Tuesday is the weekday on which First Draft is my personal plaything. I try to write two substantive posts on Tuesdays, but the extreme heat has baked my brain. I’m not up to writing anything even vaguely serious after opining on Clarence Thomas’ RV fetish this morning. Hence this album cover art post. It’s not just for Wednesdays anymore.

1961 was a momentous year in Rosemary Clooney’s life. She broke up with her brilliant but abusive actor husband, Jose Ferrer. She attempted to kick start her singing career anew by working with arranger-producer Nelson Riddle. Riddle was a hitmaker and Rosie hadn’t charted since the mid-Fifties.

Rosie Solves The Swingin’ Riddle was an artistically successful album but didn’t return Clooney to the top of the pops. Perhaps it was the punny album title or the cheesy pre-photoshop chessboard image featuring Nelson Riddle as the king.

Here’s the whole album via some Greek dude on YouTube.

While we’re on the subject of riddles and/or riddlers, here’s a lagniappe 45 cover:

Trivia Time: Nelson Riddle composed the theme song for the Batman series on which Gorshin played the Riddler.

More single cover lagniappe. This time,  the Batman Theme with Nelson’s Riddler on the B-Side. It’s been a big day for B-Sides at First Draft.

The last word goes to Nelson Riddle: