a 1984 live LP from Ace Records called Big Jay McNeely Meets the Penguins, as part of a medley with "Earth Angel". The original version also appears on the following compilations:
s in Post-World War II
Los Angeles
.
"Memories of El Monte" was used in the movie Colors
. It is the name of an annual oldies show in El Monte. It is also the name of a textbook about El Monte.
When the Mothers of Invention played at The Trip, a club in Los Angeles, they got a lot of requests for "Help, I'm a Rock" and "Memories of El Monte." No one danced during these songs because there are spoken sections which would cause the audience to stop dancing and listen. Elmer Valentine
wanted people to dance in his club because if someone looked in the door and saw an empty dance floor they wouldn't come in. One night, the Mothers of Invention played the "Help, I'm a Rock" and "Memories of El Monte" for an hour and no one danced. Immediately after that they were selling pop bottles to get money for cigarettes and bologna.
The Penguins
The Penguins were an American doo-wop group of the 1950s and early 1960s, best remembered for their only Top 40 hit, "Earth Angel ", which was one of the first rhythm and blues hits to cross over to the pop charts...
featuring Cleve Duncan. It was written by Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
and Ray Collins
Ray Collins
Ray Collins may refer to:*Ray Collins , American actor*Ray Collins , pitcher in Major League Baseball*Ray Collins , American football defensive tackle*Ray Collins , cartoonist...
before they were in the Mothers of Invention. The song was first released as Original Sound
Original Sound
Original Sound is a Los Angeles, California-based record label. It was founded in the early 1950s by KPOP deejay Art Laboe. It began as a small label that specialized in compiling and re-releasing "oldies" R&B and rock 'n' roll songs...
27.
Composition
In 1960, Art LaboeArt Laboe
Art Laboe is an American pioneering disc jockey, songwriter, record producer, and radio station owner who is generally credited with coining the term "Oldies But Goodies."....
released one of the first oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
compilation, Memories of El Monte, a collection of songs by bands that used to play at the dances Laboe organized at El Monte Legion Stadium in El Monte, California
El Monte, California
El Monte is a residential, industrial, and commercial city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city's slogan is "Welcome to Friendly El Monte," and historically is known as "The End of the Santa Fe Trail." As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 113,475,...
.
At some point in the next few years, Ray Collins visited Frank Zappa at his house at 314 W. G Street in Ontario, California
Ontario, California
Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California, United States, 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire region, it lies just east of the Los Angeles county line and is part of the Greater Los Angeles Area...
(34.070685°N 117.653339°W). Frank told him that he and a friend had thought of writing a song entitled "Memories of El Monte." Ray had been to the dances at El Monte Legion Stadium and had played there with tenor saxophonist Chuck Higgins
Chuck Higgins
Charles Williams Higgins was an American saxophonist. Higgins, who was noted for mixing elements of Latin Jazz with Blues, recorded in Los Angeles during the mid-fifties, notably for the Specialty, Combo and Doo-Tone labels, and is best remembered for the song "Pachuko Hop".Higgins relocated from...
. Ray sat down at Frank's piano, played the "Earth Angel
Earth Angel
"Earth Angel " is an American doo-wop song, originally released by The Penguins in 1954 on the Dootone label , as the B-side to "Hey Señorita." The song became a major hit for The Crew-Cuts in 1955, reaching the Billboard charts on January 29, 1955. It peaked at #3 on the Disk Jockey chart, #8 on...
" chord changes and immediately came up with the first lyrics for "Memories of El Monte."
Frank Zappa took the song to Art Laboe, who loved it. Laboe came up with the idea of adding a section that named doo-wop groups and having the Penguins impersonate their songs. The song functions as a de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
advertisement for the collection Memories of El Monte because it contains references to other songs which are on the original 1960 compilation.
"Memories of El Monte" was recorded at Paul Buff’s Pal Recording Studio in Cucamonga, California
Cucamonga, California
Cucamonga is the southern district of Rancho Cucamonga, California.-Education:School districts in Cucamonga include Cucamonga School District and Central School District.Some schools in the CSD also serve Ontario, California.-Elementary:...
in 1963. The song was copyrighted on February 20, 1963.
Performers
- Cleve Duncan - lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- Walter Saulsberry - tenor vocalsTenorThe tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
- The Viceroys - backup vocals
- James Conwell
- Andrew "Jack" White
- Charles Jones
- Oliver Williams
- Herbert White
- Frank Zappa - xylophoneXylophoneThe xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
Although, the track is credited to the Penguins featuring Cleve Duncan, and Zappa claimed it was recorded by "a bunch of guys from the car wash," it was actually sung by Cleve Duncan of the Penguins, backed by the Viceroys.
Contents
The song reminisces about the dances at the El Monte Legion Stadium. It consists of two verses followed by the main section, which lists a number of songs that a couple could have danced, followed by another verse.It was one of the first songs that Frank Zappa wrote that he was able to get released. It is a doo wop style song. Zappa’s contention was that the music that was happening during the 50's was one of the finest things in American music.
Reception
"Memories of El Monte" was popular on the radio sold well in a variety of markets but it did not chart nationally. It was a local hit, and led Cleve Duncan to reform the Penguins, who had broken up around 1959. It is now considered a perennial favorite, and Art Laboe has played it a lot.Ray Collins has criticized the recording of the song, saying that, "Art Laboe's always had this thing about people recording R&B ballads too slow, I think he over-compensated and made "Memories of El Monte" too fast."
Royalties
Ray Collins still gets twice-yearly royalty checks from the song. Frank Zappa used a $1,500 advance against the royalties of "Grunion Run" (recorded by The Hollywood Persuaders) and "Memories of El Monte" to bail his girlfriend out of jail, and to get an attorney.Songs Referenced in "Memories of El Monte"
- "In the Still of the Night" by The Five SatinsThe Five SatinsThe Five Satins are an American doo-wop group, best known for their 1956 million-selling song, "In the Still of the Night."-Career:The group, formed in New Haven, Connecticut, consisted of leader Fred Parris, Lou Peebles, Stanley Dortch, Ed Martin and Jim Freeman in 1954. With little success, the...
- "You Cheated" by The Shields
- "A Thousand Miles AwayA Thousand Miles Away"A Thousand Miles Away" is a 1957 song recorded by the American doo-wop group The Heartbeats. The song went to #5 on the R&B Singles chart and reached #52 in the US on The Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by James Sheppard and William H. Miller. Sheppard wrote the song after his...
" by The HeartbeatsThe HeartbeatsThe Heartbeats were a 1950s American doo-wop group best known for their song "A Thousand Miles Away", which charted at #53 in the US Billboard listings in 1957.... - "The Letter" by the MedallionsThe MedallionsThe Medallions were a rhythm and blues band led by Vernon Green . They were the first doo-wop group to record for Dootone Records. Their first release, "Buick 59," was backed with a ballad called"The Letter." "The Letter" contained the nonsense lyric, "the 'puppetutes' of love," which was later...
- "Buick 59" by the MedallionsThe MedallionsThe Medallions were a rhythm and blues band led by Vernon Green . They were the first doo-wop group to record for Dootone Records. Their first release, "Buick 59," was backed with a ballad called"The Letter." "The Letter" contained the nonsense lyric, "the 'puppetutes' of love," which was later...
- "Cherry Pie" by Marvin & JohnnyMarvin & JohnnyMarvin & Johnny was the stage name of the 1950s American doo-wop duo. It featured Marvin Phillips and Emory "Johnny" Perry , who recorded the early doo-wop single, "Cherry Pie."-Career:...
- "Night Owl" by Tony Allen & The ChimesThe Chimes (US band)The Chimes were an American doo wop group from Brooklyn.The group came together under the direction of lead singer Lenny Cocco in the mid 1950s. Their first single was a version of Tommy Dorsey's "Once in a While", released on Tag Records. The song became a hit in the U.S., peaking at #11 on the...
billed as Tony Allen & The ChampsThe ChampsThe Champs were an American rock and roll band, most famous for their Latin-tinged instrumental "Tequila". Formed by studio executives at Gene Autry's Challenge Records to record a B-Side for the Dave Burgess single, the intended throwaway track became more famous than its A-Side, "Train to... - "Earth AngelEarth Angel"Earth Angel " is an American doo-wop song, originally released by The Penguins in 1954 on the Dootone label , as the B-side to "Hey Señorita." The song became a major hit for The Crew-Cuts in 1955, reaching the Billboard charts on January 29, 1955. It peaked at #3 on the Disk Jockey chart, #8 on...
" by The Penguins
Album Appearances
"Memories of El Monte" was released five times as a single:| Year | B-Side | Record Company | Record Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | "Be Mine" | Original Sound | OS-27 | |
| 1963 | "Never Let you Go" by The Five Discs The Five Discs The Five Discs were a doo-wop group from Brooklyn, New York. Though they were founded in 1954 as the Lovebirds, their first demo recording came in 1957, and they had regional hits in the northeast from 1958 through 1962, including "I Remember" in 1958 and "Never Let You Go" in 1962... |
Chief Records Chief Records Chief Records was an independent record label that operated from 1957 to 1964. Best known for its recordings of Chicago blues artists Elmore James, Junior Wells, Magic Sam, and Earl Hooker, the label had a diverse roster and included R&B artists Lillian Offitt and Ricky Allen.Chief Records was... |
CH-101 | |
| 1984 | "Heavenly Angel" | Original Sound | OBG-4504 | |
| 1999 | "Heavenly Angel" | Collectables Records | COL-4054 | This is a reissue of the 1984 single |
| "Ballad of a Girl & Boy" by the Question Marks | Million Seller | MS-852 |
"Memories of El Monte" appears on a 1984 live LP from Ace Records called Big Jay McNeely Meets the Penguins, as part of a medley with "Earth Angel". The original version also appears on the following compilations:
- Art Laboe's Memories Of El Monte (Original Sound, 1991)
- Cucamonga Years - The Early Works Of Frank Zappa (1962–1964) (MSI, Japan, 1991)
- Art Laboe's Dedicated To You (1992)
- Art Laboe's 60 Killer Oldies (1993)
- Oldies But Goodies, Vol. 3 (1994)
- The Doo-Wop Box II (Rhino, 1996)
- Cucamonga! Frank's Wild Years (Musical Tragedies, Germany, 1999)
- CucamongaCucamonga (album)Cucamonga is a compilation album consisting of songs recorded with the involvement of Frank Zappa and Paul Buff at Pal Recording Studio in 63-64. In 2004, Rhino Records re-released the album with extra tracks and a new track order, after acquiring Del-Fi...
(Rhino, 2004) - You’re an Angel by the Penguins (2010)
Pop Culture References
A chapter in the book, Generations of youth: youth cultures and history in twentieth-century America by Joe Austin and Michael Willard, is entitled “Memories of El Monte" Intercultural Dance HallDance hall
Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for dancing. From the earliest years of the twentieth century until the early 1960s, the dance hall was the popular forerunner of the discothèque or nightclub...
s in Post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
"Memories of El Monte" was used in the movie Colors
Colors (film)
Colors is a 1988 police procedural crime film starring Sean Penn and Robert Duvall and directed by Dennis Hopper. The story takes place in South Central Los Angeles, and is about Bob Hodges , an experienced LAPD Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums Police Officer III, and his rookie partner,...
. It is the name of an annual oldies show in El Monte. It is also the name of a textbook about El Monte.
When the Mothers of Invention played at The Trip, a club in Los Angeles, they got a lot of requests for "Help, I'm a Rock" and "Memories of El Monte." No one danced during these songs because there are spoken sections which would cause the audience to stop dancing and listen. Elmer Valentine
Elmer Valentine
Elmer Valentine was the co-founder of two famous nightclubs on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California: the Whisky a Go Go and The Roxy Theatre.-Early life:Elmer Valentine was born in Chicago on June 16, 1923...
wanted people to dance in his club because if someone looked in the door and saw an empty dance floor they wouldn't come in. One night, the Mothers of Invention played the "Help, I'm a Rock" and "Memories of El Monte" for an hour and no one danced. Immediately after that they were selling pop bottles to get money for cigarettes and bologna.