I’m 37, grew up in Alberta, and didn’t recognize the title. As soon as I heard the the ‘circus music’ introduction, however, I realized I knew the song, including some of the lyrics.
I have no idea how I know it, but I did grow up listening to lots of oldies (in 1987, I was probably the only 15 year old whose favourite song was Teen Angel) so I assume it was on some compilation album. It’s a very catchy song, and I’m surprised I don’t recall the Ramones’ version.
I’m 38. I know the song, but mostly from an oldies tape that my mom had back when I was a kid. I can’t really remember ever hearing it in rotation on the oldies station in my hometown.
Thanks for the earworm.
I remember the song from the radio when it was a hit. I’ve heard it at least a couple of times a year ever since then. Not obscure at all.
48, east of the Mississippi and I don’t know it.
I know the song by name and by melody, although I couldn’t name the artist. I’m 33 and grew up in the 99+% of Illinois that’s east of the Mississippi.
Steve Van Zandt played it on Little Steven’s Underground Garage, which was the first time I’d heard it. That show plays a good deal of cheerful 60s pop music in addition to garage band rock, presumably because the latter was influenced by the former.
Heresy! Burn him!
Born in 1944. Heard it when it came out. Can probably name Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon songs you never heard of. And sing them.
Born in 1977. It sounds vaguely familiar.
Boy, that name brings back memories! I remember ‘Palisades Park’, being that I’m (mumble mumble) years old. He also sang ‘Where The Action Is", which was the theme song to an American Bandstand type of music show I used to watch after school. (This was in the mid 1960’s and I remember Paul Revere and the Raiders, Sonny and Cher, The Zombies, Aretha Franklin, Ike and Tina Turner, and zillions more American and English bands were guests. Hard to believe, but back in caveman days, other than your transistor radio and the occasional TV show like WTAI, that was the ONLY exposure a young person had to rock n’ roll.) Good times!
I first heard it on an oldies station circa 1997. Born 1961.
Forgot to mention: I grew up west of the Mississippi, and have never been in a part of North America east of the river. (I have been in the UK, so I can’t say I’ve never been east of the Mississippi.)
I’m 55. Listened to pop radio:
1964-1965 - Cleveland
1964-present - Chicago
1954-Present - Recognized in 1964 that “oldies” are often being defined by others
Freddie “Boom-Boom” cannon did not enter my binocs until the Oldies Revival in the early 70s. Doesn’t mean he was ignored around here, but it’s a pretty good indicator.
24: Haven’t heard it before, but that’s not surprising. I’m a radio listener, not a collector, and the stations around here don’t go that far back.
I must admit, I liked the Ramones version better. While I like 60s music, I don’t like how they mixed the instrumentation. It always sounds too tinny and compressed. (At least the good stations try to warm it up a bit. The equipment is better today and the music needs to be mixed better.)
Just to further establish my geezerness (58 years old), I remember when DC Comics ran ads for Palisades Park, featuring Superman endorsing the Tilt-A-Whirl or some such ride.
To a 9 year old in Atlanta, New Jersey seemed a million miles away, but when the song played on the radio a couple of years later, I knew that was Superman’s amusement park!
I am 37 and I know it, but then both my parents grew up withing walking distance to the Palisade Amusment park, and My fathers first job as a teenager was working for Cousin Brucey (Bruce Marrow, a famous oldies DJ) at the bandshell at the park, so I might be a littel biased
I’m showing my age but I was at Palisades Park when The Four Seasons first performed it. Anyone who knows anything about Doo Wop will know this song. In it’s time it was a big hit.
I’ pretty sure he park closed the next year.
Same here. (I’m 36 and have lived most of my life in PA.) I think my knowledge of it predates Freedom Rock and goes back to one of those K-Tel compilations.
Well, I’m perfectly familiar with it, and so are my friends.
But I grew up in the Greater New York Metropolitan Area. And I’ve actually been to Palisades Park when it was still operating, several times.
Which makes it even more 
that,
and not on any of the “Top ##” NY area AM stations.
Since my Dad’s formative years were spent in Fort Lee (NJ), I know the song well, I’ve heard it too many times (it’s one year older than me).
It didn’t get the kind of airplay I’d have expected on either WABC AM in the 70’s or WCBS FM (both of which were Cousin Brucie’s home stations) and I’d bet it was because Freddy Cannon’s other hits got all his singles put in the novelty record pile.
CMC fnord!
1954, suburban LA. Heard it many times in the early to mid sixties. I remember it mainly because my brother won a 45 single of it from a radio station call-in contest in 1962.