Blue Boy

Album: Not Released On an Album (1960)

Songfacts®:

  • The first ever love song penned by Hammond was a story of true love, inspired by a girl he saw in Gibraltar when he was 16. He explained on his website: "A big ocean liner docked in Gibraltar (that's where I'm from) filled with school children of all ages from Scotland that were touring the Mediterranean. I had a skiffle group then called The Diamond Boys and we were asked to play on board for the students. That's where I noticed a girl with blue eyes and ginger hair that stood out from the rest, she sat in the front row and smiled at me all through the performance. Later we walked around the ship for a few hours holding hands, I kissed her goodbye and the ship sailed away, I was never to see her again, the sadness I felt that moment brought tears to my eyes so I went home strummed my guitar and wrote my first love song called 'Blue Boy,' for this girl named Ann Andrews."

    Ann was eventually tracked down and they met for the first time since their teenage brief encounter on the BBC 1 program The One Show on March 27, 2013.
  • Hammond's Skiffle group, The Diamond Boys, had no real commercial success, but they performed at the first nightclubs in Madrid to stage modern bands alongside Spanish rock and roll pioneers such as Miguel Ríos. In doing so The Diamond Boys played a part in Spain's introduction to pop and rock music.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Colbie Caillat

Colbie CaillatSongwriter Interviews

Since emerging from MySpace with her hit "Bubbly," Colbie has become a top songwriter, even crafting a hit with Taylor Swift.

Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles

Timothy B. Schmit of the EaglesSongwriter Interviews

Did this Eagle come up with the term "Parrothead"? And what is it like playing "Hotel California" for the gazillionth time?

Emilio Castillo from Tower of Power

Emilio Castillo from Tower of PowerSongwriter Interviews

Emilio talks about what it's like to write and perform with the Tower of Power horns, and why every struggling band should have a friend like Huey Lewis.

Trucking Songs That Were #1 Hits

Trucking Songs That Were #1 HitsSong Writing

The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.

"Private Eyes" - The Story Behind the Song

"Private Eyes" - The Story Behind the SongSong Writing

How a goofy detective movie, a disenchanted director and an unlikely songwriter led to one of the biggest hits in pop history.

Name the Character in the Song

Name the Character in the SongMusic Quiz

With a few clues (Works at a diner, dreams of running away), can you name the character in the song?