Bobby Fuller

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

  (Redirected from The Bobby Fuller Four)
Jump to: navigation, search
For other persons named Robert Fuller, see Robert Fuller (disambiguation).
 This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2008)
Bobby Fuller
Birth name Robert Gaston Fuller
Born October 22, 1942(1942-10-22)
Baytown, Texas,
United States
Origin Flag of Texas El Paso, Texas
Died July 18, 1966 (aged 23)
Los Angeles, California,
United States
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, Musician
Instrument(s) Guitar
Label(s) Yucca Records
Mustang Records
Associated acts The Bobby Fuller Four

Bobby Fuller (October 22, 1942 – July 18, 1966) was an American rock singer and guitar player best known for his single "I Fought the Law".

Contents

[edit] Career

Born in Baytown, Texas, Robert Gaston Fuller spent most of his youth in El Paso, Texas, where he idolized Buddy Holly, a fellow Texan (Holly was a native of Lubbock, Texas). He played in clubs, bars, and recorded on independent record labels in Texas, with a constantly-changing line-up, during the early 1960s. The only constant band members were Fuller himself (on vocals and guitar), and his younger brother, Randy Fuller (born on January 29, 1944, Hobbs, New Mexico) on bass. Most of these independent releases (except two songs that were recorded at the studio of Norman Petty in Clovis, New Mexico), and an excursion to Yucca Records also in New Mexico, were recorded in the Fullers' own home-cum-studio, with Fuller acting as the producer. He even built a primitive echo chamber in the backyard. The quality of the recordings, using a couple of microphones and a mixing board purchased from a local radio station, was so impressive that he even offered the use of his 'studio' to local acts for free so he could hone his production skills.

Fuller moved to Los Angeles in 1964 with his band The Bobby Fuller Four and was signed to Mustang Records by producer Bob Keane, noted for discovering Ritchie Valens and producing many surf music groups.[1]

Bobby Fuller on the single cover of "I Fought the Law"
Bobby Fuller on the single cover of "I Fought the Law"

At a time when the British Invasion and folk rock were culturally dominant, Fuller stuck to Buddy Holly's style of classic rock and roll with Tex Mex flourishes. His recordings reveal the influence of Eddie Cochran, the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Little Richard and the Everly Brothers in cover recordings and original compositions, as well as instrumental surf guitar. Less well known was Fuller's ability to emulate the reverb-laden surf guitar sounds of Dick Dale and the Ventures. His first Top 40 hit was "Let Her Dance" written by Bobby Fuller.[2] His second hit "I Fought the Law" hit #4 on Billboard and was written by Sonny Curtis, a former member of Holly's group The Crickets[3], and recorded by the line-up of the Fuller brothers, James Reese on guitar and Dalton Powell on drums. His third Top 40 hit was the Buddy Holly cover song "Love's Made a Fool of You".[4]

[edit] Death

Just after "I Fought The Law" became a top ten hit, Bobby Fuller was found dead in his parked automobile near his Los Angeles home. The police considered the death an apparent suicide, however many people still believe Fuller was murdered. The investigation was botched from the start. The crime scene was not secured and no fingerprints were obtained. A witness also claimed seeing a police officer throw a can of gasoline found at the scene into the trash. Fuller was found with multiple wounds all over his body and covered in gasoline leading many to speculate that the perpetrators fled before they could set the car on fire.[5] Police later changed the cause of death to "Accidental asphyxiation" citing no evidence of foul play.[6]Despite the official cause of death stated by authorities, rumors and speculation still surround Fuller's mysterious death.[7][8]

Fuller is buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.

After his brother's death, Randy Fuller took over lead vocal duties and named the band after himself. As this did not work out at all, the band broke up only within months of Bobby's death. Randy Fuller recorded a couple of solo singles and in spring 1969 joined Dewey Martin's New Buffalo (Springfield), which evolved into Blue Mountain Eagle in July 1969. He appeared on the band's lone LP for Atco Records in early 1970 before briefly joining Dewey Martin and Medicine Ball.

Fuller's recordings have been reissued by Norton Records, Del-Fi Records, Rhino Records and Munster Records.

[edit] Cover versions

The Clash recorded the song "I Fought the Law." The guitarists Joe Strummer (John/Woody Mellor) and Mick Jones found the song and started listening to it while recording in San Francisco, California in 1978.

Social Distortion's singer/songwriter Mike Ness recorded "I Fought the Law" for a solo album.

Stray Cats recorded the song "I fought the Law" in 1986 for their album "Rock Therapy".

Bryan Adams covered the song on his 1988 album "Live live live".

Loquillo recorded the song "I fought the Law", under spanish name "Luche contra la ley", for his album "Arte y ensayo" in 2004.

Green Day recorded their own version of "I Fought the Law" in 2007 as a B-side.

[edit] References in popular culture

  • The 2002 novel The Dead Circus, by John Kaye, includes the murder of Bobby Fuller as a major plot point. At the end of the book, the main character decides that Fuller had been killed by mafia henchmen trying to please Frank Sinatra.
  • The Rock*A*Teens refer to Fuller's alleged murder in the song "Who Killed Bobby Fuller?", on their 1995 self-titled debut. A different song with the same name was previously recorded by Irish rock band Black 47 in 1994.
  • Both Fuller and "I Fought the Law" are referenced on Lou Reed's album Street Hassle
  • Fuller is mentioned in "Lil' Cal's Big Mistake" by The Knack on their album Round Trip:

"...Calvin thinkin' he was Bobby Fuller / Squealing and swinging / Don swore he was singing / A verse or two of 'I Fought The Law'..."

  • Fuller is also referred to in the song "Monster Hospital" by the band Metric.
  • Fuller is also the subject of Black 47's "Who killed Bobby Fuller?"

[edit] Discography

[edit] Original US singles

  • "Guess We'll Fall In Love" / "You're In love" (Yucca 45-140, 1962) 1
  • "My Heart Jumped" / "Gently My Love" (Yucca 45-144, 1962) 2
  • "Nervous Breakdown" / "Not Fade Away" (Eastwood NO8W-0344/0345, 1962) 2
  • "Saturday Night" / "Stringer" (Todd 45-1090, 1963) 2
  • "Wine, Wine, Wine" / "King Of The Beach" (Exeter EXT 122, 1964) 2
  • "I Fought The Law" / "She's My Girl" (Exeter EXT 124, 1964) 2
  • "Fool Of Love" / "Shakedown" (Exeter EXT 126, 1964) 3
  • "Those Memories Of You" / "Our Favorite Martian" (Donna 1403, 1964) 3
  • "Wolfman" / "Thunder Reef" (Mustang 3003, 1964/65) 4
  • "Take My Word" / "She's My Girl" (Mustang 3004, 1965) 5
  • "Never To Be Forgotten" / "You Kissed Me" (Mustang 3011, 1965) 5
  • "Another Sad And Lonely Night" / "Let Her Dance" (Mustang 3012, 1965) 5
  • "Another Sad And Lonely Night" / "Let Her Dance" (Liberty 55812, 1965) 5
  • "I Fought The Law" / "Little Annie Lou" (Mustang 3014, 1965) 5
  • "Love's Made A Fool Of You" / "Don't Ever Let Me Know" (Mustang M 3016, 1966) 5
  • "The Magic Touch" / "My True Love" (Mustang 3018, 1966) 5
  • "It's Love, Come What May" / "It's Love, Come What May" (Mustang 3020 [promo], 1966) 5

[edit] Original US albums

  • KRLA King Of The Wheels (Mustang M-900 [mono] / MS-900 [stereo], 1966) 5
  • I Fought The Law (Mustang M-901 [mono] / MS-901 [stereo], 1966) 5

[edit] Compilations and reissues

  • The Bobby Fuller Memorial Album (LP, President 1003, 1968) 2
  • KRLA/King Of The Wheels (Line LP 5146, 1981) 5
  • I Fought The Law (Line LP 5133, 1981) 5
  • The Bobby Fuller Memorial Album (LP, Strand 6. 24885 AS, 1982) 5
  • The Best Of The Bobby Fuller Four (LP, Rhino 201, 1982) 5
  • Let Them Dance (The Rare Sides) (LP, Line LP 5272, 1983) 5
  • Live On Stage (Line OLLP 5302, 1983) 5
  • Bobby Fuller Tapes, Vol. 1 (LP, Rhino 057, 1983) 2
  • Bobby Fuller Tapes, Vol. 2 (LP, Voxx LP 200.028, 1984) 2
  • Memories Of Buddy Holly (LP, Rockhouse LP 8407, 1984) 2
  • I Fought The Law (LP, Eva 12032) 5
  • The Best Of The Bobby Fuller Four (CD, Rhino 70174, 1990) 5
  • The Bobby Fuller Four (CD, Ace 956, 1990) 5
  • Live At PJ's Plus! (CD, Ace CDCHD 314, 1991) 2
  • The Best Of The Bobby Fuller Four (CD, Ace 388, 1992) 5
  • El Paso Rock Vol. 1 : Early Recordings (CD, Norton 252, 1996) 2
  • El Paso Rock Vol. 2 : More Early Recordings (CD, Norton 260, 1997) 2
  • Shakedown! : The Texas Tapes Revisited (2CD box set, Del-Fi DFBX 2902, 1996) 2
  • Never To Be Forgotten : The Mustang Years (3CD box set, Mustang/Del-Fi DFBX 3903, 1997) 5
  • The Mustang Years (2LP, Munster 184, 2000) 5
  • I Fought The Law And Others (7" EP, Munster Ref. 7141, 2000) 5

1 Released as by Bobby Fuller / Guitarist Jim Reese And The Embers, Vocal. Issued twice with the same catalog number, buth with completely different versions of both tracks.
2 Released as by Bobby Fuller.
3 Released as by Bobby Fuller And The Fanatics.
4 Released as by The Shindigs.
5 Released as by The Bobby Fuller Four

[edit] References

  1. ^ Lehmer, Larry (2004). The Day The Music Died: The Last Tour Of Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Richie Valens. Music Sales Group, 212, 213. ISBN 0-825-67287-2. 
  2. ^ Corcoran, Michael Joseph (2005). All Over the Map: True Heroes of Texas Music. University of Texas Press, 147. ISBN 0-292-70976-5. 
  3. ^ Lehmer, Larry (2004). The Day The Music Died: The Last Tour Of Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Richie Valens. Music Sales Group, 213. ISBN 0-825-67287-2. 
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. Billboard Books, 246. ISBN 0-823-07499-4. 
  5. ^ Patterson, R. Gary (2004). Take a Walk on the Dark Side: Rock and Roll Myths, Legends, and Curses. Simon and Schuster, 30. ISBN 0-743-24423-0. 
  6. ^ Stanton, Scott (2003). The Tombstone Tourist: Musicians. Simon and Schuster, 85. ISBN 0-743-46330-7. 
  7. ^ Lehmer, Larry (2004). The Day The Music Died: The Last Tour Of Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Richie Valens. Music Sales Group, 30. ISBN 0-825-67287-2. 
  8. ^ Queenan, Joe (2008-04-11). "A Folden Age of One-hit Wonders". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-07-26.

[edit] External links


Persondata
NAME Fuller, Bobby
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Fuller, Robert Gaston
SHORT DESCRIPTION Singer-songwriter, Musician
DATE OF BIRTH October 22, 1942
PLACE OF BIRTH Baytown, Texas
DATE OF DEATH July 18, 1966
PLACE OF DEATH Los Angeles, California
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Fuller"
Personal tools