Annette Funicello - Annette / Annette Sings Anka (1959-1960)

Annette Funicello was 13 years old when she was discovered by studio head Walt Disney dancing in an amateur production of Swan Lake in Fullerton, CA. Much to the enmity of her Mickey Mouse Club co-stars, Funicello joined the cast late in the show's first season and was not required to audition. However, Disney's impulses proved correct, as she swiftly became the most popular performer on The Mickey Mouse Club and featured in her own storyline, Adventures in Dairyland. Soon it was obvious that Funicello needed to make records in order to exploit her potential as a teen star, and while Annette wasn't very enthusiastic about her ability to sing, Disney engaged established arranger Tutti Camerata to pilot her career as a recording artist. Funicello's first record, "Tall Paul," peaked at number seven on the Billboard pop charts and spent nine weeks there; it would prove the highest chart position she would enjoy.

Nevertheless, Funicello's enormous audience base -- mostly teen girls -- was enough to support her through 13 albums released through 1965, all but the first appearing on the Buena Vista label, a record company begun by Walt Disney so that Funicello's records need not appear on the Disneyland imprint. Funicello ultimately got accustomed to making records, and genuinely enjoyed working with Camerata, one of the few forty-something arrangers of the time who "got" the basic building blocks of early rock music. Her albums gradually improved starting with the second one, Annette Sings Anka, probably the first LP to treat the work of a rock songwriter as repertoire.

1959 LP Annette (US Buena Vista BV-3301)

01. Annette Funicello - Tall Paul
02. Annette Funicello - My Heart Becames Of Age
03. Annette Funicello - Don't Jump To Conclusions
04. Annette Funicello - Lonely Guitar
05. Annette Funicello - It Took Dreams
06. Annette Funicello - Wild Willie
07. Annette Funicello - Jo-Jo The Dog-Faced Boy
08. Annette Funicello - How Will I Know My Love
09. Annette Funicello - Ma, He's Making Eyes At Me
10. Annette Funicello - Especially For You
11. Annette Funicello - That Crazy Place From Outer Space
12. Annette Funicello - Love Me Forever

1960 LP Annette Sings Anka (US Buena Vista BV-3302)

01. Annette Funicello - Train Of Love
02. Annette Funicello - Teddy
03. Annette Funicello - I Love You
04. Annette Funicello - Hey Mama
05. Annette Funicello - I Love You Baby
06. Annette Funicello - Lonely Girl
07. Annette Funicello - Like a Baby
08. Annette Funicello - Talk To Me Baby
09. Annette Funicello - Tell Me That You Love Me
10. Annette Funicello - Waiting For You
11. Annette Funicello - It's Really Love
12. Annette Funicello - And So Its Goodbye