Search for ‘just right’ song ended with ‘Scarlet Ribbons’
This week in 1959: TV quiz show scandals prompted an FTC drive to bar mis representative ads; Triton, the largest nuclear sub yet—was commissioned by The U.S. Navy; AntiAmerican riots broke up over U.S. control of The Canal Zone; and a brother- sister trio from Sparkman, Ark., had their 10th hit record. According to several recording artists, the worst thing about having a hit record is finding the right song to follow that hit record. That seemed to be the case of The Browns, as they searched for that just right song to follow up their smash hit single, “The Three Bells.”
Jim Ed, Maxine and Bonnie Brown spent several days with producer Chet Atkins listening to both old and new songs but still could not find that song.
They decided to go down to Printer’s Alley in Nashville for dinner one night and Archie Campbell just happened to be on stage and he sang a song titled “Scarlett Ribbons.” And The Browns knew they had found their follow-up to “The Three Bells.” The following day, Sept. 24, 1959, Campbell was in the RCA Victor Studio, teaching “Scarlett Ribbons” to the trio.
RCA Victor released “Scarlett Ribbons” in November and the single entered the country music charts Nov. 9, 1959 and peaked at No. 7. It was on the country charts for 16 weeks.
The single also scored a No. 13 on the pop music charts.
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