I had decided to go to bed without posting a song tonight, for I am tired and out of sorts, tried out several songs and none of them were quite what I wanted, so I had, for all intents and purposes, given up. And then … and then … my dear friend Ellen unwittingly put this song into my head! No, she didn’t mention either the song or the artist, Tommy Roe. She didn’t even mention the word “dizzy” … she just made me be … dizzy!
Each of us has a shortcoming … mine is … well, mine are science and poetry. I am a pragmatist who takes what is said at face value and subtleties, hidden meanings and the like fly high over my head. So, when Ellen started talking about correspondence of sounds, and a rhyme that doesn’t rhyme, my head started to spin even faster than it had been already and … I got … dizzy! And all of a sudden, this song popped into my spinning head! Thank you, Ellen! I might still not understand the Mark Twain quote that he never said, but I got my song for the night!
Released in 1969, this song hit #1 in the UK, Canada, and the U.S.
Tommy Roe wrote this with Freddy Weller, who went on to become a country singer after a spell as one of Paul Revere’s Raiders. In 1962, Roe had his first, and only other US #1 hit with “Sheila,” which he wrote when he was 14. He had another hit in 1970 with “Jam Up Telly Tight,” then started recording country songs. Said Roe …
“Freddy Weller and I had known each other in Atlanta. I was on a TV show with Paul Revere & The Raiders. They had lost their guitarist and I suggested Freddy as a replacement. He moved to California to be with them, and we started writing together. I showed him ‘Dizzy.’ I had written the chorus but couldn’t complete it. Freddy loved it and said, ‘Let’s finish it,’ and we did that on a tour bus late at night. Jimmy Haskell wrote the string arrangement and we had Hal Blaine on drums, Joe Osborn on bass, Ben Benay on guitar and Larry Knechtel on keyboards. You can’t get better than that. It sold 6 million copies, 4 million of them in the States, and it was my biggest hit of all.”
Dizzy
Tommy Roe
Dizzy
I’m so dizzy my head is spinning
Like a whirlpool, it never ends
And it’s you, girl, making it spin
You’re making me dizzy
First time that I saw you, girl
I knew that I just had to make you mine
But it’s so hard to talk to you
With fellas hanging ’round you all the time
I want you for my sweet pet
But you keep playing hard to get
I’m going around in circles all the time
Dizzy
I’m so dizzy my head is spinning
Like a whirlpool, it never ends
And it’s you, girl, making it spin
You’re making me dizzy
I finally got to talk to you
And I told you just exactly how I felt
Then I held you close to me
And kissed you and my heart began to melt
Girl, you’ve got control on me
‘Cause I’m so dizzy I can’t see
I need to call a doctor for some help
Dizzy
I’m so dizzy my head is spinning
Like a whirlpool, it never ends
And it’s you, girl, making it spin
You’re making me dizzy, my head is spinning
Like a whirlpool it never ends
And it’s you girl making it spin
You’re making me dizzy
You’re making me dizzy
I’m so dizzy
You’re making me dizzy
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Jamie D Slocum
Dizzy lyrics © Sony/atv Songs Llc, Bike Music
thanks for the fun memory!
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My pleasure!!!
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Hah! You’re really plowing through my musical memories this week. “Dizzy” was the favorite song of another sister, so much so, I nicknamed her Dizzy, a name that stuck with her for a while and weirdly delighted her. She’d tell people, “My brother calls me Dizzy!”
Cheers
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Ha ha … I’m glad!!! Little sisters can be annoying, I’m sure … but you must’ve been a good big bro if she was proud of the nickname you gave her! Glad the song brought more memories!
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Jill, it is a fun song. I had forgotten “Hooray for Hazel” until Roger mentioned. These songs were more pop than rock, but still were fun. As I type this, “Come Together” by The Beatles just came on my car radio (I am not driving ), a less pop song, and one of Lennon’s grittier tunes. Keith
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Jill, I had to listen to “Sheila” to remember the song. I like it better than “Dizzy” and “Hooray for Hazel.” It reminds me of Buddy Holly’s style. Keith
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Just as did I, Keith! But, the minute the beat started, I remembered it like it was yesterday! Stay tuned … there must be more Tommy Roe in the lineup! And now, you’ve mentioned Buddy Holly, so he must fit in somewhere, too!
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Jill, a Buddy Holly post would be well received, although it would be hard to pick just one song. The music surely died that day with the plane crash killing him, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. Keith
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I’ll see what I can do about that! Yes, it was a tragic day, but at least they left us a legacy that can be enjoyed forever.
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Yeah, no deep meanings or soulfulness … just fun. I, too, had forgotten “Hooray for Hazel” until Roger mentioned it, and “Sheila” until John mentioned it! And, while I haven’t thought of “Come Together” for ages, the minute I read this comment, it was playing in my head! Music has a way of doing that, doesn’t it?
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I’m dizzy today, Was up all night writing you.
Now I’m dizzy…
Coulda swore this was 67. Oh well. I remember more than I’m s’posed to
mmm, kinda
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Up all night writing to me??? I got one email … 2-3 paragraphs … surely that didn’t take all night! I thought it was released in the 60s, too … I guess our memories are not what they once were, eh?
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Well, to your blog too, which to me is you. Yeah, they might have been directed to specific readers of yours, but, it’s still all you, don’t cha know.
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Indeed, you have been rather prolific of late … especially you and Roger!
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We likeceach other (I think.) We can respect our differences while accepting our similarities. We coulda hung out in the 60s, ifvwe had known.
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Yes, I’m pleased to see you two hitting it off so well, for I love you both! Sure you could have, except for that pesky 4,000 mile distance!
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Awch! Miles and years don’t matter. Life is!
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True … so very true.
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Good one. Sheila is also pretty terrific. Thanks.Jill.
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At first, I thought you were referring to … never mind. Sheila … I don’t recall that one … I must go check it out! Seems there is more Tommy Roe to be played, yes?
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Yes there is. 😊
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When I was reading this post I started giggling uncontrollably for more than one reason : 1) Way back in the 60’s a very special someone used to say that I made him dizzy! My Propensity for Loquacity and circuitous talking are not recently acquired traits. 2) Making YOU dizzy means that I have not lost my touch!! It may, or not, surprise you that I have been a fan of Tommy Roe’s from 1962 to his retirement in 2018. I loved his co-written autobiography “From Cabbagetown to Tinseltown and places in between” which was published, if memory serves me correctly, about 4 years ago. You might enjoy his 2020 version of this song : “Dizzy Covid-19 Edition”! Benjamin and I love it! WHAK! Thank-you for the giggles!!
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I was hoping you would see this one, and I’m doubly glad it brought a giggle and a memory!!! No ma’am, you certainly have NOT lost your touch! You definitely made me dizzy! I had no clue that Tommy Roe had written an autobiography! Interesting title! I will check out the updated 2020 version to this song tomorrow … erm … later today, after sleep! WHAK!
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There’s another bright and cheerful song. Roe turned out quite a few good one in his time ‘Hoorah for Hazel’ and ‘The Folk Singer’ came wandering back into my mind. Nice choice Jill
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Don’t know the Folk Singer. Gotta see if I can recognize who.
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At you service sir,
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Mersey buckets. Those are tugboats, aren’t they? Or coalboats, perhaps?
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Yeah, this one was more for fun than anything! Oh wow … I had forgotten “Hoorah for Hazel”! Looks like I’ll have to play a bit more of Mr. Roe somewhere down the road! Thanks, Roger!
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We could do with ‘fun’.
Harmless, carefree ‘fun’
Give my regards to Jolly and Joyful by the way, sorry I keep missing Mondays (Missing Mondays?- Naw that’s too weird a tittle for a post)
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I will give them your best! I’m sorry you keep missing them, too, for you need a chuckle every now and then! The rest of my posts don’t offer much to chuckle about. I dunno, Roger … I rather like the title “Missing Mondays” … it’s intriguing!
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Don’t forget “Good People Doing Good Things” 👏🏼 🙌🏼 🌺 🌸 🌼 🌻 🌞 !
‘Missing Mondays’ 🤔…..I’ll think about it, dunno what they’ll be about…Of course they’ll have to be on Tuesdays! 🙃 😉
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No … mustn’t forget about the ‘good people’ posts! That is the one feature that my readers would mutiny if I stopped it! Awwww … thanks for the flowers … you do know how to brighten my day! Okay … you ponder on it and let me know what you come up with!
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Maybe a while yet. I have:
A) Four draft posts on Word Press yet to be completed.🙄
B) One book to finish re-writing. 🥳
C) Two to be re-edited.😀
D) Two to be revised.🤔
E) One series of posts to be made into a novella. Screwy Fairy tale 🤭
F) A series on Shakespeare’s plays to be put into print.🧐
G) Something else which is in the back of my mind but I can’t quite get to the fore.🥴
H) Something vitriolic about the way the Critics and their wannabes treated the 2019 film version of Lloyd-Webber’s ‘Cats’ 🤬
……
Errr…I’ll get back to you on ‘Missing Monday’🙂
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I’m in no rush, for my ‘to-do’ list, while not quite as full as yours, comes a close 2nd and I have numerous posts in varying degrees of completion, so I’m never at a loss. Good luck with your list, but it has been my experience that for everything you mark off as complete, three more have replaced it!
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You got that right Jill 🤨!
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Tommy Roe, passable record. I haven’t given him a thought in years but I thought he dropped off the radar quite quickly.
Cwtch
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It’s not a deep, meaningful song, nor one like Motown that just reaches out and grabs you, but it’s a bit of fun. I thought this was the only one I remembered until Roger mentioned a few others.
Cwtch
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However much I don’t like the man, one of the best versions I heard was by English Comedian Vic Reeeves.
Cwtch
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I don’t think I’ve ever heard of him … I’ll check his version out.
Cwtch
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