On another blogsite down the internet block, a friendly debate was going on as to which "He's A Rebel" was a better song...the FIRST one out by Vikki Carr, or the 2nd one out of the gate that was THE HIT, by the Crystals.
Our own site "advisor" Bill Earl chimes in with his two cents on those two competing versions. 
Bill Earl said... The Vikki Carr version was superior....in MY book.
By the way, I'm a townhomeowner in ROSEMEAD...the city that Vikki Carr grew up in, her former home just blocks from the window I'm looking out of.
One more thing as to WHY the Vikki Carr song was superior.
Listen to the lyrics.
And look at an old pic of Vikki Carr from her first Liberty LP, flip hairstyle, etc.
Vikki Carr's image then was that of a "good" "pure" Mexican-American Catholic girl that looked like she didn't "put out", BUT she LOVED her "REBEL," and she was risking her reputation by hanging w/ him.
The Crystals sounded to me very "streetwise" and, to my ears, not as BELIEVABLE as "good girls" even though they just might well have been in real life.
Remember didn't The Crystals also record a song "Let's Do The Screw"?
NO WAY, would the "virginal imaged" Vikki Carr have gotten away with THAT type of song back then.
But the Crystals COULD and DID, after hearing their portion of the song "Let's Do The Screw."
The image of Vikki Carr made the whole concept of the record "He's A Rebel" more believable.
Listen to the lyrics.
And look at an old pic of Vikki Carr from her first Liberty LP, flip hairstyle, etc.
Vikki Carr's image then was that of a "good" "pure" Mexican-American Catholic girl that looked like she didn't "put out", BUT she LOVED her "REBEL," and she was risking her reputation by hanging w/ him.
The Crystals sounded to me very "streetwise" and, to my ears, not as BELIEVABLE as "good girls" even though they just might well have been in real life.
Remember didn't The Crystals also record a song "Let's Do The Screw"?
NO WAY, would the "virginal imaged" Vikki Carr have gotten away with THAT type of song back then.
But the Crystals COULD and DID, after hearing their portion of the song "Let's Do The Screw."
The image of Vikki Carr made the whole concept of the record "He's A Rebel" more believable.
