Tell Laura I Love Her (Bear Family)
05/16/2006 | Bear Family
Lyrics from Tell Laura I Love Her (Bear Family)
All Music Guide Review
The first comprehensive anthology of Ray Peterson's RCA Victor and Dunes recordings rounds up most of his hits and shows the frail-looking teen idol -- known primarily for his contribution to the teen tragedy craze, "Tell Laura I Love Him" -- to be a talented pop vocalist with a piercing falsetto. Peterson's infrequent rock & roll performances tend to be his weakest; he shines the most on the orchestrated teen ballads that exercise his pure pop vocal abilities. Johnny Vallis' essay details Peterson's troubled journey from his polio-stricken childhood to becoming a sickly, underweight star whose manager physically abused him. Several of Peterson's Dunes songs appear in re-recorded stereo rather than the original mono versions, including his second-biggest hit, "Corrina, Corinna." As a result, the version of that song presented here cannot be accurately considered the hit, but it is so similar to the original that most listeners will not notice the difference. There are a number of oddities in Peterson's catalog, including a pop version of Webb Pierce's country hit "I'm Tired," a vocal version of Pérez Prado's instrumental hit "Patricia," and the dramatic teen tragedy song "Give Us Your Blessings," which later became a hit for the Shangri-Las. Spectorites will be interested in the Dunes recordings that Phil Spector produced, but, unlike the typical Bear Family release, Peterson's anthology does not include a discography or sessionography. Tell Laura I Love Her is a lavish tribute to a teen idol whose fascinating and sometimes tragic biography is as interesting as the music itself. ~ Greg Adams, All Music Guide
Tell Laura I Love Her (Bear Family) Track Listing
Credits of Tell Laura I Love Her (Bear Family)
- Thomas Kay
- Guitar
- Hugo Peretti
- Leader
- Charles Macey
- Guitar
- Joe Mondragon
- Bass
- Amerigo Marino
- Violin
- Carmen Mastren
- Guitar
- Harry Melnikoff
- Violin
- Robert Mersey
- Arranger, Conductor
- R.H. Peirce
- Producer
- Ralph Pena
- Bass
- William Pitman
- Guitar
- John Pizzarelli
- Guitar
- Samuel Rand
- Violin
- Allan Reuss
- Guitar
- Fred Reynolds
- Producer
- Wally Richardson
- Guitar (Electric)
- Abraham Richman
- Saxophone
- Art Ryerson
- Guitar
- Tosha Samaroff
- Violin
- Sol Schlinger
- Saxophone
- Bunny Shawker
- Drums
- Alan Shulman
- Cello
- Christine Spencer
- Choir, Chorus
- Jack Sperling
- Drums
- Maretha Stewart
- Choir, Chorus
- Jesse Stone
- Leader
- Henry Sugar
- Violin
- Lloyd Trotman
- Bass
- Gerald Vinci
- Violin
- Richard Ihnaton Wiez
- Reissue Producer
- Marty Wilson
- Contractor
- Alton Hendrickson
- Guitar
- Alicia Adams
- Choir, Chorus
- Doles Dickens
- Bass
- Joseph R. Gibbons
- Guitar
- William A. Glover
- Choir, Chorus
- Felix Orlewitz
- Violin
- James Rowles
- Piano
- Lee Schapiro
- Producer
- Vito Mumolo
- Guitar
- Allen Hanlon
- Guitar
- Bob Tebow
- Choir, Chorus
- Doryce Brown
- Choir, Chorus
- Lillian Clark
- Choir, Chorus
- Jack Halloran
- Choir, Chorus
- Bernard Kaufman
- Saxophone
- Howard Kay
- Viola
- Bob Mersey
- Arranger, Conductor
- Milton Norman
- Guitar
- Henry Ross
- Contractor
- Morris Wechsler
- Piano
- Abel DeCosta
- Choir, Chorus
- Andrew Ackers
- Piano
- Arnold Fishkind
- Bass
- Frank Saracco
- Trombone
- Julius Schacter
- Violin
- Al Chernet
- Guitar
- R.A. Andreas
- Photography, Illustrations
- Richard Weize
- Discography
- Jurgen Crasser
- Mastering
- Jerry Duane
- Choir, Chorus
- Leon Frengut
- Viola
- Robert S. Helfer
- Contractor
- Bill Kanady
- Choir, Chorus
- Eugene Lowell
- Choir, Chorus
- Sebastian Mure
- Guitar
- Alan Sokoloff
- Choir, Chorus
- James Stover
- Choir, Chorus
- Miriam Workman
- Choir, Chorus
- Walter Spriggs
- Bongos
- Abram Borodkin
- Cello
- Ray Charles Singers
- Choir, Chorus
- Jerry Packer
- Choir, Chorus
- Baker Knight
- Guitar
- Keith Booth
- Choir, Chorus
- Gene Lowell
- Choir, Chorus
- Bob Burns, Jr.
- Saxophone, Contractor
- David Mankowitz
- Viola
- Erich Hülsenbeck
- Photo Scanning
- Cleone Duncan
- Choir, Chorus
- Stanley Shulman
- Producer
- Andreas Merck
- Photo Scanning
- Clifford E. "Bud" Shank
- Saxophone
- Edwin Lindstrom
- Choir, Chorus
- Peggy Powers
- Choir, Chorus
- Rae Whitney
- Choir, Chorus
- Marc Brown
- Violin
- Johnny Vallis
- Liner Notes, Biographical Information
- Hilmer J. Timbrell
- Guitar
- George Brown
- Viola
- Harry Breuer
- Drums
- Al Caiola
- Guitar
- Mel Davis
- Trumpet
- Don Lamond
- Drums
- Marni Nixon
- Choir, Chorus
- Ray Peterson
- Vocals
- Salli Terri
- Choir, Chorus
- David Nadien
- Violin
- Phil Spector
- Producer
- George Duvivier
- Bass
- Stan Applebaum
- Leader
- Everett Barksdale
- Guitar, Guitar (Electric)
- Benjamin Barrett
- Contractor
- Gil Bernal
- Saxophone
- Maurice Brown
- Cello
- Roland Bundock
- Bass
- Michael Chimes
- Harmonica
- Peggy Clark
- Choir, Chorus
- Herman Diaz, Jr.
- Producer
- Barry Galbraith
- Guitar
- Jacques Gasselin
- Violin
- Paul Gershman
- Violin
- James Getzoff
- Violin
- Harry Glickman
- Violin
- Emanuel Green
- Violin
- Sol Gubin
- Drums
- Roy Harte
- Drums
- Milt Holland
- Drums
- Howard Roberts
- Guitar, Choir, Chorus
- Hugo Winterhalter
- Leader
- Isadore Zir
- Viola
- Bert Keyes
- Piano
- Leo Kruczek
- Violin
- Carl LaMagna
- Violin
- Chet Atkins
- Producer
- Phil Bodner
- Saxophone
- King Curtis
- Saxophone, Contractor
- Victor Feldman
- Vibraphone
- Plas Johnson
- Saxophone
- Barney Kessel
- Guitar
- Mel Lewis
- Drums
- Mundell Lowe
- Guitar
- Pete Jolly
- Piano
- Seldon Powell
- Sax (Tenor)
- Frank Rehak
- Trombone













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