The Four Preps was a popular … Read Full Bio ↴From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia
The Four Preps was a popular music quartet most popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
The group originally consisted of Bruce Belland (born 22 October 1936, Chicago, Illinois), Ed Cobb, Marv Ingram, (originally named "Marvin Inabnett") and Glen Larson (born 1937), who later become one of the most prolific creators and producers in the history of American television.
They had a minor chart hit that year with "Dreamy Eyes" and between 1956 and 1964 reached the top 100 charts with 13 different songs. The following year they appeared with Lindsay Crosby on the top-rated television special, The Edsel Show.
Their biggest hit was "26 Miles (Santa Catalina)," which was written by Belland and Larson and reached #2.
For a short period, Don Clarke replaced Marv Ingram while Marv finished college at UCLA, but he rejoined the group in 1960.
In 1960 they also recorded a parody single, "More Money for You and Me," which included single parody verses of several popular songs by The Fleetwoods, The Hollywood Argyles, The Platters, The Four Freshmen, The Kingston Trio and Dion and the Belmonts. The title parody, sung to the tune of "Tom Dooley," went like this:
Hang down the Kingston Trio,
Hang 'em from a tall oak tree;
Eliminate the Kingston Trio;
More money for you and me.
In 1966, David Somerville, formerly of The Diamonds, joined the group replacing Cobb. Belland and Somerville continued occasionally to perform as a duo after the breakup.
Belland continued writing songs for other singers, as well as writing television show scripts, eventually becoming a network executive. Cobb became a record producer and sound engineer. Larson became one of the most influential television producers in history, creating Battlestar Galactica and Knight Rider.
In the 1980s, Belland, Cobb, Somerville, and Jim Pike (formerly of The Lettermen) eventually formed a new "Four Preps" group, and went on to perform. J
Yester, Belland, and Somerville continued performing as a trio, using their last names, doing songs that were associated with The Four Preps, The Diamonds, and The Association.
Belland's daughters, Tracey Bryn Belland and Melissa Brooke Belland, followed in their father's footsteps as singers, forming a group named Voice of the Beehive
Cinderella
The Four Preps Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm so in love with her
I'm the lucky guy that she calls her fella
And she always will I'm sure
We can dance all night at the record hop
Dance all night up til 12 o' clock
We can spend the night a-jumpin'
If I didn't get her home on time
I'd lose my love sublime
And maybe this head of mine
I'm her own Prince Charming
And her beauty's so alarming
When I pick her up at eight
Cinderella's so fine and she's always mine
For a regular weekend date
She's a real queen when she climbs aboard
Her royal coach: my hopped-up Ford
Then away we fly
Cinderella and I
To her favorite drive-in show
And at twelve it's home we go
But we drive home very slow
Listen to the radio
In the book it says
That the clock struck twelve
And the magic of her beauty was gone
Well the girls compare
But it stops right there
Cause my Cinderella's magic goes on
I may have to lose her at 12 o' clock
But my Cinderella's beauty doesn't ever stop
If you want to see
She's the one with me
She's the doll that makes my life complete
She's so pretty and soft and sweet
How could anyone be so neat
Mmhmm mmmm mmm
The Four Preps's song "Cinderella" tells the story of a young man who is head over heels in love with his girlfriend, who he affectionately calls Cinderella. He is her Prince Charming, and they spend their weekends dancing at the record hop, going to drive-in movies, and having fun together. He is determined not to let the clock strike midnight, as he fears he will lose his love if he doesn't get her home on time. However, he reassures himself that even if he does lose her at midnight, her magic will still continue, and she will always be his perfect doll.
The song's lyrics are a modern-day twist on the classic fairy tale of Cinderella, with the singer taking on the role of Prince Charming, and Cinderella as his girlfriend. The song represents the innocent fun and romance of teenage love during the 1950s and 60s. The lyrics speak to the idea that even though the clock may strike twelve and the magic may be gone, true love will never disappear.
Line by Line Meaning
Gotta cute little girl and I call her Cinderella
I have a lovely girlfriend whom I affectionately call Cinderella
I'm so in love with her
I am deeply in love with her
I'm the lucky guy that she calls her fella
I am fortunate to be the one she calls her significant other
And she always will I'm sure
I believe that she will always be with me
We can dance all night at the record hop
We can enjoy ourselves by dancing all night long at the dance event
Dance all night up til 12 o' clock
We can dance without worrying about time until midnight
We can spend the night a-jumpin'
We can have a great time by hopping and dancing the night away
But my head would be a pumpkin
However, if I didn't take her home on time, I would regret it and risk losing her love
If I didn't get her home on time
If I failed to get her home on time
I'd lose my love sublime
I would lose my amazing love
And maybe this head of mine
And perhaps I would lose my mind too
I'm her own Prince Charming
I am the guy who is like her very own Prince Charming
And her beauty's so alarming
Her beauty is so striking and impressive
When I pick her up at eight
When I go to pick her up at 8 o'clock
Cinderella's so fine and she's always mine
Cinderella is really amazing, and she is always mine
For a regular weekend date
For a typical weekend outing together
She's a real queen when she climbs aboard
She's a true queen when she gets into my car
Her royal coach: my hopped-up Ford
My improved Ford car is her royal carriage
Then away we fly
Then we speed away
Cinderella and I
My girlfriend and I
To her favorite drive-in show
To her most cherished drive-in theater
And at twelve it's home we go
We go back home at midnight
But we drive home very slow
However, we drive slowly to make our journey last longer
Listen to the radio
We listen to music on the car radio
In the book it says
In the story it is written
That the clock struck twelve
That the clock struck midnight
And the magic of her beauty was gone
And her beauty's enchanting allure disappeared
Well the girls compare
Other girls compare themselves to her
But it stops right there
But the comparison ends there
Cause my Cinderella's magic goes on
Because my girlfriend's captivating beauty persists
I may have to lose her at 12 o' clock
I might have to say goodbye to her at midnight
But my Cinderella's beauty doesn't ever stop
However, my girlfriend's beauty will never fade away
If you want to see
If you wish to see who she is
She's the one with me
She's the one who is with me
She's the doll that makes my life complete
She's the perfect girl who completes my life and makes it whole
She's so pretty and soft and sweet
She is beautiful, tender, and charming
How could anyone be so neat
Who else could be so perfect as her?
Mmhmm mmmm mmm
Just sounds of happy enjoyment
Writer(s): Glen Larson, Bruce G. Belland Copyright: Lar-bell Music Corp.
Contributed by Adrian M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@tabithatotten
Scene is from the 1959 film Gidget starring Sandra Dee, James Darren and Cliff Robertson
@woodstock5841
Thank you
@iamlalapalooza
hmm not such a great song
@andrewcooper3141
Are you kidding? I’m a 2000’s kid and this song make me so nostalgic for a time period that I didn’t grow up in.
@alfredoojeda1784
Beautiful song. They sang the song "26 miles," which was a huge hit in 1958.