This Little Girl - Gary US Bonds (1981) 10/6/23

In the late '50s, singer Gary Anderson signed a record deal with a small label called LeGrand Records, run by a producer named Frank Guida.

Frank thought it would be a good idea to give Gary the stage name "US Bonds." He thought it would garner more attention from DJs, who would listen to his records and then play them.

He was only half right. Gary's initial album and first single "Quarter to Three" was indeed noticed, and the single became a Great Song of 1961, teaching #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 and #3 on the Rhythm & Blues Chart! It sold over a million copies, and was later named to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's list of the "500 songs that shaped Rock & Roll."

The downside--if you want to call it that--was that everyone thought "US Bonds" was the name of a GROUP, not a singer.

So from that point on, all of Gary's records were released under the name of Gary "US" Bonds (Sometimes without the quote marks).

Gary had a few more hits during the 60s, and at one point, toured The UK with an opening act called...The Beatles!

But after a while the hits stopped coming. In fact, after 1963, there were no releases at all! for two nearly decades.

In 1980, Gary met and became friends with fan named Bruce Springsteen, who decided it was time for Gary to make a comeback.

So Bruce wrote today's Great Song of 1981, and handed it off to Gary, who, with help from Bruce and E Street Band members Clarence Clemons and Steven Van Zant, took "This Little Girl" to #5 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart and #11 on the Hot 100.

Since then, Gary has released a few albums and done some touring, but has not returned to the charts.

But you've got to admire someone who could score Great Songs 20 years apart: "Quarter to Three" in 1961, and "This Little Girl in 1981. That is, indeed, a heck of a comeback!

"This Little Girl:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTKtcsUjVMc

"Quarter to Three:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzyhogPKV54

Tomorrow: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Schmit