The Dimensions — “Mary Lou”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — September 16, 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,720) The Dimensions — “Mary Lou”

Here’s a cool garage version of the ’55 R&B blazer co-written and recorded by Young Jessie. Bill Dahl writes that “its unusual minor-key arrangement must have appealed to rockabilly wildman Ronnie Hawkins who hit the pop lists [#26, #7 R&B] with it in 1959 for Roulette” and “a remade [’63 version] found Jessie collaborating with a trio of Phil Spector associates: Jack Nitzsche arranged, and Lester Sill and Steve Douglas co-produced.”(https://www.allmusic.com/artist/young-jessie-mn0000687322#biography) The song has been covered by everyone from Steve Miller to Bob Seger.

As to the Dimensions’ sole LP — ’66’s From All Dimensions — which included “Mary Lou”, Patrick Lundborg writes:

[It is a] somewhat legendary Chicago area frat-garage LP . . . . A solid uptempo party mood reigns, with an attactive cover selection that mixes frat-rock, ’50s r & b and British beat, with a notable Rolling Stones fixation. The band plays with snappy enthusiasm, and unlike many period albums there are no dull ballads or misplaced Broadway tunes. . . . [It is a]n unusually consistent and well-played moptop era club band LP.

The Acid Archives: The Second Edition

As to Young Jessie, Bill Dahl tells us:

The Los Angeles R&B vocal group scene of the 1950s was a fairly incestuous one — members flitted from one aggregation to the next . . . . Young Jessie was a member of the Flairs, Hunters, and Coasters, as well as scoring a solo West Coast hit with his 1955 rocker “Mary Lou.” Obediah Jessie was a Los Angeles high-school classmate of Richard “Louie Louie” Berry. The two put together the Flairs and debuted on the . . . Flair label in 1953 with “She Wants to Rock.” The Flairs recorded steadily for the firm, but solo status awaited Jessie, who cut a cover of Big Mama Thornton’s . . . “I Smell a Rat” . . . in 1954. “Mary Lou,” arranged by saxist Maxwell Davis, emerged the next year . . . . Platters manager Buck Ram took over Jessie’s career in time to pen his torrid 1956 rocker “Hit, Git & Split” under the sobriquet of Lynn Paul. . . . Jessie reverted to his vocal-group roots in 1957, joining the Coasters to sing harmonies on their smashes “Searchin'” and “Young Blood” for Atco. The same firm issued a solo Jessie 45, “Shuffle in the Gravel,” before moving him to Atlantic for “Margie.” Later singles for Capitol and Mercury did little to rekindle Jessie’s career . . . .

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/young-jessie-mn0000687322#biography

Here is Young Jessie (’55):

Here is Ronnie Hawkins (’59):

Here is Young Jessie (’63):

Here are the Blue Things (’64):

Here are the Twiliters (’65):

Here are the Astronauts (’65):

Here is the Steve Miller Band (’73):

Here is Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band (’76):

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