EASTSIDE RARITIES - MARY LOU ZUETTA & THE VELVETEENS "OH BABY" & "COME BACK"

Band Members:

Johnny Valenzuela Jr (sax, trumpet)
Danny Valenzuela (drums)
Danny Espinosa (sax)
Poly Rodriguez (guitar)
Freddy Unzetta (piano)
Mary Unzetta (vocals)


It is really hard to put a value on a record when only a handful of copies are known to exist. Such is the case for Mary Lou Zuetta & The Velveteens "Oh Baby" and "Come Back". Collectors of the Eastside Sound, doowop collectors and soul collectors would be very proud to have this piece in their collection.

The Velveteens were an instrumental band from Pomona, California (see my post under EASTSIDE LEGENDS) lead by Johnny Valenzuela. In 1960 they recorded "Dog Patch Creeper" and "Johnny's Jump" released on the Emmy label (Emmy 1005).

Johnny & The Velveteens began looking for female vocalists for the group and discovered Mary Unzetta with a group of young musicians at the Los Angeles Fairgrounds. They had a rough song which they worked out some chord and lyric changes and came up with "Oh Baby"

The group took the song to Paul Buff who ran Pal Recording Studio in Cucamonga, California where The Velveteens had recorded their first single. "Oh Baby" and "Come Back" were released on Paul Buff's Emmy label (Emmy 1007) in February, 1961 as Mary Lou Zuetta & The Velveteens. Both sides of this record are excellent teen doowop and have the flavor of Rosie & The Originals "Angel Baby"

NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED!!!!

Solely for historical & educational purposes.