#12 hit single by Nat King Cole in 1963
"Red Rubber Ball" is a pop song which became a hit (going to #2 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and hitting #1 in Canadian RPM 100 national singles chart)[1] in the 1966 version recorded by The Cyrkle.
It was co-written by Paul Simon (of Simon and Garfunkel) and Bruce Woodley (of The Seekers).[2] According to Cyrkle guitarist Tom Dawes, Simon offered it to The Cyrkle when they were opening for Simon and Garfunkel on tour. [3][4] The song's tracks were recorded in stereo, with the bass, lead guitar, and percussion on the right track, acoustic guitar and electric organ on left, and the vocals on both.
The Seekers also recorded "Red Rubber Ball" for their 1966 album Come the Day (US-title: "Georgy Girl") — and the Seekers' recording of "Red Rubber Ball" can also be heard on 'Disc Three - 1966 - 1967' of the CD box set The Seekers Complete.
At "Music Notes", the sheet music for "Red Rubber Ball", for the album Simon and Garfunkel - Old Friends, also credits the songwriters as Paul Simon and Bruce Woodley [5]
In an interview on The Colbert Report, Paul Simon said he wrote "Red Rubber Ball" while living in England to get a £100 advance from The Seekers. This came in response to Colbert's request for a song that was "on the cusp" and barely made it into his songbook Lyrics 1964-2008.