Guest post by Nathan Arizona
It must have been weird being the son of Jerry Lewis. Did the comedian make funny faces and flop onto the floors around the house the way he did on stages with partner Dean Martin? His son, Gary, knew from early on he did not want to follow that path. He started playing drums as a kid and went on to have the No. 1 song in the country in 1965
The catchy “This Diamond Ring” made Gary Lewis and the Playboys a star act. It was the right song at the right time, fitting nicely into the clean-cut Beatles/Merseybeat pop-rock sound that American bands were keen to emulate.
Lewis didn’t seek help from his famous dad when he broke into business. In fact, it was only “Gary” and the Playboys when the band landed its first important gig playing concerts at Disneyland.
But he did have help from important figures in the music business. Producer Snuff Garrett saw a Disney performance and signed Lewis to his record label, which already included pop star Bobby Vee. He brought Lewis “This Diamond Ring,” co-written by Al Kooper, who went on to become a major figure as a writer and performer. Kooper had a band like the Drifters in mind, but he took the $300 payment.
Garrett surrounded Lewis with some of the best studio musicians in the business, who eventually became known as the Wrecking Crew. A pre-beard Leon Russell, later inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame, produced and played piano. Hal Blaine was on percussion, Tommy Tedesco guitar. None of this was unusual for the star-making machinery of the mid-‘60s.
Gary Lewis and the Playboys got a spot on the Ed Sullivan show in 1965, where he sang “This Diamond Ring” to a soundtrack. The appearance helped drive the song to the top of the charts. The band followed up with more hits, and Lewis got out from behind the drums, picked up a guitar and moved to the front. But the momentum slowed after Lewis went into the army in 1969.
Martin and Lewis the comedians were still names to be reckoned with in the mid-’60s, and there was a both a Martin and a Lewis on the mid-‘60s music scene. Dino Martin, son of Dean, was in a band called Dino, Desi and Billy with Desi Arnaz Jr., son of Desi Arrnaz and Lucille Ball. They were joined by, uh, just plain Billy (Hinsche). Dino, Desi and Billy, all younger than Gary Lewis, had less success than he did.
Here’s “I’m a Fool,” their highest charting song at No. 17. They would have benefited from a Wrecking Crew, although Billy did go on to play in the Beach Boys’ backing band. But it’s an interesting 1960s artifact, also presented by Ed Sullivan, who boosted many young bands at the time.
Kooper, who is most famous either for founding Blood, Sweat & Tears or playing organ on Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone,” didn’t care for Lewis’ hit record, though it would remain the highest-charting song of his long career. He recorded his own horn-backed version for his 1976 album “Act Like Nothing’s Wrong.” It’s what BS&T might have sounded like if Kooper hadn’t departed after their first LP.
