FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 4, 2004

DEAR JERRY: Hearing Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show singing about being on “The Cover of the Rolling Stone” makes me wonder if they ever made it on the cover of that magazine. Do you know?
—Kitty Taylor, Lexington, Ky.

DEAR KITTY: For a March 1973 issue, just when “The Cover of the Rolling Stone” hit its peak chart slot (No. 6), the magazine gave in to the obvious pressure, and put their smiling faces on the cover of the Rolling Stone.

How could they not, after all the free advertising supplied by the good Doctor?

DEAR JERRY: I read your explanation about how, due to a label misprint by Fraternity Records, Bobby Bare's recording of “The All American Boy” actually came out credited to a completely different singer named Bill Parsons.

Is there any other example of this sort of blunder happening with a hit record?
—Annie Verser, Southern, Conn.

DEAR ANNIE: The first example that comes to mind is the 1962 hit, “I Sold My Heart to the Junkman.”

This Top 15 tune is credited on the labels to Patti Labelle's group, the Blue-Belles, and is, even now, widely identified as such on radio stations worldwide.

The young ladies whose voices you hear on “I Sold My Heart to the Junkman” are the Starlets, not a one of which had any connection to the Blue-Belles.

The Starlets also made the Top 40 as themselves, with “Better Tell Him No,” a summer '61 hit.

As for the inappropriately credited Blue-Belles, they did enjoy a long and successful career backing Patti Labelle.

For the record, Bill Parsons is a completely different singer under contract with Fraternity at the time Bobby Bare recorded “The All American Boy.” The labels may say Bill Parsons but the singer is really Bobby Bare.

DEAR JERRY: I enjoyed the recently published American Bandstand trivia, which brought back a bunch of good memories of rushing home after school so as not to miss that show.

I would like to add one additional piece of Bandstand trivia, if you don't mind.

Laura Branigan was indeed the last recording artist to perform on AB, and the song she sang was “Shattered Glass.” However, the very last tune “played” was “La Bamba,” by Los Lobos.

This, and their follow-up, “C'mon Let's Go,” are both from the 1987 film about Ritchie Valens, titled “La Bamba.”
—Sharon M. Pearlson, York, Pa.

DEAR SHARON: We welcome the additional Bandstand trivia tidbit. It is nice to document the difference between the song performed and the one played.

Another follower of the show is Michael G. Williams, of Tampa, Fla., and he also wrote to point out the same thing about “La Bamba.”

We never mind interesting and fascinating contributions. Thanks to you both!

Now here's one more slice of Bandstand-related history:

DEAR JERRY: Just read the reference to Dick Clark at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City in today's paper.

I don't remember the shows you mentioned, but I do know that, for many summers in the mid to late '60s, a pair of Philadelphia dee jays hosting a daily dance show from the Pier — the Grady & Hurst Show, carried by WPVI-TV, the Philly ABC affiliate.

Grady & Hurst also attracted many of Bandstand's regular dancers.

Thought this info might be of interest to others in the area who remember those good times.
—Jim dePamphilis, Winter Haven, Fla.

DEAR JIM: Had you not have written, who knows how long it would have taken for us west coast folks to learn about Joe Grady and Ed Hurst. Thanks for sharing!

IZ ZAT SO? After Fraternity's label snafu on “The All American Boy,” Bobby Bare went on to have 70 hits for which he is properly credited.

The real Bill Parsons, meanwhile, had one Fraternity single, “Educated Rock and Roll” (1959), then two on Starday: “Hot Rod Volkswagen” (1960) and “A-Waitin'” (1961).