Tell Laura I Love Her
Encyclopedia
"Tell Laura I Love Her," a teenage tragedy song
written by Jeff Barry
and Ben Raleigh
, was an American
Top Ten
popular music
hit for singer Ray Peterson
in 1960
on RCA Victor Records, reaching #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart
. Later that same year, the song was recorded and released by Ricky Valance
in the United Kingdom
, where it went all the way to the #1 spot in the UK Singles Chart
. "Tell Laura I Love Her" has been a hit in 14 countries, and has sold over seven million copies.
"Tell Laura I Love Her" is the tragic story of a teenage boy named Tommy who is desperately in love with a girl named Laura. Although they are only teenagers, he wants to marry her, so he enters a racing car championship, planning to use the prize money to buy Laura a wedding ring if he wins. The second verse tells the mysterious story of how the boy's car overturned and burst into flames - no-one knows why - and the boy was killed, his last words being "Tell Laura I love her...my love for her will never die". In the final verse, Laura prays inside the chapel, where an organ plays, and she can still hear Tommy's voice exclaiming the title song one more time, before it fades out.
, not an automobile race, as composer Jeff Barry was an aficionado of cowboy culture. However, at RCA's instigation Barry rewrote the song, in order to more closely resemble the #1 hit "Teen Angel
".
Decca Records
in England decided not to release Ray Peterson's 1960 recording on the grounds that it was "too tasteless and vulgar", and destroyed about twenty thousand copies that had already been pressed. A cover version by Ricky Valance, released by EMI
on the Columbia
label, was #1 on the British charts for three weeks.
In 1962, the Smash label released an album, The Tale of Patches by Dickey Lee, that included a cover of "Tell Laura I Love Her". A cover version by J. Frank Wilson
and The Cavaliers
on the album Last Kiss was released on the Josie Records
label in 1964. Another cover was recorded by singer Ricky Nelson.
John Leyton
attended a singing audition with producer Joe Meek
and subsequently recorded the song, which was released on the Top Rank
label. At that time, however, Top Rank was undergoing a takeover by EMI
, which had already released Ricky Valance's version of the same song. The John Leyton recording was withdrawn from sale.
A decade later, Johnny T. Angel's recording on Bell Records peaked at #94 on June 8, 1974 (US). The Swedish band The Boppers also released a version on their album Number 1 (1978).
An Italian version, "Dite a Laura che l'amo", recorded by Michele, can be heard on www.italiangraffiati.com.
A Mexican singer, Cesar Costa, sings the hit with the name in Spanish "La Historia de Tommy", in 1963. There is also a version by Gustavo "El Loco" Quintero with a Colombian band named Los Teen Agers.
A Chinese Mandarin version, "Tell Laura I Love Her", recorded by Takeshi Kaneshiro
] in 1994 for his album "標準情人" Ideal Lover.
A Spanish version, "Dile a Laura que la quiero", was recorded by Chilean singer Ray Palavicino.
The story of the song was adapted for stage and turned into "Tell Laura I Love Her (The Musical)" in 2007 By Richard C Hague.
.
Scottish comedian Billy Connolly
performed a spoof of the song in 1981. It can be found in the footage of Billy Connolly Bites Yer Bum!
In his version, it is Laura herself who is killed in a road traffic accident.
The song is also referenced and parodied by Frenchie in the Broadway musical Grease
.
Folk/blues singer Steve Goodman
included "Tell Laura I Love Her" in his "Dead Girl Songs" medley, released posthumously on the album No Big Surprise in 1994.
Local Hawaii comedian Rap Reiplinger recorded a parody, "Fate Yanagi", on his album Poi Dog With Crabs.
Teenage tragedy song
The "teenage tragedy song", also known as death rock, "tear jerker" or a "splatter platter", is a style of ballad that was most popular between the late 1950s and early 1960s...
written by Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer.-Early career:...
and Ben Raleigh
Ben Raleigh
Ben Raleigh is lyricist responsible for a number of major hits, including "Dungaree Doll", "Wonderful, Wonderful", "She’s a Fool”, "Laughing on the Outside ", “Love is a Hurtin' Thing” and “Tell Laura I Love Her”...
, was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Top Ten
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
hit for singer Ray Peterson
Ray Peterson
Ray Peterson was an American pop music singer who was best remembered for singing "Tell Laura I Love Her" and "Corrine, Corrina" in the 1960s.-Career:...
in 1960
1960 in music
-Events:*January 14 – Elvis Presley is promoted to Sergeant in the U.S. Army*February 6 – Songwriter Jesse Belvin dies in an automobile accident in Los Angeles...
on RCA Victor Records, reaching #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. Later that same year, the song was recorded and released by Ricky Valance
Ricky Valance
Ricky Valance is a Welsh singer. He is best known for the number one single, "Tell Laura I Love Her", which sold over a million copies in 1960.-Life and career:...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where it went all the way to the #1 spot in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. "Tell Laura I Love Her" has been a hit in 14 countries, and has sold over seven million copies.
"Tell Laura I Love Her" is the tragic story of a teenage boy named Tommy who is desperately in love with a girl named Laura. Although they are only teenagers, he wants to marry her, so he enters a racing car championship, planning to use the prize money to buy Laura a wedding ring if he wins. The second verse tells the mysterious story of how the boy's car overturned and burst into flames - no-one knows why - and the boy was killed, his last words being "Tell Laura I love her...my love for her will never die". In the final verse, Laura prays inside the chapel, where an organ plays, and she can still hear Tommy's voice exclaiming the title song one more time, before it fades out.
Recording history
The lyrics of "Tell Laura I Love Her" originally concerned a rodeoRodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
, not an automobile race, as composer Jeff Barry was an aficionado of cowboy culture. However, at RCA's instigation Barry rewrote the song, in order to more closely resemble the #1 hit "Teen Angel
Teen Angel
Teen Angel may refer to:*Teen Angel , the 1959 song performed by Mark Dinning*Teen Angel, a one-scene character in the musical Grease*Teen Angel , the 1989, short-lived drama starring Jason Priestley...
".
Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
in England decided not to release Ray Peterson's 1960 recording on the grounds that it was "too tasteless and vulgar", and destroyed about twenty thousand copies that had already been pressed. A cover version by Ricky Valance, released by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
on the Columbia
Columbia Graphophone Company
The Columbia Graphophone Company was one of the earliest gramophone companies in the United Kingdom. Under EMI, as Columbia Records, it became a very successful label in the 1950s and 1960s...
label, was #1 on the British charts for three weeks.
In 1962, the Smash label released an album, The Tale of Patches by Dickey Lee, that included a cover of "Tell Laura I Love Her". A cover version by J. Frank Wilson
J. Frank Wilson
J. Frank Wilson was an American singer, the lead vocalist of J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers.-Career:Wilson joined the Cavaliers after his discharge from Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas in 1962....
and The Cavaliers
J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers
J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers were an American 1960s group, best remembered for their 1965 million selling record, "Last Kiss".-Career:The Cavaliers formed around 1955 with leader and guitarist Sid Holmes, bassist Lewis Elliott, saxophonist Rob Zeller, drummer Ray Smith and vocalist Alton...
on the album Last Kiss was released on the Josie Records
Josie Records
Josie Records was a subsidiary of Jubilee Records in New York and was active from 1954 through to 1971. Single records were numbered from 760 through to 1031.Their best sellers were The Cadillacs, Bobby Freeman and The Meters....
label in 1964. Another cover was recorded by singer Ricky Nelson.
John Leyton
John Leyton
John Leyton is an English actor and singer. As a singer he is best known for his hit song, "Johnny Remember Me" , which reached Number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in August 1961.-Career:Leyton went to Highgate School and after completing his national service, he...
attended a singing audition with producer Joe Meek
Joe Meek
Robert George "Joe" Meek was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter....
and subsequently recorded the song, which was released on the Top Rank
Rank Organisation
The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment company formed during 1937 and absorbed in 1996 by The Rank Group Plc. It was the largest and most vertically-integrated film company in Britain, owning production, distribution and exhibition facilities....
label. At that time, however, Top Rank was undergoing a takeover by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, which had already released Ricky Valance's version of the same song. The John Leyton recording was withdrawn from sale.
A decade later, Johnny T. Angel's recording on Bell Records peaked at #94 on June 8, 1974 (US). The Swedish band The Boppers also released a version on their album Number 1 (1978).
An Italian version, "Dite a Laura che l'amo", recorded by Michele, can be heard on www.italiangraffiati.com.
A Mexican singer, Cesar Costa, sings the hit with the name in Spanish "La Historia de Tommy", in 1963. There is also a version by Gustavo "El Loco" Quintero with a Colombian band named Los Teen Agers.
A Chinese Mandarin version, "Tell Laura I Love Her", recorded by Takeshi Kaneshiro
Takeshi Kaneshiro
Takeshi Kaneshiro , born October 11, 1973, is a Taiwan-born Japanese actor and singer.-Name:...
] in 1994 for his album "標準情人" Ideal Lover.
A Spanish version, "Dile a Laura que la quiero", was recorded by Chilean singer Ray Palavicino.
The story of the song was adapted for stage and turned into "Tell Laura I Love Her (The Musical)" in 2007 By Richard C Hague.
Answering lyrics
Later on an album named The Answer To Everything - Girl Answer Songs Of The '60'S , an answer song, "Tell Tommy I Miss Him", was performed by Marilyn MichaelsMarilyn Michaels
Marilyn Michaels is an American comedic actress, impressionist and singer. She auditioned for and won an RCA recording contract, singing the follow-up song to Ray Peterson's "Tell Laura I Love Her", entitled, "Tell Tommy I Miss Him". She later won contracts with Warner Bros...
.
Parodies, etc
In 1977 the Swedish Band Rohdes Rockers recorded a parody, which peaked in the chorus 'Köp Aldrig en Folkvagn' (Never Buy a Volkswagen).Scottish comedian Billy Connolly
Billy Connolly
William "Billy" Connolly, Jr., CBE is a Scottish comedian, musician, presenter and actor. He is sometimes known, especially in his native Scotland, by the nickname The Big Yin...
performed a spoof of the song in 1981. It can be found in the footage of Billy Connolly Bites Yer Bum!
Billy Connolly Bites Yer Bum!
Billy Connolly Bites Yer Bum! is a recording of a 1981 performance by comedian Billy Connolly, filmed in London....
In his version, it is Laura herself who is killed in a road traffic accident.
The song is also referenced and parodied by Frenchie in the Broadway musical Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
.
Folk/blues singer Steve Goodman
Steve Goodman
Steve Goodman was an American folk music singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. The writer of "City of New Orleans", made popular by Arlo Guthrie, Goodman won two Grammy Awards.-Personal life:...
included "Tell Laura I Love Her" in his "Dead Girl Songs" medley, released posthumously on the album No Big Surprise in 1994.
Local Hawaii comedian Rap Reiplinger recorded a parody, "Fate Yanagi", on his album Poi Dog With Crabs.