Paul Simon, John Lennon & The Strange Story Behind “Red Rubber Ball”

How did “Red Rubber Ball” become one of the most memorable pop hits of 1966 — and what do Paul Simon, The Seekers, and even The Beatles have to do with the story? In this Senior Spinner Deep Dive, we go behind The Cyrkle’s “Red Rubber Ball,” a song whose cheerful, bouncing sound hides a surprisingly complicated history. We’ll trace the song back to its unusual songwriting partnership between Paul Simon and Bruce Woodley, discover how it made its way to The Cyrkle, and explore the connections that helped turn a relatively unknown American band into a major chart act. And then there’s that name — The Cyrkle. Why the strange spelling? There happens to be a rather famous Beatle involved in that part of the story, too. Along the way, Crispy, Johnny D, and Danny the Diver sort through the history, the recording, the people behind it, and the circumstances that sent “Red Rubber Ball” all the way to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Of course, Johnny may have a little trouble concentrating once the red rubber balls start flying. 🎵 Senior Spinner Deep Dive The stories behind the songs you thought you knew. 🚨CORRECTION at 3:03 into the video, an image of Michael Clarke, drummer for the Byrds is displayed in error. It is NOT Marty Fried🚨 HELP SENIOR SPINNER GROW! Senior Spinner is still a new channel, and every Like and Subscribe really does make a difference. If you enjoy discovering music with me, please hit the Like button, Subscribe, and ring the notification bell. It helps more music fans discover the channel and helps us continue building the Senior Spinner community. Thanks for being part of it! 👇👇 See below for great links 👇👇 Nick at the Vinyl Den does an outstanding job with weekly release previews and album reviews.    / @thevinylden   For everything audio equipment related my go to is Randy, the cheap audio man. My complete system is based on his reviews and advice.    / @cheapaudioman   Mike at The In Groove record store has a great weekly new release preview and record store that I purchase from often.    / @theingroove   Billy at Riverbend Records has great previews and record store.    / @billyhurst   John at Max J Records has a great store that I use often, and his Friday night auctions are a must attend. https://www.maxjrecords.com/ Roger at Purchase Street Records is another record store I use, with very competitive pricing. https://purchasestrecords.com/ Darkside Records is one of my top suppliers for both used and new. They have a weekly used records special every Tuesday that can’t be beat for quality, selection, and price. https://shop.darksiderecords.com/ Bordentown Records has an incredible selection, especially with 7” 45’s, and they are always in very clean playing condition. https://the-record-collector.com/ Melinda is a very informative vinyl collector and has a great YouTube channel.    / @melindamurphy