Jennie Lee (song)

After being inspired by a poster featuring a local Hollywood burlesque performer, Virginia Lee Hicks, who was then performing as Jennie Lee, the "Bazoom Girl", at the New Follies Burlesk at 548 S. Main Street, Los Angeles,[1] Ginsburg wrote a tribute song, "Jennie Lee", that he brought to Berry and Torrence. Arnold P. Ginsburg, from Wisconsin, grew up in West Los Angeles, and was a school friend of Jan Berry. He is sometimes confused with the Boston radio DJ Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsburg, but is unrelated.[2]

Berry adapted the Civil War tune "Aura Lea" and arranged the harmonies. After weeks of practice, Berry, Ginsburg, and Torrence planned to make a demo recording in Berry's garage, but Torrence was conscripted into the United States Army Reserve, forcing Berry and Ginsburg to record "Jennie Lee" without Torrence,[3] with Berry's friend and fellow University High student Donald J. Altfeld (born March 18, 1940, in Los Angeles, California)[4] "belting out the rhythm on a children's metal high chair". The next day Berry took their recording to Radio Recorders, a small recording studio, to have it transferred to an acetate disc.[5] Joe Lubin, Vice President and Head of A & R of Doris Day and Martin Melcher's Arwin Records, was impressed and offered to add instruments and to release it through Arwin.[3] In March 1958 the fathers of Berry and Ginsburg signed contracts authorizing Lubin to produce, arrange, and manage their sons.[6][7]

Berry and Ginsburg, now christened "Jan & Arnie", re-recorded their vocals on a professional recording system.[5] Produced by Lubin, "Jennie Lee" (Arwin 108), backed with "Gotta Get a Date" (credited to Ginsburg, Berry & Lubin), became a surprise commercial success. According to Berry's biographer Mark A. Moore, "The song (with backing vocals, plus additional instruments added by the Ernie Freeman combo) had a raucous R&B flavor, with a bouncing bomp-bomp vocal hook that would become a signature from Jan on future recordings."[8] Distributed by Dot Records,[9] "Jennie Lee" was released in mid-April,[10] entered the charts on May 10, 1958, the same day they appeared on ABC's Dick Clark Show. "Jennie Lee" peaked at No. 3 on the Cash Box charts on June 21, 1958,[11] No. 4 on the R&B charts, and No. 8 on the Billboard charts on June 30, 1958. Billy Ward and his Dominoes's R&B cover of "Jennie Lee" reached No. 55 in the Pop charts in June 1958,[12] while other cover versions including that of Moon Mullican (Coral 9-61994) and Bobby Phillips & the Toppers (Tops 45-R422-49), released in 1958 failed to chart.[12]

Shortly after Jan and Arnie's version was released, Billy Ward and his Dominoes came out with a cover that charted at number 55 on the US Billboard Hot 100,[15] and placed at 14 on the US R&B charts.

In 1962 Jan & Dean recorded a version of the song on their album Jan & Dean Golden Hits.