Dino, Desi and Billy

Cafe Society
1

I have read a couple of books on Lucille Ball and they have quotes from Desi Jr saying that before he went on Here’s Lucy he was “already independently wealthy” from his rock group Dino, Desi and Billy.

I follow music and can’t remember ANY song by them. I can even recall such people like Bobby Sherman, Fabian, and other smaller stars.

Did they have hits? If so why has NO ONE I asked ever been able to tell me what they were. And if it was more or less talk how did they make so much money off them. I looked up in my top 10 lists and they never made it into the pop top 10.

2

They didn’t, but they had two Top Forty hits in 1965:

“I’m a Fool,” peaked at 17

“Not the Lovin’ Kind,” peaked at 25

I remember “I’m a Fool” pretty well. It got played a lot in 1965. Even one pop hit could provide a lot of money, especially if they also had the songwriter rights.

I’ll bet he wasn’t set for life from it, though.

3

That was back in the silly-cutesy rock era. Freddy and Dreamers. Hermans Hermits. Gary Lewis and the Playboys. If you remember any of them, that’s the era.

4

I don’t remember I’m a Fool or Not the Lovin Kind, but I do remember This Diamond Ring by D, D, and B.

5

I think I have a compilation album that has Bottle of Wine, by Dino, Desi and Billy on it.

cleops, “This Diamond Ring” was by Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Gary happens to be Jerry Lewis’ son.

6

cleops
“This Diamond Ring” was sung by Gary Lewis and the Playboys.

I remember Dino Desi and Billy having one more “hit” and it was called “If You’re Thinking What I’m Thinking”. You can see and hear them perform this song in Dean Martin’s second Matt Helm film “Murderers’ Row”

7

I have a compilation with their version of The Chimes of Freedom on it.

It’s awesome. Really.