My favorite record in the whole world
In 1967 I was attending a Catholic elementary boarding school in Berkeley, CA. It was quite a time to be in the bay area, what with the Haight, People's Park etc. in full flower.
Sometimes I'd spend the weekend at home with a local kid when the Brothers made all the long distance boarders scram. This one weekend I went home with Kenny Harris to Oakland. On Saturday we were out bumming around and wandered into a thrift shop. I spotted a huge pile of new 45 RPM records, most of them having the same title: "You're Driving Me Crazy" by Dorothy Berry. Since the asking price was three cents I took a chance and bought one. When we got home we gave it a spin, looked at each other and grinned... it was good!
I still have that 45, plus a second copy I picked up in the '80s for $6. It had become a rare record, presumably because most of them wound up in that thrift shop in Oakland. Anyway, it still gets me going like no other single record I can think of. Now it is probably not as good a record as I think it is, because my perceptions are colored by all the pleasant memories of that period. Or maybe it is!
Dorothy Berry was the wife of the late Richard Berry, who is most famous for having written "Louie Louie." Why Dorothy remained obscure I'll never understand, because IMO she could sing as well as anyone, definitely up in Etta James territory.
I just happened onto a web site with an audio file of "You're Driving Me Crazy." Give it a spin!
http://www.last.fm/music/Dorothy+Ber...iving+Me+Crazy
Take me back in time.....
I enjoyed listening to that Steve!
Thanks, Ron
More than you ever wanted to know...
Lansing Heritage co-founder Maui Steve wrote to point out that a 45 of YDMC is available right now on ebay, for $40.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Dorothy-Berry-No...2em118Q2el1247
There are two versions of this 45. The auctioned record title is "I Say You're Driving Me Crazy" while the ones I have use the shorter title, also seen here:
http://www.poparchives.com.au/feature.php?id=1826
They both carry the designation of Little Star #117. I seem to remember reading in the past that the title was changed due to some copyright issue. Maybe that's why a pile of them ended up at the thrift shop.
H.B. Barnum wrote the song and arranged it for Berry. No wonder the arrangement kicks butt; he's worked for some notable artists:
http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/H.B.Barnum.html