''Ritchie Valens'' is the debut album by American musician
Ritchie Valens
Richard Steven Valenzuela (May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959), 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 i ...
, released by
Del-Fi Records
Del-Fi Records was an American record label based in Hollywood, California, founded in 1958 and owned by Bob Keane. The label's first single released was "Caravan" by Henri Rose in 1958, but the label was most famous for signing Ritchie Valens. ...
on February 12, 1959.
It is his only studio album entirely composed of master tracks recorded at
Gold Star Studios
Gold Star Studios was an independent recording studio located in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, California. In its entire history, Gold Star was one of the most successful commercial recording studios in the world.
Founded by David S. Gold ...
in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. The album peaked at #23 on the US ''Billboard'' album chart.
The
LP yielded four U.S. chart
singles
Singles are people not in a committed relationship.
Singles may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series
* ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe
* ''Singles'' ...
: "
Come On, Let's Go
"Come On, Let's Go" is a song written and originally recorded by Ritchie Valens in 1958. It was the first of four charting singles from his Ritchie Valens (album), self-titled debut album, and reached number 42 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, ' ...
" (#42), "
Donna" (#2), "
La Bamba" (#22), and "That's My Little Suzie" (#55).
The original pressings are black and sea green with circles around the outer edge. The print font for the track listings on these labels is the same font used on the back of the album cover. Later pressings feature black labels with gold and sea green diamonds around the outer edge. The album has been reissued over the years, featuring different album covers.
Track listing
All songs written by Ritchie Valens, except where indicated.
;Side 1
#"That's My Little Suzie" (Valens,
Robert Kuhn) – 1:52
::*Original album covers show the title as "I Got A Gal Named Sue", corrected on later pressings
#
"In a Turkish Town" – 2:16
#"Come On, Let's Go
"Come On, Let's Go" is a song written and originally recorded by Ritchie Valens in 1958. It was the first of four charting singles from his Ritchie Valens (album), self-titled debut album, and reached number 42 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, ' ...
" – 2:00
#" Donna" – 2:28
#" Boney-Moronie" (Larry Williams
Lawrence Eugene Williams (May 10, 1935 – January 7, 1980) was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter, and pianist from New Orleans. He is best known for writing and recording some rock and roll classics from 1957 to ...
) – 2:46
#"Ooh, My Head" – 1:48
;Side 2
#" La Bamba" (Traditional; adapted by Ritchie Valens) – 2:06
#"Bluebirds Over the Mountain
"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'' T ...
" (Ersel Hickey
Ersel Hickey (born Ersel O'Hickey, June 27, 1934 – July 12, 2004) was an American rockabilly singer best known for his hit song " Bluebirds over the Mountain".
Early life
Hickey was born in Brighton, New York, and was named after the fa ...
) – 1:45
#"Hi-Tone" () – 2:06
#" Framed" (Jerry Leiber
Leiber and Stoller were an American songwriting and record production duo, consisting of lyricist Jerome Leiber (; April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933). As well as many R&B and pop hits, they wr ...
, Mike Stoller
Leiber and Stoller were an American songwriting and record production duo, consisting of lyricist Jerome Leiber (; April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933). As well as many R&B and pop hits, they wr ...
) – 2:13
#"We Belong Together
"We Belong Together" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her tenth studio album, '' The Emancipation of Mimi'' (2005). The song was released on March 15, 2005, through Island Records, as the second single from the album. ...
" ( Robert Carr, Johnny Mitchell, Hy Weiss
Hyman Y. "Hy" Weiss (February 12, 1923 – March 20, 2007) was an American record producer of pop and rhythm and blues music in the 1950s and 1960s, and the founder of Old Town Records.
Biography
Born to a Jewish family in Cuca, Argeș Count ...
) – 1:57
#"Dooby-Dooby-Wah" (Valens, Kuhn) – 1:53
Charts
Album
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Del-Fi Records albums
Ritchie Valens albums
1959 debut albums
Albums recorded at Gold Star Studios