| "Rubber Ball" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Bobby Vee | ||||
| B-side | "Everyday" | |||
| Released | late 1960/early 1961 | |||
| Recorded | August 12, 1960 | |||
| Label | Liberty Records | |||
| Writer(s) | Orlowski/Aaron Schroeder | |||
| Producer | Snuff Garrett | |||
| Bobby Vee singles chronology | ||||
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"Rubber Ball" was an early 1961 hit for Bobby Vee on Liberty Records. In fact, it was the record which made Vee an international star. The song was recorded on August 12, 1960 in a four-song, 3-hour session at United in Hollywood. It was produced by a 19-year-old Texan, Thomas "Snuff" Garrett, and was co-written at the Brill Building in New York by Gene Pitney, using his mother's maiden name, (Orlowski) and by Aaron Schroeder.
The song was Vee's fifth single release in the US, where it made #6 on the Billboard charts; it was a breakthrough hit for him in the UK, where it reached #4.[1] In Australia, it was Vee's only #1 record, where it stayed for 3 weeks in early 1961. The record also marked Vee's first use of overdubbing his second vocal.
The song was covered as a single by British singer Marty Wilde, who also had chart success when it went to #9 in 1961.
Gary Lewis and the Playboys released a cover version that can be found on their Complete Hits album.[2]