Songs You May Not Know Were Covers (Round 7): Hello Mary Lou (#1)

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For the seventh time I fold the covers and put them away. As usual, I’ve saved what I perceive as the “biggest surprise” for last. With that in mind, here’s the #1 song from this round of big hits that were covers. #1: Hello Mary Lou Ah, those Statler Brothers. They could do anything with those great harmonies of theirs. Case in point: they took Ricky Nelson’s classic “Hello Mary Lou” and made it a country hit in 1985. Yes, this is one of those songs indelibly linked to the career of Ricky Nelson. In fact, in his song “Garden Party,” he referenced it: “I said hello to Mary Lou, she belonged to me.” Well...no, she didn’t. It was a cover. Shock #1: Gene Pitney wrote this song. The legendary singer and songwriter was the author of one of Nelson’s biggest hits. Shock #2: Pitney wasn’t the first person to record it. That distinction went to......Johnny Duncan. Johnny Duncan was a minor-league country singer with a few major hits in his mid-career (late 70s/early 80s). He was also cousins with Jim Seals (of Seals and Crofts) and Dan Seals (of England Dan & John Ford Coley and a later solo country career). His biggest hits included “Thinkin’ of a Rendezvous” and “She Can Put Her Shoes Under My Bed Anytime.” The first hit I remember of his was “Fools,” which was later a much bigger hit for Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius. But before “Fools” (which was a hit in 1972), and indeed before his career began in earnest, Duncan recorded “Hello Mary Lou” for a subsidiary label of Kapp Records. Needless to say, nothing ever became of his rendition...except the distinction of having recorded one of the great classics of rock and roll first. Thanks for reading. Hello Mary Lou Written by Gene Pitney Originally recorded by Johnny Duncan, 1960 Famously covered by Ricky Nelson, 1961 We’d never part: