Moon
, as every teenager in America would be watching ‘American Bandstand’ and if he
could get Clark behind his career, he could aim not just for themoon but for the stars as
well. Billy and the LittleGreenMen droveNorth and arrived in Philadelphia a day early.
Insteadofwaitingpatiently, theybecame increasinglyuncomfortable in this strangenorthern
city until, convinced he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, Billy turned the car
around and drove back toMemphis.
BackatSunRecords,SamPhillips
gave him a new three year contract
andplenty of sessionworkbut Billy’s
big chance had been and gone. Two
further records,
NoNameGirl
and
Got
The Water Boilin’
gathered no more
than modest local sales and in
September 1959 Riley and guitarist
Roland Janes quit Sun for good to set
up their ownRitaRecords.
From thispointonBillyappeared
to chase every shadow, follow every
trend and leave no stone unturned as
he went after that elusive hit record.
RitaRecords struckgoldveryearlyon
withamillion selling recordbut itwas
with another Sun Records’ hopeful,
9
BillyRiley& the LittleGreenMen
from left:MartinWillis, BillyRiley, Roland Janes,Marvin
Pepper, JimmyVanEaton
