Just weeks after scoring his first No. 1 hit, Gary Lewis proved that being the son of a Hollywood legend wasn’t the only reason people were paying attention.
At 19, the son of comedian Jerry Lewis was fronting Gary Lewis & the Playboys when the group released “Count Me In” in 1965. The buoyant pop-rock song followed their chart-topping breakthrough, “This Diamond Ring,” and nearly repeated its success, climbing all the way to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Count Me In” came from a songwriter with an impressive pop pedigree.
Glen D. Hardin wrote the song, which gave Lewis another vehicle for the clean-cut, melodic sound that was quickly becoming the Playboys’ trademark. Producer Snuff Garrett, who had also overseen “This Diamond Ring,” continued shaping the group’s polished studio recordings.
“We always had things in the can,” Lewis later told Songfacts. “We always did. When we went into a recording session, it wasn’t just to record what would be the next hit. We always recorded about four songs and put them in the can and Snuffy would listen to them with Leon Russell. They’d make whatever decisions, because I gave Snuffy total control of everything, because I didn’t know what I was doing. I was too young and I didn’t know anything about the business yet. So he’d have us record four or five songs at one time and complete them all and just have them in the can. Then he would put out what he wanted to put out.”
Its arrival couldn’t have been better timed.
“This Diamond Ring” had reached No. 1 in February 1965, transforming Lewis and his band from newcomers into one of the year’s breakout acts. Rather than disappearing after one enormous single, they returned almost immediately with “Count Me In.”
The follow-up stopped just short of the top.
“Count Me In” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, held from No. 1 during a spring chart dominated by some of the era’s biggest acts. Still, its performance demonstrated that Gary Lewis & the Playboys had more than one hit in them.
Several more quickly followed.
The group scored another Top 5 hit with “Save Your Heart for Me” before “Everybody Loves a Clown,” a song Lewis co-wrote, reached No. 4 later that year. “She’s Just My Style” continued the streak, and by the end of the ’60s, the Playboys had amassed a remarkable run of charting singles.
“[Garrett] did have talent for picking songs,” Lewis told Classic Bands. “He knew the timing of when to put ’em out and he was a great producer.”
The success also allowed Lewis to establish an identity apart from his famous father. Jerry Lewis may have helped the Playboys gain early national exposure, but Gary’s string of hits gave him a show-business career distinctly his own.
“The fans are the ones who put all of us wherever we are, so I want to do this music and give happiness back to the fans — to make them happy with what I do,” Lewis said in a 2021 interview.
More than six decades later, “This Diamond Ring” remains the group’s signature No. 1, but “Count Me In” captures just how quickly Gary Lewis & the Playboys turned their breakthrough into staying power. At only 19, Lewis followed one of 1965’s biggest records with a No. 2 smash and confirmed that his arrival was no fluke.
Related: 1967 Folk Rock Song, Written by Michael Nesmith, Is Still a Powerful Hit 59 Years Later
Hence then, the article about 1965 rock song sung by 19 year old son of jerry lewis became a major hit despite never reaching no 1 was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( 1965 Rock Song, Sung by 19-Year-Old Son of Jerry Lewis, Became a Major Hit Despite Never Reaching No. 1 )
Also on site :