I first learned of Ernie Maresca through Chris Barrus’s formidable 209-song collection of songs from the year 1962.  Ernie had a big hit that year with “Shout! Shout! Knock Yourself Out!” and somehow I got the mistaken impression that Ernie was kind of a minor figure in pop music.  But then I borrowed a friend’s CD anthology of songs from the legendary Laurie label and quickly learned that Ernie was also a songwriter who wrote hits for friend and labelmate, Dion DiMucci (of Belmonts fame), as well as himself and others.  Maresca later ran Laurie’s publishing arm.

In May 1966 Ernie released a nice little piece of rock ‘n’ soul – “The Good Life”:

I found this cool rockin’ song on Laurie’s 1988 LP compilation, 20 Collector’s Records of the 50’s and 60’s, Volume 13:

Ernie talks a little about “The Good Life” in an interview posted on Spectropop.

Free Education:  click here to browse Laurie’s entire LP catalog.