Ritchie Valens Memorial Album

Last updated
Ritchie Valens Memorial Album
Ritchie Valens Memorial Album.jpeg
Compilation album by
Released December 1962
Recorded1958-1959
Genre Rock and roll
Length27:50
Label Del-Fi Records DFLP-1225
Producer Robert Keane
Ritchie Valens chronology
Ritchie Valens In Concert at Pacoima Jr. High
(1960)
Ritchie Valens Memorial Album
(1962)
Ritchie Valens...His Greatest Hits Volume 2
(1964)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Record Mirror Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]

Ritchie Valens Memorial Album is the first greatest hits compilation by Ritchie Valens, featuring his first three charted hits plus tracks from the previous three albums, released three years following his death in a plane crash. The original album was issued with a black album cover and the same photo of Valens from his second album Ritchie . A few months later, the album was retitled Ritchie Valens, His Greatest Hits and repackaged with a white album cover and a photo of Ritchie taken from his Del-Fi EP Ritchie Valens Sings (DFEP-1111). Both issues include the same back cover and album contents.

Contents

Track listings

All tracks composed by Ritchie Valens; except where indicated

Side 1

  1. "Donna"
  2. "We Belong Together" (Hy Weiss, Johnny Mitchell, Robert Carr)
  3. "From Beyond"
  4. "Stay Beside Me" (Bill Olofson, Maurice Ellenhorn)
  5. "Bluebirds Over the Mountain" (Ersel Hickey)
  6. "In a Turkish Town"

Side 2

  1. "Malaguena" (Ernesto Lecuona)
  2. "La Bamba"
  3. "Come On, Let's Go"
  4. "Rockin' All Night"
  5. "Cry, Cry, Cry" (Robert Kuhn)
  6. "Hurry Up" (Sharon Sheeley)

Related Research Articles

<i>Physical Graffiti</i> 1975 studio album by Led Zeppelin

Physical Graffiti is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. Released as a double album on 24 February 1975 in the United States and on 28 February 1975 in the United Kingdom, it was the group's first album to be released under their new label, Swan Song Records. The band wrote and recorded eight new songs for the album in early 1974 at Headley Grange, a country house in Hampshire, which gave them ample time to improvise arrangements and experiment with recording. The total playing time covered just under three sides of an LP, so they decided to expand it into a double album by including previously unreleased tracks from the sessions for the band's earlier albums Led Zeppelin III (1970), Led Zeppelin IV (1971) and Houses of the Holy (1973). The album covered a range of styles including hard rock, progressive rock, rock 'n' roll and folk. The album was then mixed over summer 1974 and planned for an end-of-year release; however, its release was delayed because the Peter Corriston-designed die-cut album cover proved difficult to manufacture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ritchie Valens</span> American rock musician (1941–1959)

Richard Steven Valenzuela, better known by his stage name Ritchie Valens, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens died in a plane crash just eight months after his breakthrough.

<i>Out of Our Heads</i> 1965 studio album by the Rolling Stones

Out of Our Heads is a 1965 album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released in two editions with different covers and track listings. In the US, London Records released it on 30 July 1965 as the band's fourth American album, while Decca Records released its UK edition on 24 September 1965 as the third British album.

"La Bamba" is a Mexican folk song, originally from the state of Veracruz, also known as "La Bomba". The song is best known from a 1958 adaptation by Ritchie Valens, a Top 40 hit in the U.S. charts. Valens's version is ranked number 345 on Rolling Stone magazine′s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

<i>Bob Dylans Greatest Hits Vol. II</i> 1971 greatest hits album by Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II, also known as More Bob Dylan Greatest Hits, is the second compilation album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on November 17, 1971 by Columbia Records. With Dylan not expected to release any new material for an extended period of time, CBS Records president Clive Davis proposed issuing a double LP compilation of older material. Dylan agreed, compiling it himself and suggesting that the package include a full side of unreleased tracks from his archives. After submitting a set of excerpts from The Basement Tapes that Davis found unsatisfactory, Dylan returned to the studio in September 1971 to recut several Basement songs, with Happy Traum providing backup.

<i>The Greatest Hits Collection</i> (Bananarama album) 1988 greatest hits album by Bananarama

The Greatest Hits Collection is a compilation album released by Bananarama which features their single releases and greatest hits. It was issued by London Records in 1988, eight months after the departure of group member Siobhan Fahey. The track listing differed between versions released in the United States and Canada, as well as those released throughout Europe and other territories.

<i>Rolling Stone</i><span class="nowrap" style="padding-left:0.1em;"></span>s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time List of greatest songs of all time

"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring song ranking compiled by the American magazine Rolling Stone. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2004 in a special issue of the magazine, issue number 963, a year after the magazine published its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". In 2010, Rolling Stone published a revised edition, drawing on the original and a later survey of songs released up until the early 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluebirds over the Mountain</span> 1968 single by The Beach Boys

"Bluebirds over the Mountain" is a song written and recorded in 1958 by Ersel Hickey, later covered by artists such as The Beach Boys, Ritchie Valens and Robert Plant. Hickey's original recording of the song peaked at No. 75 on the Billboard Top 100 Sides on the week ending May 10, 1958, and No. 39 on the Cash Box chart. In Canada it reached No. 8. Ritchie Valens' cover version was released on his eponymous 1959 album. A 1962 recording by The Echoes hit No. 112 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles survey and was a top 20 hit on Chicago's WLS. A 1965 version by Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks reached No. 8 in Canada.

The Keane Brothers was an American pop music duo from 1976–82, composed of pre-teens, Tom Keane on piano and John Keane on drums. The duo released four albums and briefly hosted a television variety show on CBS. The brothers subsequently went on to solo careers as songwriters and music producers.

Del-Fi Records was an American record label based in Hollywood, California was founded 1958 and owned by Bob Keane. The label's first single released was "Caravan" by Henri Rose released in 1958, but the label was most famous for signing Ritchie Valens. Valens' first single for the label was "Come On Let's Go", which was a hit. His next single, "Donna"/"La Bamba", was an even bigger hit, and brought national notoriety to the label. Johnny Crawford, the co-star of the television series The Rifleman, was the Del-Fi artist who recorded the most hit singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donna (Ritchie Valens song)</span> 1958 single by Ritchie Valens

"Donna" is a song written by Ritchie Valens, featuring the '50s progression. The song was released in 1958 on Del-Fi Records. Written as a tribute to his high school sweetheart Donna Ludwig, it was Valens' highest-charting single, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart the following year.

<i>Ritchie Valens</i> (album) 1959 studio album by Ritchie Valens

Ritchie Valens is the debut album by American musician Ritchie Valens, released by Del-Fi Records on January 12, 1959. It is his only studio album entirely composed of master tracks recorded at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles. The album peaked at #23 on the US Billboard album chart.

<i>Cliff</i> (album) 1959 live album (live in the studio) by Cliff Richard and The Drifters (The Shadows)

Cliff is the 1959 debut album of British singer Cliff Richard and his band the Drifters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lonely Teardrops</span> 1958 single by Jackie Wilson

"Lonely Teardrops" is a song written by Berry Gordy Jr., Gwen Gordy and Roquel "Billy" Davis, first recorded and released as a single in 1958 by R&B singer Jackie Wilson, on the Brunswick label. The single was commercially successful, reaching the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, and number-one on the R&B chart. It is ranked as the 57th biggest U.S. hit of 1959.

<i>Ritchie</i> (album) 1959 studio album by Ritchie Valens

Ritchie was released posthumously and was the second of three released "original" albums by Ritchie Valens. It includes his remaining unissued masters from Gold Star Studios plus three demos he recorded at manager Robert Keane's home studio. Also featured is Valens' last charted single, "Little Girl", which reached #92 on the Billboard charts in July 1959.

<i>Ritchie Valens in Concert at Pacoima Jr. High</i> 1960 live album and demo by Ritchie Valens

Ritchie Valens in Concert at Pacoima Jr. High was released posthumously and is the third and final of the released "original" albums by Ritchie Valens. It consists of his only live performance ever recorded. The live recording is augmented by unfinished studio recordings.

<i>Ritchie Valens...His Greatest Hits Volume 2</i> 1964 compilation album by Ritchie Valens

Ritchie Valens...His Greatest Hits Volume 2 is the second greatest hits compilation by Ritchie Valens. This follow-up to the Ritchie Valens Memorial Album/His Greatest Hits includes twelve tracks from the three original albums. Three tracks were previously issued on the first greatest hits package: "Donna", "La Bamba" and "Cry, Cry, Cry".

<i>History of Ritchie Valens</i> 1981 compilation album by Ritchie Valens

History of Ritchie Valens is a 3-record box set by Ritchie Valens, featuring his three original Del-Fi albums plus a booklet with biography and photos.

<i>The Best of Ritchie Valens</i> 1981 compilation album by Ritchie Valens

The Best of Ritchie Valens is a greatest hits package by Ritchie Valens.

<i>Rising</i> (Rainbow album) 1976 studio album by Rainbow

Rising is the second studio album by the British-American rock band Rainbow. It was released on 17 May 1976.

References

  1. Jones, Peter; Jopling, Norman (27 February 1965). "Ritchie Valens: His Greatest Hits" (PDF). Record Mirror . No. 207. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.