Gates, Grills & Railings

1969 studio album by Bobby Vee

Studio album by

Bobby Vee

Released

March 1969

Genre

Pop

Length

37:49

Label

Liberty

Producer

Dallas Smith

Bobby Vee chronology

Do What You Gotta Do
(1968)

Gates, Grills & Railings
(1969)

Nothin' Like a Sunny Day
(1972)

Singles from Gates, Grills & Railings

"(I'm Into Lookin' For) Someone to Love Me"/"Thank You"
Released: November 1968

Gates, Grills & Railings is the nineteenth studio album by American singer Bobby Vee, released in March 1969 by Liberty Records. His final album for the label, it features one single, "(I'm Into Lookin' For) Someone to Love Me". Dallas Smith arranged and produced the album.

It features originals and covers such as "One", "Younger Generation", and "I Just Can't Help Believing".^[1] It also includes songs by John Sebastian, Harry Nilsson, David Gates, and Mark Marvin, along with a number of self-penned songs.^[2]

Vee also covers Cliff Richard's album track "London's Not Too Far"; Marvin was the lead guitarist of Richard's backing band the Shadows.^[1]

Singles

"(I'm Into Lookin' For) Someone to Love Me" made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on December 28, 1968, eventually spending one week at number 98 during its 3-week stay;^[3] number 92 on the Cashbox singles chart;^[4] and number 84 in Canada.^[5] This marked Vee's last album to featured a charting single.

Reception

Billboard selected the album for a "Pop Special Merit" review, and stated that "an attractive foldout cover should help make it a commercial success."^[6]

Cashbox called it "a change of pace album", and stated that Vee "finds the usually teen-oriented songster performing in a slightly heavier vein."^[7]

The Honolulu Advertiser felt that he "felt probes the richly sensuous songs of the times from a lonely.^[8]

The Missoulian stated it that "has nothing to do with railroads. It used to be that singing groups copped crazy names but albums decided to move in on the action."^[9]

Track listing

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"She Doesn't Live Here Anymore"	Toni Wine, Carole Bayer	2:36
2.	"The Passing of a Friend"	David Gates	2:50
3.	"One"	Harry Nilsson	4:34
4.	"(I'm Into Lookin' For) Someone to Love Me"	Toni Wine, Carole Bayer	2:45
5.	"London's Not Too Far"	Hank B. Marvin	2:27
6.	"Younger Generation"	John Sebastian	3:40

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"I Just Can't Help Believing"	Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil	2:55
2.	"Jenny Came to Me"	Don Dunn, Tony Macaulay	3:26
3.	"Lavender Kite"	Graeme Krosberg, Raul Abeyta	2:46
4.	"The Beauty And The Sweet Talk"	Bob Stone	3:28
5.	"Santa Cruz"	Robert Taylor, Stan Spindler	3:15
6.	"Annie Joined The Band"	Robert Thomas Velline	3:07

Charts

Singles^[10]^[5]

Year	Single	Chart	Peak
1968	"(I'm Into Lookin' For) Someone to Love Me"	US Billboard Hot 100	98
		US Cash Box	92
		Canada Top Singles (RPM)	84

References

^ ^a ^b Reynolds, Robert (2016-04-19). The Music of Bobby Vee. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-1-365-05412-9.
^ Dunbavan, Peter (2017-02-28). An Avid's Guide to Sixties Songwriters. AuthorHouse. ISBN 978-1-5246-3345-5.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles: 1955-2002. Menomonee Falls, Wis.: Record Research. p. 742. ISBN 0898-2-0155-1.
^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, December 28, 1968".
^ ^a ^b "Top Singles - Volume 10, No. 21 January 20, 1969". Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013.
^ "Billboard Spotlight Pick: Gates, Grills And Railings" (PDF). Billboard. March 22, 1969. p. 62.
^ Cash Box. Cash Box Pub. Co. 1969-03-22. p. 46.
^ "The Honolulu Advertiser from Honolulu, Hawaii". Newspapers.com. 1969-03-07. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
^ "The Missoulian from Missoula, Montana". Newspapers.com. 1969-03-06. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
^ Bobby Vee Charting Singles. Retrieved April 22, 2023.