Artist: Dick & Dee DeeLP: Thou Shalt Not Steal
"Thou Shalt Not Steal" is one humdinger of a song—it reached #13 on the Billboard singles charts back in 1965. The track's super-fast, high-pitched vocals had me wondering what it would sound like at a slower speed, so I gave it a try and found it to take on a soulful, circumspect quality. (Sorry about the warbles; it was late and I was spinning with my finger, but at least you get the idea.) You can find neat photos, videos and lots of other info on the official Dick & Dee website here. (Be sure to check out Dee Dee's blog, which says I missed a Dick & Dee Dee show here in Seattle earlier this year—with Michael Dunn singing the male parts, since, sadly, Dick St. John fell off his roof and died back in 2003.) You can read about Dick & Dee Dee and their string of hits on Wikipedia here and I've included the LP liner notes below. This video of the duo singing "Where Did All the Good Times Go" is one of the best things I've laid eyes on in a while; it's perfect for the end of summer:
Take two attractive singers from Santa Monica, California.
A few years back, they were sitting in cheering sections,
making a different kind of sound. Now the cheering sections
are making welcome sounds for Dick and Dee Dee. Through
a string of hits, these two unique vocalists have made them-
selves a lot more than a couple of Santa Monica teens.
"Thou Shalt Not Steal" is making up a major part of
the difference that's their uniqueness.
A few years back, Dick and Dee Dee began in a small, West
Coast way. A couple of hits, then a Dick Clark Caravan tour
began to spread the word 3,000 miles across the U.S. about
the wild, new sound of D&DD. They became national
favorites. Today, their sound's gone international, and it's
not unusual to find them fastening their seat belts on a plane
heading for, say, England for recording dates and concerts.
That kind of living's a long way from the surfing
shores of Santa Monica, friends.
It all began back with "The Mountain's High," a hit made by
Dick and Dee Dee just ten days after they joined forces to
become a vocal duo. Dick St. John and Dee Dee Sperling
(they're not related; they're not married; they're great friends)
followed with his like "Tell Me," "Turn Around," and a couple of
fist-fulls more. "Thou Shalt Not Steal" is their latest, a
remarkable song in a remarkable album.
One thing about this album. It's not a one song LP. Every song
Dick and Dee Dee (and their producers, The Wilder Brothers,
and arranger Don Ralke) perform has their patented hit
sound all the way through it.
From Santa Monica...to the United States...to the world...to
"Thou Shalt Not Steal"...to this hit album. It's a great trip
you're sharing in this album. Listen to it greatly.
A few years back, they were sitting in cheering sections,
making a different kind of sound. Now the cheering sections
are making welcome sounds for Dick and Dee Dee. Through
a string of hits, these two unique vocalists have made them-
selves a lot more than a couple of Santa Monica teens.
"Thou Shalt Not Steal" is making up a major part of
the difference that's their uniqueness.
A few years back, Dick and Dee Dee began in a small, West
Coast way. A couple of hits, then a Dick Clark Caravan tour
began to spread the word 3,000 miles across the U.S. about
the wild, new sound of D&DD. They became national
favorites. Today, their sound's gone international, and it's
not unusual to find them fastening their seat belts on a plane
heading for, say, England for recording dates and concerts.
That kind of living's a long way from the surfing
shores of Santa Monica, friends.
It all began back with "The Mountain's High," a hit made by
Dick and Dee Dee just ten days after they joined forces to
become a vocal duo. Dick St. John and Dee Dee Sperling
(they're not related; they're not married; they're great friends)
followed with his like "Tell Me," "Turn Around," and a couple of
fist-fulls more. "Thou Shalt Not Steal" is their latest, a
remarkable song in a remarkable album.
One thing about this album. It's not a one song LP. Every song
Dick and Dee Dee (and their producers, The Wilder Brothers,
and arranger Don Ralke) perform has their patented hit
sound all the way through it.
From Santa Monica...to the United States...to the world...to
"Thou Shalt Not Steal"...to this hit album. It's a great trip
you're sharing in this album. Listen to it greatly.
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