George Hamilton IV - A Rose and a Baby Ruth

[mkl62]

This hit by George Hamilton IV hit #6 on the Top 40 charts. It was #7 on the Best Sellers in Stores and Disc Jockey charts and #8 on the Most Played in Jukeboxes. It would finish at #59 for the year, 1956. On July 9, 1955, Bill Haley and His Comets hit #1 with Rock Around the Clock, signifying the start of the Rock Era. On April 21, 1956, Elvis Presley hit #1 with Heartbreak Hotel, sending this new sound into the stratosphere.

[ThatHauntFreak2]

I honestly don't know if I like Manson's version or Hamilton's version better... they're both great!

[rainstormz28]

@handinside..ever notice how crude posters make complete fools of themselves with comments that have absolutely nothing to do with a beautiful song?

[cutieutie13]

lol @ random jack nicholson photo. 0:25

someone hand that man a rose and a baby ruth!!!

[handinside]

Ever notice hom much a Baby Ruth looks like a DAWG TURD!

[GJoeJ010841]

Am I the only who has noticed how much George Hamilton IV and the late Rick Nelson sounded alike? Listen to Why Don't They Understand and Gee and compare them to Rick's ballads. Uncanny! (Dick Clark's Saturday Night Show was sponsored by Beech Nut Spearmint Gum; "It's Flavorific!") Joe

[GJoeJ010841]

Am I the only who has noticed how much George Hamilton IV and the late Rick Nelson sounded alike? Listen to Why Don't They Understand and Gee and compare them to Rick's ballads. Uncanny! Joe

[HoraceLip]

Would you like to own this on a 45? I have it and it will be listed on Ebay soon!

zardozz@comcast.net

[fxo369]

Anybody remember when this was a big hit on Bandstand? You'd have to be from the Delaware Valley cuz Bandstand was local at the time (late 56/early 57). Dick Clark somehow altered the song to change "Baby Ruth" to "Candy Bar". After all Good & Plenty was his sponsor, and they didn't want promotions for any other candy. For the longest time I tried to get a copy, thinking it was called "Rose & a Candy bar".

[doowopnuts]

Wunderbar!

[sotabob]

Great record! It was the very first record that I purchased at a record store .It touched a lot of emotions of new Teenager.The flip side was a huge bonus. I still own that very 45.

[recordman64]

Very evocative song, conjuring up images of a more innocent day and age.

[MrCuckooclock]

This is one of my all time favorite songs from the mid/late 50's; I used to collect old records until about 5 years ago, and this one, as well as countless others, I used to be able to pull it right off my shelf just by looking at the sleeve; it amazed the hell out of my cousin one Sat. morning!!

[MrCuckooclock]

i used to collect old records, and this one was one of them in my collection; on of my all time favorites.

[grannymammy2]

the songwriter of this sentimental song was in 1955 the great John D. Loudermilk

[MaximRecoil]

Who is the woman at 0:46; the one covering her mouth with her hand?

[rukusbob]

i always liked the other side of the record best. its called " if you dont know " .

[reymundo121]

Just noticed that this song was written by John (D) Laudermilk.....he wrote lots and lots of great songs.....didnt know after all these years it was him.....wow!

[pittypat66]

Thank-u for posting this, I love this song.

[fromthesidelines]

VERY RARE COPY of the original "regional" release of the record on Colonial. National distribution was handled by ABC-Paramount, which signed George to their label as a result of this being his first hit reccord...

[handinside]

Baby Ruth is a good candy bar. I enjoyed my last one while watching Caddyshack

[SRODKIN]

How you know about Hege, Tommoyrock69?

[LindaDooWop]

Love this! Thanks for posting it!

[MarilynManson08cunt]

i love this song :]

first, i hear it with Marilyn Manson, it's a great version too...

but this.. this is wonderful !

[CruciatusVXS]

0:26 makes me LOL

[artemisx123]

A great song and a really BAD video. Why did you ruin such a good song?

[RoyFive]

Heck, I'm not even watching the video. Nothing against it, I just don't want to get distracted from Hamilton's great song.

[anthonytorelli]

When the record came out, the Curtis Candy company, makers of Baby Ruth candy bars, sent a letter to Colonial record label demanding it be pulled for copyright infringement. By the time Colonial's lawyer replied, Curtis Candy had sent another letter advising the label to disregard the previous one: Sales had gone up 500 percent in the last month, as kids were eating the candy bars more and adults were sending roses and Baby Ruths to their sweethearts all over the country!

[wreklessabandon]

and then kaddy shack came out and bill murrahy put one in the pool and sales went back down?

[tommyrock69]

This is the first record my dad ever bought. He was a teenage kid in Haines City, FL when it was released.

He still talks about how there was a difference between what southern kids bought then compared to the northerners. They were into doo-wop. Southerners, well they knew Hege.

[peterchoyce]

song is so haunting. when i was a kid i did not even figure he was singing about the candy bar. I thought he was singing about a baby. My baby sister was RUTH and we came from a pretty non commercial house. All these songs had different meanings. Remember "Endless Sleep?" same category. haunting, somebody died kind of thing, Holy...

[wordwarriorabc]

hahahahahaha too much

[rockake]

Eddie Fontaine also had a version on Decca. I have read the Billboard revues (they revued both versions at the same time) and according to Billboard it would be a close run between Hamilton´s original and Fontaine´s cover. As it turned out, Fontaine´s cover didn´t chart at all.I would still be glad if someone would post Eddie Fontaine´s version too.

[daylightlover]

That's a real ali HICHCOCK viEW of the third rock from the sun huh?

[carlaabye]

Thank you, it's still great to hear one of my all time favorites. Aabye of Fargo

[daylightlover]

Flowers and chocolate. Teenage love is hard to live through.

[longfoot]

If George had the Baby Ruth in his 501 Levi "dungarees", it must have been a mess by the time he handed it to his beauty. Messy bar, great song.

[vinylsingleman]

But when we grow up, some day I'll show up, just to prove I was telling the truth.

After 50 years I wonder if he's done that yet. Great record, thanks for posting.

[pyromancertriforce]

I love this song..

[breezygirl123]

Thank you Bobby David, where do you find these great love songs hunna? Uh huh Love your Baby Girl Muriel

[RJBFIRECHIEF1]

Love this one!! I reqest it on AM 1430 KZQZ St Louis.

[tommyrock69]

George Rules!

[Bleedingdethmaggot]

1956 - WoW, what a year for music! The ROCK, the ROLL, and there had to be a ballad in there too. A ROSE AND A BABY RUTH - It did not get any better than this. Thank you George Hamilton IV.

[Bleedingdethmaggot]

Obviousley anyone with a handle of BLEEDINGDETHMAGGOT is not the author of this comment - at least I would suppose. I am his dad and I made the comment. Many years separate us. Love the song.

[latykai]

back in the mid or late 50s making love with this song on the radio. sure brings back memories thanx for the posting

[dreadnought45]

I made an error the B side of A Rose and a Baby Ruth was "If You Don't Know". The lyrics I quoted previously is from other side of "Gonna Find Me A

Bluebird" by Marvin Rainwater.

[dreadnought45]

Bought this record when I was 15 growing up in Toronto. I still have the "78' rpm. It's in the crawl space in my basement. I can't remember what the B side is called but it ends with, "so I bought me a bar in the back of my car and drove myself to drink".

[98oilk]

'Baby Ruth' is a chocolade candy bar in USA?

[oldrod]

I have love it for almost 42 years. I like mos of Laudermilk's songs.

[faronfan]

Was fortunate to meet George back in the 60's at the Taft Hotel Nashville Room in New York City. He told me his appearance on Dick Clark's American Bandstand was a real boost to his career..even thought he was a country singer. Love this song..yhanks!

[LarryLu61]

faronfan:

Dick Clark made George record a special version of the song for play on American Bandstand. In it, "candy bar" was substituted for "Baby Ruth" perhaps to avoid paying royalities or give the brand free advertising. Similarly, he required Llyod Price to furnish American Bandstand with a "less graphic" version of his hit "Stagger Lee."

[faronfan]

Very interesting...I love those old stories!!

George was..is..a fine country gentleman!

[toddwindyhill]

George lived in the Charlotte, NC area for many years and may still......he did a lot of work with Arthur Smith, of Dueling Banjos fame.....he also was HUGE in Europe and sold millions++++ of records there.

A VERY Christian man who almost had a ministerial manner about him...at least in the days he was around Charlotte, starting in the '70's.

[comman97]

I heard the orig. version of staggerlee. be great if some one could locate it and poat it.

[handinside]

DICK clark was known for making singers put out cleaner remakes of their songs. DICK Clark

[Pissugar]

D I C K