"The Wanderer" is a song written by Ernie Maresca and originally recorded by Dion; it reached #2 on the Billboard Charts in 1962. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... A song is a relatively short musical composition. ... Dion DiMucci (born Dion Francis DiMucci, 18 July 1939), better known as Dion, is an American singer-songwriter, now widely recognized as one of the top singers of his era, blending the best elements of doo-wop, pop, and R&B styles. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Ernie Maresca (b August 21 1938, The Bronx, New York City), is an American songwriter, singer, and record company executive, best known for writing or co-writing some of Dions biggest hits. ... // A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... Ernie Maresca (b August 21 1938, The Bronx, New York City), is an American songwriter, singer, and record company executive, best known for writing or co-writing some of Dions biggest hits. ... Dion DiMucci (born Dion Francis DiMucci, 18 July 1939), better known as Dion, is an American singer-songwriter, now widely recognized as one of the top singers of his era, blending the best elements of doo-wop, pop, and R&B styles. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Maresca had co-written Dion's previous # 1 hit, "Runaround Sue", but originally intended "The Wanderer" to be recorded by another group, Nino and the Ebbtides. They passed on it in favour of another Maresca song, so Dion was given it as the B-side of his follow-up single, "The Majestic", a song which his record company had chosen for him. The record was turned over by radio DJs who preferred "The Wanderer", which duly entered the charts in December 1961 and rose to # 2 in early 1962. It also reached # 10 in the UK, and # 1 in Australia. Runaround Sue is a song famed mainly by Dion and the Belmonts, but also by Leif Garrett and The Alley Cats. ...

The song was recorded with an uncredited background vocal group, the Del-Satins, in a rockier style than Dion's earlier hits with the Belmonts. The Del-Satins were an established doowop group led by Stan Ziska (later known as Stan Sommers), who at the time were also contracted to Laurie Records, and who later formed the core of Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge. The Del-Satins were an American vocal group in the 1960s who recorded on their own but are best remembered for their harmonies on hit records for Dion and others. ... The Belmonts are a doo wop group that originated in the 1950s. ... Laurie Records was started in 1958 by the brothers Bob and Gene Schwartz together with Elliott Greenberg and Allan I. Sussel. ... Left-Right: Freddie Ferrara, Johnny Maestro, Les Cauchi Background: Lou Agiesta Johnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge is an American musical group, best known for their rendition of Jimmy Webb’s The Worst That Could Happen (1968). ...

Dion said of "The Wanderer" :- "At its roots, it's more than meets the eye. "The Wanderer" is black music filtered through an Italian neighborhood that comes out with an attitude. It's my perception of a lot of songs like "I'm A Man" by Bo Diddley or "Hoochie Coochie Man" by Muddy Waters. But you know, "The Wanderer" is really a sad song. A lot of guys don't understand that. Bruce Springsteen was the only guy who accurately expressed what that song was about. It's "I roam from town to town and go through life without a care, I'm as happy as a clown with my two fists of iron, but I'm going nowhere." In the fifties, you didn't get that dark. It sounds like a lot of fun but it's about going nowhere." [1] Bo Diddleys emphasis on rhythm largely influenced popular music, especially that of rock and roll in the 1960s. ... McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1915 – April 30, 1983), better known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician and is generally considered the Father of Chicago blues. He is also the actual father of blues musician Big Bill Morganfield. ... Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an influential American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. ...

However, on Maresca's original demo of the song, the lyrics were "with my two fists of iron and my bottle of beer", and the change to "with my two fists of iron but I'm going nowhere" in fact seems to have been at the record company's insistence. [2]

"The Wanderer" has been covered by many other popular singers and bands, including Dee Snider, Gary Glitter, The Beach Boys, Leif Garrett, Status Quo, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Rabbitt, Delbert McClinton, Ted Chippington, Dave Edmunds, The Alley Cats, and punk pioneers The Heimlich Experiment. Dee Snider (on right) David Daniel Dee Snider (born March 15, 1955) is an American musician, radio personality, and actor. ... Paul Francis Gadd aka Gary Glitter (born May 8, 1944) is an English rock and pop singer and songwriter who had a string of chart successes with a collection of 1970s glam rock hits including Rock and Roll parts 1 & 2, I Love You Love Me Love, Im the... First formed in 1961, The Beach Boys are an American rock and roll band that gained popularity for their close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a California youth culture of surfing, girls and cars. ... Leif Per Nervik (born November 8, 1961) better known by his stage name of Leif Garrett is an American singer and actor. ... Status Quo are an English rock band whose music is characterised by a strong boogie line. ... Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an influential American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. ... Eddie Rabbitt (born November 27, 1941 - May 7, 1998) was a country music singer. ... Delbert McClinton is a blues musician born 4 November 1940, in Lubbock, Texas. ... Ted Chippington was a British stand-up comedian in the 1980s. ... Dave Edmunds (born April 15, 1944) is a singer, guitarist and producer from Cardiff, Wales. ... The Alley Cats, sometimes known as Americas Premiere A Cappella Doo-Wop Group, are a traveling doo-wop group singing in a cappella, and have performed for many shows, both small and large, ranging from elementary school fun nights to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and the White...

Restless Heart is a country pop band originally formed as a studio band to record demos. ... Hot Country Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. ... Eddie Rabbitt (born November 27, 1941 - May 7, 1998) was a country music singer. ... is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... See also: 1987 in country music, 1988 in music, other events of 1988, 1989 in country music, 1980s in music and the List of years in Country Music // Time-Life Records releases the first volume of its Country USA series. ... Texas singer/songwriter, considered as a part of both the Alt Country and the mainstream Country music camps. ...

External link

• Chords and lyrics