Ritchie Valens (album) explained

Ritchie Valens
Type:	Studio
Artist:	Ritchie Valens
Cover:	Ritchie Valens 1959.jpg
Released:	January 12, 1959
Recorded:	1958
Studio:	Gold Star (Los Angeles, California)
Genre:	Rock and roll
Label:	Del-Fi Records DFLP-1201
Producer:	Robert Keane
Next Title:	Ritchie
Next Year:	1959

Ritchie Valens is the debut album by American musician Ritchie Valens, released by Del-Fi Records on January 12, 1959.^[1] It is his only studio album entirely composed of master tracks recorded at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles. The album peaked at #23 on the US Billboard album chart.

The LP yielded four U.S. chart singles: "Come On, Let's Go" (#42), "Donna" (#2), "La Bamba" (#22), and "That's My Little Suzie" (#55).

The original pressings are black and sea green with circles around the outer edge. The print font for the track listings on these labels is the same font used on the back of the album cover. Later pressings feature black labels with gold and sea green diamonds around the outer edge. The album has been reissued over the years, featuring different album covers.

Track listing

All songs written by Ritchie Valens, except where indicated.

Side 1

"That's My Little Suzie" (Valens, Robert Kuhn) – 1:52

Original album covers show the title as "I Got A Gal Named Sue", corrected on later pressings

"In a Turkish Town" – 2:16
"Come On, Let's Go" – 2:00
"Donna" – 2:28
"Boney-Moronie" (Larry Williams) – 2:46
"Ooh, My Head" – 1:48

Side 2

"La Bamba" (Traditional; adapted by Ritchie Valens) – 2:06
"Bluebirds Over the Mountain" (Ersel Hickey) – 1:45
"Hi-Tone" (Al Hazan) – 2:06
"Framed" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) – 2:13
"We Belong Together" (Robert Carr, Johnny Mitchell, Hy Weiss) – 1:57
"Dooby-Dooby-Wah" (Valens, Kuhn) – 1:53

Charts

Album

Notes and References

Web site: Biography of Ritchie Valens . 31 December 2023 . www.dedicatedwriters.com . "All three singles were collected on the album Ritchie Valens, which was released February 12, 1959, slightly more than one week after Valens's death".