BARRY LEVINE: Patti Page was baby sitter, not baby sister

Oops I — In an Old Rocker column on Nov. 22, I wrote that Patti Page was Mark Dinning’s baby sister. “The Singing Rage, Miss Patti Page” actually was his baby sitter.

Dinning’s sole chart song reached No. 1 on Feb. 8, 1960, with his tragedy tune “Teen Angel.” The song was written by Joan, one of the performing Dinning Sisters.

Three of his siblings formed the Dinning Sisters and they had a Top 10 hit in 1948 with the Oscar-winning “Buttons and Bows.”

Page, meanwhile, was the most successful female recording artist during the 1950s, combining country music styles with her pop songs. During her career, she sold more than 100 million records topped by “Tennessee Waltz” in 1950 that was No. 1 for 13 weeks and eventually sold 15 million copies.

Throughout her career, she had four No. 1 hits. Besides “Tennessee Waltz,” Page topped the charts with “All My Love” in 1950, “I Went to Your Wedding” in 1952 and “Doggie in the Window” in 1953.

She finished her career with 110 chart singles. Besides her four No. 1 hits, Page had several other memorable songs including “Mocking Bird Hill” in 1950, “Let Me Go Lover” in 1954, “Allegheny Moon” in 1956 and “Old Cape Cod” in 1957.

Page died on Jan. 1, 2013, at age 85.

Oops II – Waiting for Sunday’s NFL game between the New York Giants and Washington Redskins, I inadvertently hit the wrong buttons on my DirecTV remote and landed on 802. Hey, that’s what happens with 70-year-old eyes.

Much to my surprise, I landed on a station that plays nothing but “Malt Shop Memories,” pre-Beatles rock ‘n’ roll songs.

No commercials, no weather reports and no minutiae, just good old music.

Here is a list of 14 of the songs I heard listening for one hour on 802.

“Surfin’ Safari,” The Beach Boys; “Sally, Go ‘Round the Roses,” The Jaynetts; “The Night has a Thousand Eyes,” Bobby Vee; “The Boy I’m Gonna Marry,” Darlene Love; “Runaround Sue,” Dion; “It’s All Right.” The Impressions: and “My Boyfriend’s Back,” The Angels.

Also, “One Fine Day,” The Chiffons; “Maybe I Know,” Lesley Gore; “Little Bitty Pretty One,” Thurston Harris & The Sharps; “Bye, Bye Love,” The Everly Brothers; “I Sold My Heart to the Junkman,” The Blue Belles; “Just One Look,” Doris Troy; and “The Gypsy Cried,” Lou Christie.

Great memories and great songs.

If you have DirecTV and you like this type pf music, give 802 a shot. You’ll like it.

Sea Cruise – For those who love the oldies, a great way to enjoy them is to take the Malt Shop Memories Cruise from Oct. 30 to Nov. 6 on the Holland American Line.

The cruise leaves from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Sunday, Oct. 30, and will make stops at St. Croix, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic before returning to Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, Nov. 6.

Among the stars performing on the cruise are Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, Dionne Warwick, Ronnie Spector of the Ronettes, The Lettermen, The Miracles, The Skyliners, The Brooklyn Bridge, Freddy Cannon, The Tokens, Bill Haley Jr. & The Comets and Girls Night out featuring Shirley Alston Reeves of the Shirelles, The Crystals and The Chiffons.

Also featured will be an Elvis Presley Tribute.

The performers usually are accessible throughout the day either at the pool or dining rooms.

Among the special activities are a Sock Hop, Senior Prom, Game Shows and meet and greets with the performers, trivia contests and karaoke.

For additional information about the cruise, call (844) 855-MALT.

This week in rock history — Lorne Greene became the second Canadian solo artist to have a No. 1 hit when his spoken-word recording about a Western gun fighter named Ringo reached the top on Dec. 5, 1964. Paul Anka was the first. … Mercury Records released The Diamonds’ version of “The Stroll” on Dec. 6, 1957. The song peaked at No. 4 and sparked a new dance craze. … “Dominique” by The Singing Nun was the No. 1 record, edging The Kingsmen’s “Louie, Louie” on Dec. 7, 1962. The song sold more than 1.5 million copies and won a Grammy.

“The Chipmunk Song” by David Seville and The Chipmunks entered the Top 40 on Dec. 8, 1958, en route to a four-week stint at No. 1. It sold 4.5 million copies and won three Grammys. … The Tokens’ “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” topped the charts on Dec. 9, 1961. … Brian Wilson’s masterpiece “Good Vibrations” became The Beach Boys’ third No. 1 hit on Dec. 10, 1966. At a cost of $16,000, it was the most expensive single ever produced. … Motown Records achieved their first No. 1 song when The Marvelettes’ “Please Mr. Postman” reached the top on Dec. 11, 1961.

Barry Levine is an entertainment writer for The Albany Herald. He can be reached at [email protected].