Comments: 31

• Glen Schmidt from West MichiganBrandon from Seattle has it wrong with Down in the Boondocks. The song is not rich boy-poor girl. It's poor guy-rich girl, just like Uptown Girl.
  
  Something to think about. Back in the 50s and 60s, the early years of rock-and-roll, people still generally believed that women belonged in the kitchen instead of the workplace. Since women were expected to have their husbands provide for them instead of providing for themselves, class would be a pretty big factor in who they married or dated.
• Harry from Pennsylvania For context: minimum wage in 1964 was $1.25, so even a five would have been a full morning’s pay. No wonder the little lady was shocked.
• Jennifur Sun from RamonaBabette-loved the way their drums were miked and echoy as well. the drummer on this song was the late Buddy Saltzman, who I discovered (passed away 2016) was like Hal Blaine of the Wrecking Crew, a very in demand session drummer. also have read in the story behind the song that it was $20.00 he gave away and not $10.00 but the story really is a sad one in a way. often wondered if the little girl grew up ok and knew that song was about her.
• Babbling Babette from Tulsa OkIt's amazing to hear this #1 hit on satellite Oldies stations even now. I still love it. And The Four Seasons. I've still got the original 45 rpm single I bought in '64 & the album. Strangely, they are different from the recording I hear on some radio stations now. On my records, the "break" has that astounding drum-break in the middle & the echo they used ends in an echoing crash I have always loved. The drum-break on the radio versions I hear do not have the great echo-effect with the drums. On those versions without much of an echo, it sounds weak. Maybe it's the much later CD versions that do not catch that great echoing drum sound? Such a great song and moving lyrics to "Rag Doll." For 1964, it was a welcomed break from some of the sillier songs of the year. During the British Invasion, the Four Seasons still had hits while other U.S. acts couldn't get hits or even dropped out of the music industry.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 14th 1964, "Rag Doll" by the Four Seasons entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #53; four weeks later on July 12th it would peak at #1* {for 2 weeks} and it stayed on the chart for 12 weeks...
  And on July 13th it reached #1 {for 4 weeks} on the Canadian RPM Singles chart; it replaced "Memphis" by Johnny Rivers at #1...
  On September 20th it peaked at #2 {for 2 weeks} on the United Kingdom's Singles chart; the 2 weeks it was at #2, the #1 record for both those weeks was "I'm Into Something Good" by Herman's Hermits...
  * The first week "Rag Doll" was at #1 it prevented Johnny Rivers' "Memphis" from reaching #1, it peaked at #2 {for 2 weeks}, the other week it was at #2 "I Get Around" by the Beach Boys was in the top spot.
• Rick from PhiladelphiaLast line of this song, "I love you just the way you are", influenced Billy Joel and his song, "Just The Way You Are", in which the line appears repeatedly.
• Elmer H from Westville, OkAnother great #1 hit for The Four Seasons from '64. Quite a feat, considering that the British Invasion was going on for a while. I bought "Rag Doll" the single in '64. I also have it on two other hits compilation LPs from the Eighties. The original 45 rpm single has substantial "echo" especially on the drum that make it sound awesome. One of the compilation versions of "Rag Doll" do not have the "echo" and it makes the song sound flat. I think the producer was going for somewhat of a Phil Spector Sound. Anyway, the drums sound similar to The Ronettes' "Be My Baby" which charted high the year before ('63). On "Rag Doll" there's a drum break in the middle that sounds fantastic with the "echo" that chills the soul. Some of these oldies radio stations seem to play the version without the "echo" nowadays. Too bad. The "echo" version is so much better. Spector had it right when he added "echo" on most of his big hits with The Crystals, The Ronettes, Righteous Brothers, etc. Another Four Seasons hit that utilizes "echo" to the max is their "Tell It To The Rain." And "Ronnie" is another example! Great Four Seasons hits.
• Al from Somerset, KyA Faux Pas? I must amend, fine tune, if you will, my previous post. The moniker of groups of the Four Seasons ilk was spelled either "Doo Wap" or "Doo Wop". Both are pronounced as the latter most readily suggests. Also, I should have stated that the groups sprang from the northeast, typically of Italian heritage from New Jersey and New York. (My apologies to the folks of New Jersey.)
• Al from Somerset, KyI have to chime in on a few of the comments. The Four Seasons weren't a bubblegum group. Frankie and the boys were considered to be a solid group. They were part of the "Doo Wap" era. These groups were typically made of guys of Italian heritage from New York City. The Archies, The Royal Guardsmen, The Partridge Family, Tommy Roe, Ohio Express, The Monkees, and The 1910 Fruitgum Company are examples of "bubblegum" music. Tommy James was often (unfairly in my opinion) lumped into the category as well.
• Rick from Mesa, AzAfter listening to this emotionally charged song for nearly 50 years, I have the opportunity next weekend to take an 8 year old little "Rag Doll" girl (from a broken home with a very poor single mom) to a Lorrie Morgan / Pam Tillis concert. This will be my payback to the original "Rag Doll" who inspired the lyrics to Bob Gaudio's greatest song of all time. I'm looking forward to this opportunity!
• Brandon from Seattle, WaThere are other songs with the rich boy-poor girl theme, such as "Down on the boondocks" and "Poor side of town." Interestingly, Billy Joel cited this song to influence "Uptown Girl", which has a reversed storyline, poor guy-rich girl.
• Scott from Nyc, NyMary - That is a wonderful story and without a doubt, this is The Seasons finest compositon - your tale has truly made my day!, Thanx
• Seanlyoung from San Elizario, TxIf you listen closely to the song at the 2:13-2:14 mark, you'll hear the tambourine in the background. While recording the song, the tambourine was set down on a chair as it wasn't needed before the clapping. Apparently whoever set it down didn't set it on the chair right and it fell off.
• Mary from Niagara Falls, Ny Many years ago, while waiting anxiously for my cat, Nova, to have her her first litter of kittens (she was slightly overdue), I had a dream about a young kitten that was either dead or dying - a very sad dream, throughout which the song "Rag Doll" could be heard as a lament. On the very next night, Nova gave birth to five kittens...the fifth of which was born dead. When I sadly picked it up, I thought to myself, "This is my Rag Doll". Then suddenly I decided that I wasn't going to let it go that easily! I covered its muzzle with my mouth and began to blow in tiny puffs of air, then grabbed a dry washcloth and began to rub the kitten aggressively, saying, "Come on! You can do it! Breathe! Breathe!" Sure enough - after about a minute, I felt it squirm, then it squealed! I kissed it and said, "I KNEW you could do it! Welcome to the world!" While Nova dried her other kittens, I turned my little Rag Doll over to Nova's mother, Marsha, and sister, Vesta, who instinctively took over the stimulating massage with their tongues, both washing the kitten at the same time! When he - for it turned out to be a male kitten - was dry, I returned him to his mother, and all was well. Rag Doll grew up to be a very fine golden brown whorled tabby (just like his tiny mother) with the most beautiful, vivid yellow eyes. I will always love you, Rag Doll, and all the rest of your family!
• Alvin from Brooklyn, NyI saw this song 'introduced', at a WMCA "Good-Guys" show, at the Brooklyn Paramount.
  I was under the impression that it was the first single to ever hit the charts at #1.
• Chomper from Franjkin County, PaThis song was not only popular with generations of teens in the 60s and 70s , but also with kids . I used to listen to this song all the time on oldies stations and even copy it on tape off the radio . It is one of the best songs Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons had done during the "Bubblegum Era" of the 60s .
• Mike from Louisville, KyI heard this song on the oldies station on the way to work today. I caught something I had never noticed before. After the girl is ridiculed and made for of by everyone else, the singer,in contrast, ends by singing..."I love you just the way you are". Now THAT is sweet!
• Alan from Greene, RiFor a great cover of this song check out Steeleye Span, No small feat to take on a 4 Seasons song.
  In the version I heard, Bob Gaudio said the look on the girl's face in the rear view mirror-- of astonishment and gratefulness -- haunted him for two weeks, until he wrote 'Rag Doll.'
• Steve Dotstar from Los Angeles, CaThe radio stations played the bejeebers out of this tune at the time .... : )
• Fred from Laurel, MdIt also makes an interesting comparison with the 4 Seasons' own song "Dawn," from the same year, in which the tables are turned, and the (male) singer is the poverty-stricken one. He loves her to the point that he wants better for her than he himself can give her. These two songs are among my topmost all-time favorites, I don't care how 'bubble-gummy' they are! P.S. Don't forget that the McCoys' "Hang On Sloopy" (1965) was actually a remake of "My Girl Sloopy" by The Vibrations in 1964.
  
  
• Michael Edwards from Kingston, OtherAreosmith had a song with a similar title, in the late 80s (from the Permanent Vacation album, I believe)
• Bernd from Niederkrüchten, Germany...one of my alltime-greatest songs. Even great in Germany. There was a german version, sung by Leo Leandros, the father of Vicky Leandros.
• Andrew from Birmingham, United StatesThis has nearly the same story line as the McCoys' "Hang On, Sloopy". They're both about a girl that a guy likes who lives in a poor area. The protagonist loves her even though she's an outcast; everyone else despises her. We need to follow this example. I'm not saying we have to chase romance in the lower class; I'm just saying we need to accept others for who they are, not push them away for being outcast.
• Musicmama from New York, NyThis song is number seven on my all-time list. The lyrics are simple but beautiful and haunting, as is the melody. It's a story of someone who's a misfit and misunderstood, and someone trying to gain the acceptance for her that she cannot find herself. Nice work. Still makes me cry.
• Pete from Ny, NyOne of the all-time greats.
• Mary C. from Chicago, IlThis song is good, yet so very sad. I nearly cried the first time I heard it.
• John N Bois from Lynbrook, NyThis song was one of best written songs of that era. Bob Gaudio wrote this song about the young girl who lived on 51st Street between 8th & 9th avenues of Hells Kitchen. I grew up on 50th street between 9th & 10th avenue and I watched her wash the windows for many years. When the song hit the charts I bought 5 copies of that single and wore 4 of them out.
• Mike from Berkeley, Cathis song sounds like part of a whole body of work around that time influenced by Phil Spector and the Ronettes "Be My Baby". The Beach Boys also had "Please Let Me Wonder" and "Don't Worry Baby" which sounded very much like this.
• Tony from Carteret, Njall 4 Seasons songs were great and Frankie Vallie had a very good voice
• Sharon from Yonkers, NySimple song, yet beautiful....
• Brandon from Seattle, WaThe intro sounds similar to the Ronettes' "Be My Baby", but can easily be compared to the Beach Boys' "Don't Worry Baby."

see more comments