Dion & The Belmonts I Wonder Why 1958

Back in 1958, I was a Sophomore in High School, had my first car and there was a new group that spawned by the name of Dion & The Belmonts and the girls could not get enough of this group or its lead singer, "Dion"! Italian Dress shoes, slacks, jacket and tie was the in thing in men's clothes during that era. Also in vogue was either the slicked back D.A. (I am sure you will figure that one out with a little thought) hair cut or the American Flat Top... I had both at different times of course... At one point I had what was known as a "Chicago", which was slicked back hair on the sides and back, but a short flat top on the top...

At any rate, here is a Classic Rock and Roll song from the year 1958! Dion & the Belmonts singing "I Wonder Why"! I wonder how many of you will remember that song or at least heard it.

This was going to be a mid-morning Music Interlude, but is now an early Noontime Music Interlude... I hope you enjoy another Classic R&R song from the past!

Backgrounder:
"Dion and the Belmonts were a leading American vocal group of the late 1950s. All of its members were from the Bronx, New York City. In 1957, Dion DiMucci (born July 18, 1939) joined the vocal group, The Belmonts. The established trio of Angelo D'Aleo (born February 3, 1940), Carlo Mastrangelo (October 5, 1937 – April 4, 2016), and Fred Milano (August 26, 1939 – January 1, 2012), formed a quartet with DiMucci.

The name the Belmonts was derived from the fact that two of the four singers lived on Belmont Avenue in the Bronx, and the other two lived near Belmont Avenue.

After unsuccessful singles on Mohawk Records in 1957 and then on Jubilee Records ("The Chosen Few" Dion & the Timberlanes not the Belmonts), Dion was paired with The Belmonts. The group signed with Laurie Records in early 1958. The breakthrough came when their very first Laurie release, "I Wonder Why", reached No. 22 on the Billboard Top 100 chart, and they appeared for the first time on the nationally televised American Bandstand show, hosted by Dick Clark.

Dion said of the Belmonts, "I'd give 'em sounds. I'd give 'em parts and stuff. That's what 'I Wonder Why' was about. We kind of invented this percussive rhythmic sound. If you listen to that song, everybody was doing something different. It was totally amazing. When I listen to it today, often times I think, 'Man, those kids are talented'." Dion and the Belmonts were the sound of the city. Their roots were doo-wop groups like the Flamingos, the Five Satins, the Dells, acts who developed their sound in urban settings on street corners, mimicking instruments with their voices, even complex jazz arrangements." Wikipedia

Full Screen, Sound Up and enjoy!