Inspired by one of Don Everly's ex-girlfriends, this song is about a guy Cathy dumps. He tries to be strong, but everyone knows him as "Cathy's Clown" because she treated him so bad.
Don Everly did the arrangement, which was influenced by the conductor Andre Kostelanetz' version of the orchestral piece "Grand Canyon Suite."
This was the first Everly Brothers single for Warner Bros. Records. They signed with the label in 1960 after cranking out a string of hits for Cadence Records, which couldn't afford to re-sign them. Warner Bros. launched in 1958 and was struggling - their only big hit was a novelty song by Edward Byrnes and Connie Stevens called "Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)," which hit #4 in 1959. They paid the Everlys a reported $1 million (it was likely less) and expected a hit, so the pressure was on. The duo delivered with "Cathy's Clown." Recorded on March 18, it was released in early April and made #1 in the US on May 23, holding the top spot for five weeks.
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