Album: High School U.S.A. (1959)

Charted: 28

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Songfacts®:

• This was written by a Norfolk, Virginia record store owner named Frank Guida.
• The original song mentioned high schools in Virginia. To give the song local appeal, Atlantic Records released at least 28 other versions that were customized to various cities, so a radio station in California could play a version with California schools mentioned in the lyrics, and a station in Florida could play a version with Florida schools. Huey Lewis & the News did something similar with their song "The Heart Of Rock And Roll." Also, "Drive-In Romance," written and recorded by Jimmie R. Vestal, has 65 versions, each mentioning the name of a different Drive-In Theater. >>>

  Suggestion credit:
  Jimmie - Pinellas Park, FL, for above 2

Comments: 2

• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 12, 1959, Tommy Facenda performed "High School U.S.A."* on the ABC-TV musical variety program, the 'Dick Clark Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show'...
  At the time the song was at #54 on Billboard's Top 100 chart, three weeks earlier it had peaked at #28 {for 1 week} and it spent thirteen weeks on the Top 100...
  It was Tommy Facenda's only Top 100 record...
  Tommy Facenda celebrated his 78th birthday last month on November 10th {2017}...
  * And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, in 1959 there were two other Top 100 records with 'U.S.A.' in their titles, "Philadelphia, U.S.A." by the Nu-Tornadoes {#28 on January 5th} and "Back In The U.S.A." by Chuck Berry {peaked at #37 on July 7th}.
• Susan from Portsmouth, VaHow can we hear the version he wrote for the Hampton Roads area Schools....Maury, Granby Newports News, Oscar Smith etc. my Mom had this but I can't find this version anywhere...would love to post it on an alumni page of a local high school. Thanks
  

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