Runaway - Music
Runaway by Del Shannon
Del Shannon
Artist Biography For Del Shannon
Del Shannon 30 December 1934–8 February 1990 Born Charles Weedon Westover In Coopersville Michigan Was An American Rock And Roller Who Launched Into Fame With The No. 1 Hit "Runaway" 1961 Which Introduced The Musitron An Early Form Of The Synthesizer Played By "Runaway" Co-Writer And Keyboard Player Max Crook. Shannon Followed Up With "Hats Off To Larry" Another Big Hit And The Less Popular "So Long Baby" Another Song Of Breakup Bitterness. "Little Town Flirt" Released In 1962 Reached #12 In 1963 As Did The Album Of The Same Name. After These Hits Shannon Was Unable To Keep His Momentum In The US But Became A Sensation In England. In 1963 He Became The First American Artist To Record A Cover Version Of A Beatles Song With "From Me To You". Shannon Returned To The Charts In 1964 With "Handy Man" "Do You Wanna Dance" "Keep Searchin'" And "Stranger In Town" 1965 With The Latter Two Songs Themed About Flight From Pursuit In A Dangerous World. A 1966 Chart Offering Was Shannon's Cover Of The Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb". In The Late 1960s After A Dry Spell Of Hits He Turned To Production. In 1969 He Discovered A Group Called Smith And Arranged Their Hit "Baby It's You". He Then Produced His Friend Brian Hyland's Million Seller "Gypsy Woman" In 1970. In The 1970s Shannon's Career Slowed Down Greatly The Hates And Fears He Had Turned Into Art In His Earlier Songs Were Turning Into Full-Blown Mental Illness And He Was Self-Medicating With Alcohol. He Finally Put The Bottle Down In 1978 And He Was Able To Return To Mainstream Audiences With "Sea Of Love" In The Early 1980s From The Album "Drop Down And Get Me" Produced By Tom Petty. In December 1983 Shannon Served As Grand Marshal Of The Coopersville Michigan Christmas Parade And Also Performed A Benefit Concert At Coopersville High School. Shannon Enjoyed A Resurgence In Audience Interest After Re-Recording A Portion Of His Song "Runaway" With New Lyrics As The Theme For The Television Program Crime Story. Producer Michael Mann Felt That This Was One Of The Definitive Songs Of The Era In Which The Program Was Set. Some Fans Of The Show Prefer The Sharper Lyrics "Some Live And Others Die" As An Alternate To The Original Words. On 8 February 1990 While Working On A Comeback Album With Jeff Lynne Of Electric Light Orchestra Shannon Fatally Shot Himself In The Head With A .22 Calibre Rifle. His Wife Thought His Death Might Have Been Related To His Recent Use Of The Prescription Drug Prozac. The Album Was Released After His Death And Titled "Rock On!". Shannon Is A Member Of The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame And His Pioneering Contribution To The Genre Has Been Recognized By The Rockabilly Hall Of Fame.
Frogtoon Music - Song Info: Runaway
Del-Shannon - Greatest Hits
"Runaway" Is A Number-One Billboard Hot 100 Song Made Famous By Del Shannon In 1961. It Was Written By Shannon And Keyboardist Max Crook And Became A Major International Hit. It Was No. 472 On The 2010 Version Of Rolling Stone's List Of The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time And No. 466 On The 2004 Version. Singer-Guitarist Charles Westover And Keyboard Player Max Crook Performed Together As Members Of "Charlie Johnson And The Big Little Show Band" In Battle Creek Michigan Before Their Group Won A Recording Contract In 1960. Westover Took The New Stage Name "Del Shannon" And Crook Who Had Invented His Own Clavioline-Based Electric Keyboard Called A Musitron Became "Maximilian". After Their First Recording Session For Big Top Records In New York City Had Ended In Failure Their Manager Ollie McLaughlin Persuaded Them To Rewrite And Re-Record An Earlier Song They Had Written "Little Runaway" To Highlight Crook's Unique Instrumental Sound. On January 21 1961 They Recorded "Runaway" At The Bell Sound Recording Studios With Harry Balk As Producer Fred Weinberg As Audio Engineer And Also Session Musicians On Several Sections Session Musician Al Caiola On Guitar Moe Wechsler On Piano And Crook Playing The Central Musitron Break. Other Musicians On The Record Included Al Casamenti And Bucky Pizzarelli On Guitar Milt Hinton On Bass And Joe Marshall On Drums. Bill Ramall Who Was The Arranger For The Session Also Played Baritone Sax. After Recording In A Minor Producer Balk Sped Up The Recording To Pitch Just Below A B-Flat Minor. "Runaway" Was Released In February 1961 And Was Immediately Successful. On April 10 Of That Year Shannon Appeared On Dick Clark's American Bandstand Helping To Catapult It To The Number One Spot On The Billboard Hot 100 Where It Remained For Four Weeks. Two Months Later It Reached Number One On The UK's Record Retailer Chart Spending Three Weeks In That Position.
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Biography - Del Shannon
Del Shannon 30 December 1934–8 February 1990 Born Charles Weedon Westover In Coopersville Michigan Was An American Rock And Roller Who Launched Into Fame With The No. 1 Hit "Runaway" 1961 Which Introduced The Musitron An Early Form Of The Synthesizer Played By "Runaway" Co-Writer And Keyboard Player Max Crook. Shannon Followed Up With "Hats Off To Larry" Another Big Hit And The Less Popular "So Long Baby" Another Song Of Breakup Bitterness. "Little Town Flirt" Released In 1962 Reached #12 In 1963 As Did The Album Of The Same Name. After These Hits Shannon Was Unable To Keep His Momentum In The US But Became A Sensation In England. In 1963 He Became The First American Artist To Record A Cover Version Of A Beatles Song With "From Me To You". Shannon Returned To The Charts In 1964 With "Handy Man" "Do You Wanna Dance" "Keep Searchin'" And "Stranger In Town" 1965 With The Latter Two Songs Themed About Flight From Pursuit In A Dangerous World. A 1966 Chart Offering Was Shannon's Cover Of The Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb". In The Late 1960s After A Dry Spell Of Hits He Turned To Production. In 1969 He Discovered A Group Called Smith And Arranged Their Hit "Baby It's You". He Then Produced His Friend Brian Hyland's Million Seller "Gypsy Woman" In 1970. In The 1970s Shannon's Career Slowed Down Greatly The Hates And Fears He Had Turned Into Art In His Earlier Songs Were Turning Into Full-Blown Mental Illness And He Was Self-Medicating With Alcohol. He Finally Put The Bottle Down In 1978 And He Was Able To Return To Mainstream Audiences With "Sea Of Love" In The Early 1980s From The Album "Drop Down And Get Me" Produced By Tom Petty. In December 1983 Shannon Served As Grand Marshal Of The Coopersville Michigan Christmas Parade And Also Performed A Benefit Concert At Coopersville High School. Shannon Enjoyed A Resurgence In Audience Interest After Re-Recording A Portion Of His Song "Runaway" With New Lyrics As The Theme For The Television Program Crime Story. Producer Michael Mann Felt That This Was One Of The Definitive Songs Of The Era In Which The Program Was Set. Some Fans Of The Show Prefer The Sharper Lyrics "Some Live And Others Die" As An Alternate To The Original Words. On 8 February 1990 While Working On A Comeback Album With Jeff Lynne Of Electric Light Orchestra Shannon Fatally Shot Himself In The Head With A .22 Calibre Rifle. His Wife Thought His Death Might Have Been Related To His Recent Use Of The Prescription Drug Prozac. The Album Was Released After His Death And Titled "Rock On!". Shannon Is A Member Of The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame And His Pioneering Contribution To The Genre Has Been Recognized By The Rockabilly Hall Of Fame.
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"Runaway" is a number-one Billboard Hot 100 song made famous by Del Shannon in 1961. It was written by Shannon and keyboardist Max Crook, and became a major international hit. It was No. 472 on the 2010 version of Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and No. 466 on the 2004 version.
Singer-guitarist Charles Westover and keyboard player Max Crook performed together as members of "Charlie Johnson and the Big Little Show Band" in Battle Creek, Michigan, before their group won a recording contract in 1960. Westover took the new stage name "Del Shannon", and Crook, who had invented his own clavioline-based electric keyboard called a Musitron, became "Maximilian".
After their first recording session for Big Top Records in New York City had ended in failure, their manager Ollie McLaughlin persuaded them to rewrite and re-record an earlier song they had written, "Little Runaway", to highlight Crook's unique instrumental sound. On January 21, 1961, they recorded "Runaway" at the Bell Sound recording studios, with Harry Balk as producer, Fred Weinberg as audio engineer and also session musicians on several sections: session musician Al Caiola on guitar, Moe Wechsler on piano, and Crook playing the central Musitron break. Other musicians on the record included Al Casamenti and Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar, Milt Hinton on bass, and Joe Marshall on drums. Bill Ramall, who was the arranger for the session, also played baritone sax. After recording in A minor, producer Balk sped up the recording to pitch just below a B-flat minor. "Runaway" was released in February 1961 and was immediately successful. On April 10 of that year, Shannon appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand, helping to catapult it to the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for four weeks. Two months later, it reached number one on the UK's Record Retailer chart, spending three weeks in that position. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.