Initially formed in 1955 as "The Juvenairs", their song, "Do the Bop," came to the attention of charismatic celebrity Dick Clark, who suggested that they rename it "At the Hop". The song was not initially a success. Yet, after being played on Clark's Bandstand, it was picked up by ABC-Paramount Records, and it then stayed at the top of the U.S. charts for seven weeks. It went on to sell over two million copies worldwide. The song was followed by the similar sounding "Rock 'n' Roll Is Here To Stay", which also made it into the Top 20 and has been later included in various collaboration albums just like "At the Hop".
In 1960, Danny and the Juniors were signed to Dick Clark's Swan Records label, and they released one more record, "Twistin' USA". It made it into the Top 40 and became their final hit single. They went on to release several more singles, but the group sadly were not able to repeat their earlier successes.
Dave White left the group in the early 60s to concentrate on writing and production. White was very successful in this venture, composing a number of hits, including "You Don't Own Me" for Leslie Gore (also famously covered in new wave style by Klaus Nomi) as well as "1-2-3" and "Like A Baby" for Len Barry. In the late 60s, the Juniors also appeared on Guyden Records, Mercury Records, and Capitol Records, where they re-recorded "Rock 'n' Roll Is Here To Stay" in 1968.
In 1976, "At the Hop" was re-issued, and it made its way into the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart.
Danny Rapp was found dead in a hotel in Arizona on April 5, 1983, of an apparent suicide.
Members
Danny Rapp (born Daniel Earl Rapp, May 9, 1941, Philadelphia – died April 5, 1983) — lead vocalist
Joe Terry (born Joseph Terranova, January 30, 1941, Philadelphia – died April 15, 2019) — lead/baritone vocalist
Dave White (born Dave White Tricker, September 1, 1939, Philadelphia - died March 17, 2019, Las Vegas) — 1st tenor vocalist
Frank Maffei (born December 15, 1939, Philadelphia) — baritone/2nd tenor vocalist
Bobby Maffei — 1st tenor vocalist
Awards and recognition
Danny & the Juniors were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003, and the group was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame on November 22, 2013.
A Thousand Miles Away
Danny & The Juniors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I still have your love to remember you by
Oh my darling, dry your eyes
Daddy's coming home soon
On my knees everyday
All I do is pray, baby just for you
Hope you'll always want me too
It may be on a Sunday morning
It may be on a Tuesday afternoon
But no matter what the day is
I'm going to make it my business to get home soon
You're a thousand miles away
But I still have your love to remember you by
Oh, my darling dry your eyes
Daddy's coming home soon, oh yeah
It may be on a Sunday morning
It may be on a Tuesday afternoon
But no matter what the day is
I'm going to make it my business to get home soon
You're a thousand miles away
But I still have your love to remember you by
Oh, my darling dry your eyes
Daddy's coming home soon
In Danny & The Juniors' hit song "A Thousand Miles Away," the singer expresses his longing for his partner who is physically distant, but he still has their love to remember them by. He reassures his lover that he will return home soon, no matter the day of the week. He spends every day praying for their love to endure and for them to still want each other upon his return. This song is a classic representation of the theme of distance in love that has become commonplace in many love songs across the decades.
The song is an early rock-n-roll ballad. It was released in 1957 and was a big hit in the United States, reaching number five on the charts in August 1957. The song was written by James Myers and William Davis, produced by John Madara, and performed by Danny & The Juniors, a Philadelphia-based doo-wop group. The song's opening guitar riff is one of the most recognizable and iconic in rock history.
Line by Line Meaning
You're a thousand miles away
Even though you are physically far away from me, I still hold onto the memory of our love.
But I still have your love to remember you by
I treasure our love, even though we are separated by distance, and I hold onto it as a reminder that we will be reunited.
Oh my darling, dry your eyes
I know you miss me and are sad, but I want to comfort you and let you know that I will return soon.
Daddy's coming home soon
I am resolved to come back soon and be with you once again.
On my knees everyday
I constantly pray and wish for our togetherness while longing for your company.
All I do is pray, baby just for you
I am always praying that our love remains strong despite this physical distance, and that you will wait for me.
Hope you'll always want me too
I hold onto the hope that you will always love me and want to be with me, even though I have to be away.
It may be on a Sunday morning
The time of my return is uncertain, but I know that it will happen soon.
It may be on a Tuesday afternoon
No matter what day of the week it is, I will make sure to come back to you as soon as I can.
But no matter what the day is
The specific day of my return doesn't matter as much as the fact that I will come back to you.
I'm going to make it my business to get home soon
I am determined to do whatever it takes and make whatever sacrifices necessary to come back to you as soon as possible.
Contributed by Grayson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.