Tune Tuesday

For Tune Tuesday today, I want to play both sides of the record. The A-side was a hit for the recording artist, while the B-side was a hit for another artist a few years later.

Robert Byrd was born on this day in 1930.  He is best known by his stage name – Bobby Day.  It’s interesting that a guy named Byrd would have a hit song about a bird – Rockin’ Robin.

He was part of many groups, including the Crescendos, the Jets, the Voices, the Sounds, and The Hollywood Flames.  He actually helped write the Flames biggest hit, “Buzz Buzz Buzz.”

Rockin’ Robin was a solo hit for Bobby.  It went #1 on the R&B chart and #2 on the Hot 100.  The Hollies, Gene Vincent and Michael Jackson all covered the song. In 1980, the song was also featured on The Muppet Show, with their house band The Electric Mayhem performing it in a tree with some feathered friends.

Fun Fact: That famous piccolo part was played by Plas Johnson, who was better known as a saxophone player – he did the Pink Panther theme.

The B-side of this single was a song called “Over And Over,” which was written by Day.  In 1965 became a US #1 hit for The Dave Clark Five when they covered it. It was their only US #1.

Bobby Day and Thurston Harris released the song the same week.  Both entered the Hot 100.  Harris’s version topped out at #96, while Bobby’s bubbled under the top 40, reaching #41.

Personally, I like Bobby’s version the best.

Bobby Day died of prostate cancer on July 27, 1990, at age 60.