High School USA

This 1998 release is a single CD, reissue of Legrand's 2 LP set of 1984 (LG 1008 and LG 1009). In 1959, Norfolk, Virginia record store owner and impresario Frank Guida had a novel idea, appeal to the local teen market by producing a song about the local high schools. Guida proceeded to record Tommy Facenda singing what was to become the "Virginia" version of High School U.S.A., which Guida released locally as the first record on his Legrand label (Legrand # 1001). When the tune became a local hit, Guida persuaded the Atlantic label to release 28 different "local" versions of the song for significant markets, backed by a "national" version of the tune. Thus were born Atlantic 45 r.p.m.'s # 51 through 78. A unique series of records outside Atlantic's normal numbering scheme. Starting in mid-October, 1959, the tune charted well nationally, and this compilation contains all 30 versions of the song - Guida's original, the national, and the 28 Atlantic "locals."