Billboard #1 Hits: #122: “Ringo”- Lorne Greene- December 5, 1964- #1 for 1 week.
- Single: “Ringo”- Lorne Greene
- Record Company- RCA Victor
- Genre: Country Pop
- Written by Don Robertson and Hal Blair
- Time: 3:14
- B-side: “Bonanza”
- Album- Welcome To The Ponderosa
- Grade: B
- Peaked at #1 1 week on the Billboard Hot 100. #1 on the easy listening singles chart for 6 weeks.
Lorne Greene was a Canadian born actor- most famous for his role as Ben Cartwright in the long running western television show Bonanza 1959-73 and as Commander Adams in Battlestar Galactica. He was 49 years old when he became a one-hit wonder with “Ringo” a spoken word ballad. The Ringo the song is about is Johnny Ringo a real life old west outlaw- not Ringo Starr. I can’t help but wonder how much of a factor the song being called Ringo- in 1964- with Ringo Starr and The Beatles being in the news had on the song being a hit.? Guess who played drums on the song? No not Ringo but Hal Blaine of The Wrecking Crew who in his career played on 150 Top 10 hits- also on the song is guitarist Tommy Tedesco also of The Wrecking Crew. Lorne Greene died in 1987 at the age of 72.
slicethelife 
1964 was an odd year for music, as the past battled it out with the future. Songs like “Dominique”, “Hello Dolly”, “Everybody Loves Somebody” and “Ringo” alternating for the top spot with songs by The Beatles and Animals.
a transition year- i like how there was that mix all through the 60’s on the charts- room for about everyone.
Yeah, I loved how in just one hour you might hear songs from The Beatles, Dionne Warwick, The Stones, Simon & Garfunkel, Marvin Gaye, The Beach Boys, Glen Campbell, Aretha Franklin and Petula Clark. Unlike today, where most radio stations are focused on only one genre.