Del Shannon scored a massive hit with 1961’s ‘Runaway.’ The catchy song reached number one in the U.S., U.K., New Zealand, and Canada and featured Shannon’s unique falsetto vocals.
We see Del playing his electric guitar while singing as the music begins. He wears a suit and moves up and down as he strums the guitar.
His hair is slicked back with one piece hanging on his face. He smiles as the camera keeps a close-up shot of the performance. Halfway through, there is an instrumental solo from an organ-like instrument.
The unidentifiable instrument is a creation of Max Crook called the ‘Musitron.’ The song became a massive hit, leading to Del Shannon becoming a rock and roll superstar through the 60s.
Charles Weedon Westover was the actual name of the song’s singer, better known as Del Shannon. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. Shannon scored another hit with ‘Hats Off to Larry,’ which hit number five on the charts.
Del Shannon sings the lyrics of lost love, “I’m a-walkin’ in the rain. Tears are fallin’, and I feel the pain. Wishin’ you were here by me to end this misery, and I wonder.”
The 1960s were filled with memorable songs, and Del Shannon’s ‘Runaway’ ranks among the best. Anytime the song is heard, it immediately transforms you back to a great decade of music.
