Venus - Ed Marshall

[Keith88]

Here is another song of the 1950s that is well-remembered by those of us who were there and takes us back to a time when we were young.

"Venus" is a 1959 composition by Ed Marshall. It was a big hit for teen idol Frankie Avalon that year. It has a simple 32-bar AABA structure with little harmonic interest. For more about Frankie Avalon, see: http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1964.

Barry Manilow performed this song on his album entitled "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties." Both this and the Avalon performances are available on Youtube and are the basis of my chord chart. The chart has both an introduction and coda based on these performances. I use the Latin - Cuba: Bolero style at 110 bpm

Venus - Edward Marshall

As an aside: When I was in the sixth grade, I bought the sheet music to this tune at the one (and only) Sam Ash store in Brooklyn. Sam's two sons were behind the counter and Sam's widow (who was always very nice to me) was at the cash register. I paid for the music with my "ice cream money" and still have the music (and don't miss the ice cream). Memories of a long time ago…

[Keith88]

As an aside: When I was in the sixth grade, I bought the sheet music to this tune at the one (and only) Sam Ash store in Brooklyn. Sam's two sons were behind the counter and Sam's widow (who was always very nice to me) was at the cash register. I paid for the music with my "ice cream money" and still have the music (and don't miss the ice cream). Memories of a long time ago…

It is a sad thing to note that after 100 years in business, Sam Ash Music has closed down all of its retail stores. Jerry Ash, Sam's last surviving son, died last year, and his son Sammy, who was the COO, died in 2023 as well. I grew up several blocks away from the store and bought music and instruments there and later at other Sam Ash locations. It was a great place to shop and I was treated very nicely there by the Ash family and staff, even though I was only a pre-teen kid at the time. Customer service was excellent. I think I bought my first purchases there in 1957; the first piece of popular sheet much I bought was "Round and Round," the Perry Como hit. I still have the music on my shelf. I must have been in the fourth grade at the time.

Goodbye to a fine business and a fine family.