The Changing Times - Mary Lou (1965)

(Young Jessie - 'Sam Ling' [Saul Bihari] [attrib. to Ronnie Hawkins - Jacqueline Magill])
Australia
#7 Melbourne

One of two charting singles on RCA by popular Melbourne live band formed in 1965.

The band went through some line-up changes, but the original members were Allan James aka Walker (bass), Allan Elliot (drums), Barry Gallagher (guitar) and Willy Fehres (lead guitar).

In 1967 Gary Young and Wayne Duncan, later of Daddy Cool, joined the The Changing Times. The band broke up when keyboardist Jenny Johnston and vocalist Alex Opitz (aka Kadell) left for The Dream (later The New Dream).

Not to be confused with US group The Changin' Times: see How Is The Air Up There.

References: Spencer et al, Who's Who in Australian Rock; Ian McFarlane, Encyclopedia of Australian Rock & Pop.
Thanks to Will Ferhes of The Changing Times and to Mike Robbins.

Sonny Burgess - Mary Lou (1965)

(Young Jessie - 'Sam Ling' [Saul Bihari] [attrib. to Ronnie Hawkins - Jacqueline Magill])
USA

Single on Arkansas label Razorback. See label shot at Rocking’ Country Style, which also lists versions by The Twiliters (1964) and Bobby & The Temps (1963).

Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks - Mary Lou (1959)

(Young Jessie - 'Sam Ling' [Saul Bihari] [attrib. to Ronnie Hawkins - Jacqueline Magill])
USA
Influential version
#26 USA

Single on Roulette by early rock’n’roller born in Arkansas. From the late 50s he started to work regularly in Canada, and Toronto became his home base.

The Hawks, formed in 1958, parted with Hawkins in 1963. They eventually re-emerged as The Band and found fame as Bob Dylan’s band and in their own right.

The writer credits on this version were to Ronnie Hawkins with Jacqueline Magill who was (according to the Band website) the girlfriend of Roulette founder Morris Levy. Mary Lou was in fact written by Young Jessie and ‘Sam Ling’ (see below).

References: Bruce Eder’s All Music Guide bio, reprinted at the Band website; Phil Hardy et al, Encyclopedia of Rock Vol. 2; US Copyright Office.
Further reading: RonnieHawkins.com (including the Ronnie Hawkins Discography and Sessionography); label shot at Rockin’ Country Style, where you can also hear an audio clip at its Ronnie Hawkins page.

Buddy Knox - Mary Lou (1957)

(Young Jessie - 'Sam Ling' [Saul Bihari])
USA

On 1957 album Buddy Knox on Roulette label.

Young Jessie - Mary Lou (1955)

(Young Jessie - 'Sam Ling' [Saul Bihari])
USA
Original version

Single on Modern label by Los Angeles R&B and jazz singer Obediah Jessie (b. 1936), whose long career began in The Flairs. He joined The Coasters for a time in 1957, and has continued to record and perform as Obie Jessie.

‘Sam Ling’ was one of several pseudonyms used by brothers Jules, Joe, Lester and Saul Bihari, founders of Modern Records and other labels. Saul Bihari is sometimes credited for Mary Lou under his own name. See also Cherry Pie.

References: All Music Guide biography by Bill Dahl; Wikipedia entry for Young Jessie; Marv Goldberg’s R&B notebooks (Sam Ling & the Biharis).
Further reading: Dik de Heer’s article on Jules Bihari and his brothers at BlackCatRockabillyEurope.
Thanks to Terry Stacey for IDing this original.

The Steve Miller Band - Mary Lou (1973)

(Young Jessie - 'Sam Ling' [Saul Bihari])
USA
Later version

On 1973 album The Joker.

Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - Mary Lou (1976)

(Young Jessie - 'Sam Ling' [Saul Bihari])
USA
Later version

On 1976 album Night Moves.

Frank Zappa - The Man from Utopia Meets Mary Lou (1983)

(Donald & Doris Woods; Young Jessie - 'Sam Ling' [Saul Bihari])
USA
Later version

On 1983 album The Man From Utopia.

The track is a medley of The Man From Utopia, a 1955 song by Donald Woods & The Vel-Aires, with Young Jessie’s Mary Lou.

Further reading: Album review at All Music Guide; album details and lyrics at www.Zappa.hu.

Ted Daigle - Mary Lou (1959)

(Ted Daigle)
Canada
Red herring

Same title but not the same song as ‘Mary Lou’ by The Changing Times.

Single on Rodeo (Canada). See Rockin’ Country Style for details, including audio clip and label shot.

Ricky Nelson - Hello Mary Lou (1961)

(Gene Pitney)
USA
Red herring
#9 USA #2 UK #2 Sydney #1 Melbourne #2 Brisbane #2 Adelaide #15 Perth

Similar title but not the same song as ‘Mary Lou’ by The Changing Times.

Hit version of a song composed by pop star Gene Pitney. For absolute original version, though, Ricky was pipped at the post by Country singer Johnny Duncan: see the song history at The Originals.