They were hired on the spot, audiences at Disneyland quickly accepting them and loving their good-time image, and the Playboys were soon playing to a full house every night. Band leader Les Brown had known Jerry Lewis for years, and he told record producer Snuff Garrett that the younger Lewis was playing at Disneyland. After listening to the band, Garrett liked their sound and thought using Gary's famous name might sell tons of records. Garrett took them into a recording studio with the song "This Diamond Ring" in a session financed by Jerry Lewis' wife Patti. However, according to Lewis, the Playboys weren’t allowed to play their instruments except on the backing tracks.
Garrett wanted to maximize the chances for a hit, so he insisted on using experienced studio musicians for the overdubs, which included guitar and keyboard solos, additional bass and drum overdubs, and timpani. These musicians included Tommy Allsup on guitar, Leon Russell on keyboards, Joe Osborn on bass, and Hal Blaine on drums. Session singer Ron Hicklin did the basic vocal track. Garrett then added Gary’s voice twice, added some of the Playboys and more of Hicklin. "When I got through, he sounded like Mario Lanza," Garrett commented.
Regarding the musicians who performed on "This Diamond Ring" and other tracks by the band, Gary Lewis told Songfacts, "The Playboys played on every track we ever did, the Wrecking Crew did solos and overdubs. I sang every song myself and had a backup singer that sang only harmonies with me. My producer Snuff Garrett can back up everything I've told you, and so can Leon Russell, who was the arranger of everything I did."
Garrett got airplay in New York City for "This Diamond Ring" by making a deal with WINS disc jockey Murray the K Kaufman, who ran a series of all-star concerts at theaters around the New York area, promising that if he played Lewis’ record, the Playboys would do his shows. Garrett then had Jerry Lewis use his contacts to get his son onto 'The Ed Sullivan Show', which often 'made' an artist. However, Sullivan had a general policy that all acts appearing on his show were to perform live (although one of his frequent guests, The Dave Clark Five, had lip-synched from their second appearance on, in early 1964). Since so many studio tricks had been used on the record, the Playboys could not re-create its sound. In compromise, Lewis sang along with pre-recorded tracks as the Playboys pretended to play their instruments. The January 1965 broadcast made Gary Lewis and the Playboys instant stars.
"This Diamond Ring" went all the way to #1, and pressing plants reportedly could not keep up with initial demand for the record. Successful touring and persistent airplay has made the tune a part of 60s music history, appearing in many multi-artist collections. However, only West and Lewis remained in the band by the end of 1965. Other members later included Tommy Tripplehorn (father of actress Jeanne Tripplehorn), Carl Radle, Jimmy Karstein, Dave Gonzalez, and "Myke".
In 1965, Gary Lewis was deemed 'Cash Box' magazine's "Male Vocalist of the Year," winning against nominees Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. As a testament to his group's success, his was also the only 60s artist to have its seven single releases reach Billboard magazine's Top 10 on the Hot 100 chart (with "Count Me In" (#2), "Save Your Heart for Me" (#2), "Everybody Loves a Clown" (#4), "She's Just My Style" (#3), "Sure Gonna Miss Her" (#9), and "Green Grass" (#8) all hitting the upper reaches of the chart). Lewis was drafted into the U.S. Army in January 1967 and discharged in 1968. He immediately returned to recording but was unable to regain his group's earlier momentum. Lewis continued touring, eventually marketing the band as a nostalgia act.
In total, Gary Lewis and his band has had eight gold singles, 17 top 40 hits, and four gold albums. In addition to playing on 'The Ed Sullivan Show', he appeared on 'American Bandstand', 'Shindig!', 'Hullabaloo', 'The Sally Jessy Raphaël Show', 'The Tonight Show', 'The Mike Douglas Show', 'Nashville Now', and Wolfman Jack's famous program. Gary Lewis has also appeared and performed on many of his father's Labor Day telethons for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Forget him
Gary Lewis & The Playboys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Forget him if he doesn’t love you, forget him if he doesn’t ca-a-a-a-are
Don’t let him tell you that he wants you
‘cause he can’t give you love which isn’t there
Little girl, he’s never dreaming of you
He’ll break your heart, ya wait and see
So don’t you cry now, just tell him goodbye now
(Forget him if he doesn’t love you, forget him if he doesn’t care)
Don’t let him tell ya that he wants you
‘cause he can’t give you love which isn’t there
Oh little girl, he’s never dreaming of you
He’ll break your heart, ya wait and see-e-e
So don’t you cry now, just tell him goodbye now
Forget him and please come home to me
No don’t you cry now better tell him goodbye now
Forget him—and--please—come—home--to------meeeee
The lyrics to Gary Lewis & The Playboys's song "Forget Him" are about a girl being warned by a concerned friend not to get too attached to a man who doesn't really love her. The song tells her not to believe his empty promises and not to waste her time waiting for something that will never come. It's all about recognizing when a relationship is not worth pursuing and moving on to find someone who will truly love and care for her. The lyrics are straightforward and simple, but they carry an important message about self-respect and the value of not settling for anything less than true love.
The verses of the song highlight the warning aspects, pointing out that the man in question is not dreaming about the girl and certainly not interested in long-term love. The chorus, on the other hand, encourages the girl to forget him if he doesn't love or care about her, and to come back home to someone who truly loves her. The overall message of this song is clear - don't let someone break your heart when they're not worth it. It is better to move on than to waste time, energy and emotions on a relationship that will never work.
Line by Line Meaning
Forget him if he doesn’t love you, forget him if he doesn’t ca-a-a-a-are
If he doesn't show any love or care towards you, it's better to forget him and move on.
Don’t let him tell you that he wants you
‘cause he can’t give you love which isn’t there
Even if he says he wants you, if he doesn't have the capability to love you, it's not worth it.
Little girl, he’s never dreaming of you
He’ll break your heart, ya wait and see
He doesn't even dream of you, so it's guaranteed that he will eventually break your heart.
So don’t you cry now, just tell him goodbye now
Forget him and please come home to me
Don't waste your tears on someone who doesn't deserve it, say goodbye to him and come back to me.
No don’t you cry now better tell him goodbye now
Forget him—and--please—come—home--to------meeeee
No need to cry, just say goodbye, forget him and come back home to me.
Contributed by Carter E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@teresitarebleza5001
ILOVE this song i likr all the lyric of the song forget him its amazing
@novy199
Excellent cover. Love Garry Lewis songs.
@johna.1825
Very nicely done---I enjoy it as much as the Bobby Rydell and Billy Fury versions.
@user-hm9gs2im7e
Wow so nice this is my first time I listen to this song by this band
@bernardcrowley1816
Great song, interesting version-never knew they did it..well done
@catalinahernandezdominguez209
ESTE GRAN GRUPO ES DE LO MAS VERSÁTIL QUE PUDO EN EL MUNDO DE LA MÚSICA POP DE AQUELLOS TIEMPOS HA BIEN EXISTIR.
@pamelacharbonneau3115
This is a nice version.
@michaelfernando523
Background vocals by Ron Hicklin, circa 1965.LP track from ''This Diamond Ring'' on Liberty records.
@1953childstar
"The Wrecking Crew" provided the instrumentals and Ron Hicklin provided the overdubbing for Gary lewis singing as well….. ( His voice was strident and nasal, could not carry a tune )...
@john26262
I pretty much love any version of this song.