Hats Off To Larry

Album: Little Town Flirt (1961)
Charted: 6 5
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  • Once I had a pretty girl
    Her name it doesn't matter
    She went away with another guy
    Now he won't even look at her

    Hats off to Larry, he broke your heart
    Just like you broke mine
    When you said we must part
    He told you lies
    Now it's your turn to cry, cry, cry
    Now that Larry said goodbye to you

    I know this may sound strange
    I want you back, I think you'll change
    But there's one more thing I gotta say

    Hats off to Larry, it may sound cruel
    But you laughed at me
    When you said we were through
    You told me lies
    Now it's your turn to cry, cry, cry
    Now that Larry said goodbye to you

    Hats off to Larry, it may sound cruel
    But you laughed at me
    When you said we were through
    You told me lies
    Now it's your turn to cry, cry, cry
    Now that Larry said goodbye to you
    To you, to you Writer/s: Del Shannon
    Publisher: BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 1

  • Sam Williams from Sherman Oaks.This is one of those songs where we will probably never know if this a true story Del is singing or if he made it up. Now based off of the conviction of his performance in this song, it sounds like he’s not making it up. But who exactly “Larry” is and if he was a real person and if he is singing about a real girl in this song that actually was his ex, we probably will never know that because we can’t ask Del about it because he’s been dead for about 30 years now. His estate might have that info though (or his Surviving kids if he had any). As far as where it was recorded, I suspect either Bell Sound or Mira Sound in New York. Both Eddie Smith and Bill McMeekin are credited engineers on the album this song is on. They both worked out of Bell and Mira in the early 60’s. I would think that that is still Max Crook playing the Musitron Organ on this song, and Bill Ramall on Bari Sax. This was the direct follow up to Runaway, so I don’t think there was a major change up with the session musicians from the first hit to the follow up hit.I don’t think the personnel on Del’s hits dramatically change till he switched labels in 1964 and went over to Amy. When he started to use more Detroit Musicians on his songs like Bob Babbit on bass & Dennis Coffey on guitar who went to New York to record with him.
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