Quarter to Three

June–July 1961

The story goes that Gary Anderson changed his last name to "U.S. Bonds" so that radio stations might mistake his records for government bond advertisements. Whether or not that's true, he ended up getting some attention anyhow, and he's fondly remembered today as that guy who sang "Quarter to Three."

You've got to love that early rock and roll sound, and I'm always glad to see this kind of thing turn up on our list – it's a welcome relief from some of the schmaltzier things that were around 50 years ago. Bonds and his group stir up an atmosphere of real, genuine excitement and fun, which is something that I think is harder than it appears. Just because the musicians are having fun doesn't mean that feeling will necessarily make it onto the final product, and believe me, I know. There have been times where I've had a blast in some jam session, but then later been disappointed by the recording. It's easy to assume that since those guys up there on the stage are having a great time, it's only natural that their music is so effective; but it takes more than just exuberance to make a great rock and roll performance. You've got to have talent (obviously), but also a group synergy that takes time to hone. Whatever it is, Bonds & co. have got it in spades.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's my impression that Bonds is remembered as a one-hit wonder; although actually he had 4 other top ten hits from 1960-62. The few that followed "Quarter to Three" are disappointing; the formula is the same but the energy is largely absent. However, the year before "Quarter" he broke into the charts with a track called "New Orleans" which I quite like:

It doesn't have the raucous attitude that made his biggest hit so distinctive, but it's a solid early rock song. Unfortunately, the guy doesn't seem to have enough material to make a "Best of Gary U.S. Bonds" record worth it. He actually ended up breaking back into the mainstream in the early 80s with a few singles, one of which nearly broke the top ten. However, they are quite uninteresting and not worth your time. "Quarter to Three," on the other hand, is a classic, and rightly so. I'm happy to have it.

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