BARRY LEVINE: Equal treatment: Songs for dear old dad

Today is Fathers Day, a time when we honor our dad or our dad’s memories.

The special relationship that you have/had with your father is priceless, something you may not fully appreciate until you’re older.

On Mother’s Day, I listed songs with Mother or Mom in the title.

In my desire to treat mothers and fathers equally, here’s a list of some of the songs with father/daddy/papa or a derivative of the word in the title.

Please notice the tremendous differences in the songs ranging from Doris Day and The Mills Brothers to Bruce Springsteen.

“Papa, Won’t You Dance With Me” – This was Doris Day’s first hit single for Columbia Records. It reached No. 21 and charted for 11 weeks in 1947. It stayed around for years on jukeboxes and with polka dance fans who bought it for use at various venues where polka music was used. Recording exclusively for Columbia from 1947 to 1967, she had 18 Top 10 hits, six of which topped the charts.

“Daddy’s Little Girl” – The Mills Brothers’ 1950 No. 5 smash was one of an incredible 32 Top 10 hits by the Ohio quartet during their distinguished career, which spanned four decades. “Daddy’s Little Girl” describes the relationship between a father and his young daughter. The Mills Brothers, who were a major influence on the Doo-Wop music of the 1950s, recorded more than 2,000 songs that sold more than 50 million copies and garnered at least 36 gold records.

“Oh! My Pa-Pa” — The 1953 song was a No. 1 hit for Eddie Fisher, who was one of the most successful pop singers during the first half of the 1950s. He had 23 Top 10 hits from 1950 to 1956, four of which reached No. 1. “Oh! My Pa-Pa” depicts the relationship between Fisher and his father, and it is expressed in the tune’s first two lines: “Oh, my Papa, to me he was so wonderful. Oh, my Papa, to me he was so good.” Fisher, perhaps, is best known for his marriages to Debbie Reynolds, Elizabeth Taylor, Connie Stevens, Terry Richard and Betty Lin.

“Papa Loves Mambo” – Perry Como’s song reached No. 4 in 1954, and it was one of his 43 Top 10 hits from 1943 to 1970. Seven of those hits climbed to No. 1. The former barber enhanced his popularity through his TV variety show, which aired during the 1950s.

“Daddy Cool” – The tune was on the flip side of The Rays’ 1957 No. 3 hit “Silhouettes.” “Daddy Cool” also became a No. 3 hit on the Pop singles chart for the Doo-Wop group. “Silhouettes” and “Daddy Cool” were the New York quartet’s only chart hits.

“Padre” – The French-language song was originally released in 1956 by Gloria Lasso. Paul Francis Webster wrote English lyrics for the tune in 1957. The English version was called “Padre.” Toni Arden released it as a single in 1958, and it peaked at No. 13 on the Hot 100 and sold more than 1 million copies. This was the traditional pop singer’s top-charting single. She acquired her vocal acumen from her father, who was a singer for the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.

“Daddy’s Home – The 1961 hit was made famous by Shep and the Limelites, a New York Doo-Wop group. Three members of the band — James “Shep” Sheppard, Clarence Bassett and Charles Baskerville — wrote the tune that climbed to No. 2. Sheppard previously recorded with The Heartbeats, who had a hit with “A Thousand Miles Away” in 1957. Sheppard left the Heartbeats shortly after the song was released.

“My Dad” – Because of the fame he achieved playing Jeff Stone on “The Donna Reed Show,” from 1958 to 1966, Paul Petersen received multiple recording offers. In 1962, he performed “My Dad” on the show, singing the tune to his on-screen father, actor Carl Betz. Released as a single, it reached No. 6 on the Hot 100 chart. It was his biggest hit. The song explains the special relationship between father and son.

“Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow” – The Rivington’s 1962 novelty hit peaked at No. 35. Together with the group’s 1963 novelty song “The Bird’s the Word,” “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow” was the basis for the song “Surfin’ Bird,” The Trashmen’s 1963 No. 4 hit. The nonsensical lyrics made no imprint.

“Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah” – Allen Sherman’s novelty hit reached No. 2 in 1963. The song lists a plethora of complaints in letters from the boy to his parents about his life and experiences at Camp Grenada. In 1962 his first album, “My Son, the Folk Singer,” became the fastest-selling record album to that point. Sherman had one other Top 40 hit, “The Twelve Gifts of Christmas,” which climbed to No. 5 in 1963.

“Papa Was a Rolling Stone” – One of the Temptations’ biggest – and best – hits, it rose to No. 1 in 1972 and captured three Grammy Awards. It was the group’s last No. 1 hit. In the song, the children questioned their mother about their now-dead father; their increasingly pointed questions, and the mother’s repeated response painted a somber picture for the youngsters who have never seen their father and never have heard anything but bad things about him.

“Daddy Could Swear, I Declare” – A major hit for Gladys Knight & The Pips in 1973, the song was one of 11 Top 20 hits for the Atlanta-based group. The song focuses on a father who was always “cussin’ and fussin’” when he talked to his children.

“My Father’s House” – The song was one of the tracks on Bruce Springsteen’s 1982 album “Nebraska,” which reached No. 3. It never was released as a single. This was the last song Springsteen finished for “Nebraska,” an album that he did without his band because he said he felt adding the band detracted from the feel of the songs. He wrote this tune based on childhood memories of his family, and his distant relationship with his father.

This week in rock history: The Hollies’ “Carrie Ann” was released on June 17, 1967. The British group’s song peaked at No. 9. … Our parents were delighted when Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers In The Night” overtook The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black” as the best-selling single on June 18, 1966. … Ben E. King enjoyed his biggest hit as “Stand By Me” reached No. 4 on June 19, 1961. The same song would re-appear on the Hot 100 in 1986, reaching No. 9, after it was featured as the title track in a film starring River Phoenix. … The three-day Newport ‘69 Festival started on June 20 in Northridge, Calif. More than 150,000 attended the festival to hear Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Ike & Tina Turner, Jethro Tull, The Rascals, Steppenwolf and others. Hendrix received $125,000 for his appearance. At the time, it was the highest fee ever paid to a rock act for a single performance. … Elton John made a surprise appearance at a concert at the Oakland (Calif.) Coliseum on June 21, 1975, featuring The Eagles and The Doobie Brothers. Sir Elton sang with both groups. … Fabian’s biggest hit, “Tiger,” entered the charts on June 22, 1959, where it would peak at No. 3. The Philadelphia singer placed eight songs in the Top 40. … Aretha Franklin recorded “Chain Of Fools” on June 23, 1967. I became the sixth of her 45 Top 40 hits, reaching No. 2.

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