The Bobby Fuller Four (sometimes stylized as Bobby Fuller 4) was a popular mid-1960s American rock & roll band started by Bobby Fuller. First formed in 1962 in Fuller's hometown of El Paso, Texas, the group went on to produce some of its most memorable hits under the Mustang Records label in Hollywood, California. The band's most successful songs include "Let Her Dance", "I Fought the Law" and "Love's Made a Fool of You".

History

Fuller recorded his first single, "You're in Love", in 1961. Recorded in his parents' living room with the Embers, a local band he played in, it became a regional hit. Fuller started a new band in 1962, backed by his brother Randy on bass and Gaylord Grimes on drums. They had their single, "Gently My Love", professionally recorded at Norman Petty Recording Studios in Clovis, New Mexico. Although they achieved another regional hit, Fuller was not satisfied.

Disengaging from Yucca Records in Alamogordo, which had released his first two records, Fuller and his band began releasing their records through Fuller's own various independent labels, with the recordings done in Fuller's home recording studio. The group never had a definite name and recordings were credited to either "Bobby Fuller", or "Bobby Fuller and the Fanatics". Various additional members played in the band, the most significant being Jim Reese (formerly of the Embers) on guitar, and Dalton Powell (who had played piano for the Embers) on drums.

By 1963, the band pursued a record deal with a major label in Hollywood, California.

Most former members of the Bobby Fuller Four remained active in the music industry after the group disbanded. Jim Reese died in 1991 after suffering a fatal heart attack whilst playing a round of golf.

Bobby Fuller has been the subject of two books: I Fought The Law: The Life and Strange Death of Bobby Fuller by Miriam Linna & Randell Fuller (2015); and Rock & Roll Mustangs by Stephen J. McParland (2009 and with an updated edition released in 2021).

Discography

Singles

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

|-

! Year

! width="400" | Single (A-side, B-side)<br />Both sides from same album except where indicated

! Label and number

! US

! Album

|-

|1961

|align="left"|"You're in Love"<sup>1</sup><br />b/w "Guess We'll Fall in Love"

|align="left"|Yucca 140

|align="center"|

|align="left" rowspan="9"|Non-album tracks

|-

|rowspan="2"|1962

|align="left"|"Gently, My Love"<sup>1</sup><br />b/w "My Heart Jumped"

|align="left"|Yucca 144

|align="center"|

|-

|align="left"|"Nervous Breakdown"<sup>1</sup><br />b/w "Not Fade Away"

|align="left"|Eastwood (No #)

|align="center"|

|-

|1963

|align="left"|"Saturday Night"<sup>1</sup><br />b/w "Stringer"

|align="left"|Todd 1090

|align="center"|

|-

|rowspan="5"|1964

|align="left"|"King of the Beach"<sup>1</sup><br />b/w "Wine, Wine, Wine"

|align="left"|Exeter 122

|align="center"|

|-

|align="left"|"She's My Girl"<sup>1</sup><br />b/w "I Fought the Law"

|align="left"|Exeter 124

|align="center"|

|-

|align="left"|"Fool of Love"<sup>2</sup><br />b/w "Shakedown"

|align="left"|Exeter 126

|align="center"|

|-

|align="left"|"Those Memories of You"<sup>2</sup><br />b/w "Our Favorite Martian"

|align="left"|Donna 1403

|align="center"|

|-

|align="left"|"Wolfman"<sup>3</sup><br />b/w "Thunder Reef"

|align="left"|Mustang 3003

|align="center"|

|-

|rowspan="4"|1965

|align="left"|"Take My Word"<sup>A</sup><br />b/w "She's My Girl"

|align="left"|Mustang 3004

|align="center"|

|align="left" rowspan="3"|KRLA King of the Wheels

|-

|align="left"|"Let Her Dance"<sup>A</sup><br />b/w "Another Sad and Lonely Night"<sup>A</sup><br />Also released on Liberty 55812 and Mustang 3012

|align="left"|Mustang 3006

|align="center"|133

|-

|align="left"|"Never to Be Forgotten"<sup>A</sup><br />b/w "You Kiss Me" (from I Fought the Law)

|align="left"|Mustang 3011

|align="center"|

|-

|align="left"|"I Fought the Law"<br />b/w "Little Annie Lou"<sup>A</sup> (from KRLA King of the Wheels)

|align="left"|Mustang 3014

|align="center"|9

|align="left"|I Fought the Law

|-

|rowspan="3"|1966

|align="left"|"Love's Made a Fool of You"<br />b/w "Don't Ever Let Me Know"

|align="left"|Mustang 3016

|align="center"|26

|align="left" rowspan="3"|Non-album tracks

|-

|align="left"|"The Magic Touch"<br />b/w "My True Love"

|align="left"|Mustang 3018

|align="center"|117

|-

|align="left"|"It's Love, Come What May"<sup>4</sup><br />b/w "Wolfman"

|align="left"|Mustang 3020

|align="center"|

|-

|}

<sup>A</sup>Tracks from the first Mustang album also featured on the follow-up album I Fought the Law<br />

<sup>1</sup> Singles released as by Bobby Fuller<br />

<sup>2</sup> Released as by Bobby Fuller and The Fanatics<br />

<sup>3</sup> Released as by The Shindigs<br />

<sup>4</sup> Released as by Randy Fuller, but actually recorded by The Bobby Fuller Four with Randy's vocals overdubbed on A-side

Original US albums

  • KRLA King of the Wheels (Mustang M-900 [mono] / MS-900 [stereo], 1965)
  • I Fought The Law (Mustang M-901 [mono] / MS-901 [stereo], 1966)
  • Celebrity Night At PJ's (cancelled — originally to be released as Mustang M-902 [mono] / MS-902 [stereo]; finally issued in the Never To Be Forgotten: The Mustang Years box set, 1997)

Compilations and reissues

  • The Bobby Fuller Memorial Album (LP, President 1003, 1968)
  • The Best of the Bobby Fuller Four (LP, Rhino RNDF-201, 1981)
  • KRLA King of the Wheels (LP, Line LP-5146, 1981)
  • I Fought the Law (LP, Line LP-5133, 1981)
  • The Bobby Fuller Memorial Album (LP, Strand 6.24885, 1982)
  • Let Them Dance (The Rare Sides) (LP, OutLine OLLP-5272, 1983)
  • Live on Stage (LP, OutLine OLLP-5302, 1983)
  • I Fought the Law (LP, Eva 12032, 1983)
  • Live Again (LP, Eva 12046, 1984)
  • The Best of the Bobby Fuller Four (CD, Rhino 70174, 1990)
  • The Bobby Fuller Four (CD, Ace CDCHD-956, 1990)
  • Live at PJ's...Plus! (CD, Ace CDCHD-314, 1991)
  • The Best of the Bobby Fuller Four (CD, Ace CDCHD-388, 1992)
  • The Bobby Fuller Four (CD, Del-Fi DFCD-70174, 1994)
  • Never to Be Forgotten: The Mustang Years (3-CD box set, Mustang/Del-Fi DFBX-3903, 1997)
  • The Mustang Years (2LP, Munster MR-184, 2000)
  • I Fought the Law and Others (7-inch EP, Munster 7141, 2000)
  • I Fought the Law: The Best of The Bobby Fuller Four (CD, Del-Fi/Rhino 71904, 2001)
  • I Fought the Law and Other Hits (CD, Flashback/Rhino 78170, 2004)
  • Rhino Hi-Five: The Bobby Fuller Four (CD, Rhino 7????, 2006)
  • Magic Touch: The Complete Mustang Singles Collection (CD, Now Sounds [UK] WCRNOW-57, 2018)

Members

Timeline

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id:Guitars value:green legend:Guitars

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bar:Bobby text:"Bobby Fuller"

bar:Randy text:"Randy Fuller"

bar:Reese text:"Jim Reese"

bar:Webb text:"Billy Webb"

bar:Ciccarelli text:"Mike Ciccarelli"

bar:Miller text:"Jerry Miller"

bar:Reed text:"Tex Reed"

bar:Fletcher text:"Sonny Fletcher"

bar:Grimes text:"Gaylord Grimes"

bar:Dirmeyer text:"Googie Dirmeyer"

bar:Powell text:"Dalton Powell"

bar:Thompson text:"Larry Thompson"

bar:Paz text:"Freddie Paz"

bar:Wagnon text:"Jimmy Wagnon"

bar:Quirico text:"DeWayne Quirico"

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bar:Bobby from:01/07/1962 till:end color:Guitars width:3

bar:Randy from:01/02/1962 till:end color:Bass

bar:Reese from:01/07/1962 till:01/03/1963 color:Guitars

bar:Webb from:01/03/1963 till:01/04/1963 color:guitars

bar:Ciccarelli from:01/04/1963 till:01/06/1963 color:guitars

bar:Miller from:01/06/1963 till:14/06/1963 color:guitars

bar:Reed from:14/06/1963 till:14/07/1963 color:guitars

bar:Fletcher from:14/07/1963 till:01/08/1963 color:guitars

bar:Webb from:01/08/1963 till:01/05/1964 color:guitars

bar:Reese from:01/05/1964 till:end color:guitars

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bar:Powell from:01/10/1962 till:01/03/1963 color:Drums

bar:Thompson from:01/03/1963 till:01/06/1963 color:Drums

bar:Paz from:01/06/1963 till:14/06/1963 color:Drums

bar:Wagnon from:14/06/1963 till:01/08/1963 color:Drums

bar:Thompson from:01/08/1963 till:01/05/1964 color:Drums

bar:Powell from:01/05/1964 till:01/11/1964 color:Drums

bar:Quirico from:01/11/1964 till:27/11/1965 color:Drums

bar:Powell from:27/11/1965 till:end color:Drums

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at:01/11/1965 color:black layer:back

at:01/02/1966 color:black layer:back

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References