“Red Rubber Ball” Keeps Bouncin’ Along

In April 1966, the world was kind of heavy. Time magazine published its famous cover story, “Is God Dead?” Troop levels in Vietnam hit 250,000. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the last episode of The Flintstones aired on TV.

It was a grim month, thus perfectly positioned for a bouncy, harmonic hit called “Red Rubber Ball.” It took some of the sting out.

The song was performed by a Pennsylvania former frat-rock band, The Rhondells, who benefited from an assist from a few towering figures in music. Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein appreciated their harmonies and took them on as an act (with John Lennon giving them the distinct spelling of their new name, The Cyrkle).

And after hitting #1 in January with his own song (“The Sound of Silence”), Paul Simon co-wrote the track.  Talk about some guaranteed alchemy.

The Cyrkle were “discovered” by Epstein as they played a gig in Atlantic City in 1965. By 1966, they were opening for The Beatles on numerous dates, including their final live show that year in San Francisco.

“Red Rubber Ball” was a blend of sunny harmony with just enough sharp cynicism in the lyrics to reflect the times we were living through. It was an apt counterpoint to the increasing psychedelic sound and reached #2 on the Billboard chart.  “There is a specific kind of magic in ‘Red Rubber Ball’ that doesn’t age,” says founding member Don Dannemann. “It captures the fleeting moment in 1966 when the world seemed to shift from black and white to Technicolor.”

After the death of Epstein in 1968, The Cyrkle disbanded. Guitarists Don Dannemann and Tom Dawes used their melodic talent to become professional jingle writers for major brands like Continental Airlines, 7Up, and Swanson Foods. One of their most popular? The iconic “plop plop fizz fizz” spot for Alka-Seltzer.

While the band had another hit in ’66 with “Turn Down Day”, “Red Rubber Ball” would remain their signature song.

It’s celebrating its 60^th anniversary this month, and the group (reformed in 2016) is out on tour with a new album, Revival, that includes 21st-century versions of their hits, plus new music.

Dannemann notes, “To see how meaningful the song is to so many people, for so many unique reasons, even after 60 years, brings me an immediate sense of pride and joy.”

-Cindy Grogan

Photo: members of The Cyrkle in concert, 1966 (courtesy of the band)