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"Rubber Ball" was an early 1961 hit for Bobby Vee on Liberty Records. It was the record which made Vee an international star. The song was recorded on August 12, 1960, in a four-song, three-hour session at United in Hollywood. It was produced by Thomas "Snuff" Garrett, arranged by Ernie Freeman, 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. Veteran session drummer Earl Palmer played drums at the session. The record marked Vee's first use of overdubbing his second vocal.

Chart performance

The song was Vee's fifth US single release making #6 on the Billboard charts. Outside the US, "Rubber Ball" was a breakthrough hit for him in the UK, where it reached #4. It also reached #4 in Canada. In Australia, it was Vee's only #1 record; it stayed at the top for three weeks in early 1961.

Cover versions

• A version by British singer Marty Wilde reached #9 the charts in 1961.

References

1. Scherman, Tony, Backbeat: The Earl Palmer Story, foreword by Wynton Marsalis, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C., 1999 p. 175, ISBN 978-0306809804.
2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 658.
3. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 584. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
4. "CHUM Hit Parade - January 16, 1961".
5. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 602. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.

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• 1961 songs
• 1961 singles
• Bobby Vee songs
• Number-one singles in Australia
• Songs written by Gene Pitney
• Songs written by Aaron Schroeder
• Song recordings produced by Snuff Garrett
• Liberty Records singles
• 1960s single stubs