Where the Boys Are (1960)

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By: Connie Francis (born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero, December 12, 1938 in Newark, New Jersey.) 

Connie Francis is the prototype for the female pop singer of today, and still challenges Madonna as the biggest-selling female recording artist of all time.

"Where the Boys Are" was one of many Neil Sedaka/Howard Greenfield compositions Francis recorded during her career (others included "Stupid Cupid" and "Everybody's Somebody's Fool".) It gained wide exposure in the 1960 motion picture Where the Boys Are. Francis had a role in the film and sang the title song in the film.

"Where the Boys Are" was recorded by Connie Francis on October 18, 1960 in a New York City recording session with Stan Applebaum arranging and conducting.

Francis recorded this, along with many other of her songs, in as many as nine languages. This includes English, Italian, French, Spanish, German, and even Japanese.

Chart position: #4 (US), #5 (UK).

The Top Ten Songs: March 20, 1961 (US Billboard Hot 100).

1. "Surrender" (Elvis Presley)
2. "Pony Time" (Chubby Checker)
3. "Don't Worry (Like All the Other Times)" (Marty Robbins)
4. "Where the Boys Are" (Connie Francis)
5. "Dedicated to the One I Love" (Shirelles)
6. "Apache" (Jorgen Ingmann)
7. "Wheels" (String-A-Longs)
8. "Ebony Eyes" (Everly Brothers)
9. "Walk Right Back" (Everly Brothers)
10. "Baby Sittin' Boogie" (Buzz Clifford)

Written by: Neil Sedaka (born March 13, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York) and lyricist Howard Greenfield (born March 15, 1936, died March 4, 1986.)

Sedaka and Greenfield also wrote "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen", "Is This the Way to Amarillo" (which was a #1 hit for Tony Christie when reissued in 2005), "Stupid Cupid", "Breaking Up is Hard to Do", "Everybody's Somebody's Fool", "Love Will Keep Us Together", "Calender Girl", etc. 

In 1952, sixteen year old Greenfield and 13 year old Sedaka, both lived in the same apartment building in Brooklyn.  However, they didn't know of each other until Greenfield's mother had a chance meeting with the young Sedaka, suggesting to the young pianist that "You should meet my son; he writes great lyrics."  The rest is history.

Sedaka and Greenfield wrote two potential title songs for the film, but producer Joe Pasternak passed over the song Francis and the songwriting duo preferred in favor of a lush '50s style movie theme.



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This Magic Moment (1960) (1968)

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• Jay and the Americans - This Magic Moment (MP3)
• The Drifters - This Magic Moment (MP3)

By: Jay and the Americans.

The initial lineup of Jay and the Americans consisted of John "Jay" Traynor, Howard Kane, Kenny Vance, and Sandy Deanne. Their greatest success came after Traynor had been replaced by singer David Blatt, whose stage name was David Black, then Jay Black.

With Black, they had such hits as "Only In America", a song originally meant for the Drifters, "Come a Little Bit Closer", (#3 US) and "Cara Mia" (#4 US).

In the November 30, 1968 issue of Billboard magazine, Jay and the Americans' version of "This Magic Moment" was featured in their Special Merit Spotlight section: "The past hit of the Drifters is brought up to date in what could easily prove a hot chart item for this group. One of their most commercial contenders in some time.

Chart position: #6 (US). 

The Top Ten Songs: (US Billboard Hot 100).

1. "Everyday People" (Sly and the Family Stone)
2. "Proud Mary" (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
3. "Build Me Up Buttercup" (Foundations)
4. "Dizzy" (Tommy Roe)
5. "Crimson and Clover" (Tommy James and the Shondells)
6. "This Magic Moment" (Jay and the Americans)
7. "This Girl's in Love with You" (Dionne Warwick)
8. "Baby, Baby Don't Cry" (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles)
9. "Touch Me" (Doors)
10. "Indian Giver" (1910 Fruitgum Co.)

Written by: Doc Pomus (born January 27, 1925, died of cancer March 14, 1991) and Mort Shuman (born November 12, 1936, died November 2, 1991.)

Pomus and Shuman were one of the most important songwriting duos of the late 1950s and early 1960s, second only to Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, with more than 500 songs written between 1958 and 1965.

They also wrote/co-wrote such hit songs as "Youngblood", "Turn Me Loose", "Hushabye", "A Teenager in Love", "Save the Last Dance for Me", "Sweets for My Sweet", "Can't Get Used to Losing You", "Surrender", "Little Sister", "Suspicion", "(Marie's the Name of) His Latest Flame", "Viva Las Vegas", "Little Children", and "She's Not You".



Originally by: The Drifters, with Ben E. King on lead vocals and elaborate production work by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Their version reached #16 (US) and #4 (US R&B) in 1960.

Mike Stoller recalled that a producer went into a music store to find the kind of drum kit used on the Drifters' version of "This Magic Moment". After listening to the record, the clerk at the store said, "What I get is that these guys used every drum in this store, plus a half-dozen drums that don't even exist.

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• Jay and the Americans - This Magic Moment (MP3)
• The Drifters - This Magic Moment (MP3)

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Alley Oop (1960)

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• The Hollywood Argyles - Alley Oop (MP3)
• The Dyna-Sores - Alley Oop (MP3)
• Dante and the Evergreens - Alley Oop (MP3)

By: The Hollywood Argyles, an act thrown together by producer Kim Fowley (famous for producing such novelty hits as Napoleon XIV's "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!") and singer Gary S. Paxton (who, at the time, was half of the duo Skip and Flip). Paxton later said, "I was still under contract as 'Flip' ... I couldn't put my name on 'Alley Oop'."

The Hollywood Argyles were named (by Paxton) after the street names of Hollywood Boulevard and Argyle Street, where the studio at which "Alley Oop" was recorded was located. 

Paxton hired pianist Gaynel Hodge, bassist Harper Cosby, drummer Sandy Nelson (known for his #4 US hit "Teen Beat",) who performed percussion on garbage cans and contributed background screams, and backing vocalists including the song's writer Dallas Frazier.

Paxton said, "Other than myself, there were no actual Hollywood Argyles.  Everyone else on the track was either a friend or a studio musician who I paid $25 apiece for the session . . . When 'Alley Oop' suddenly took off and people wanted to book us for concerts, there was no such group."

The song was referenced by David Bowie in the song "Life On Mars?", which reached #3 in the UK in 1973: "Oh, man, look at those cavemen go..." The song was also recorded by Barbra Streisand for her 1974 album ButterFly.
 
Chart position: #1 (US).

It was #1 in the US for one week in July 1960. It was preceded at #1 by "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" (Connie Francis) and succeeded by "I'm Sorry" (Brenda Lee).

The Top Ten Songs: July 11, 1960 (US Billboard Hot 100).

1. "Alley Oop" (Hollywood Argyles)
2. "I'm Sorry" (Brenda Lee)
3. "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" (Connie Francis)
4. "Because They're Young" (Duane Eddy)
5. "Mule Skinner Blues" (Fendermen)
6. "Only The Lonely" (Roy Orbison)
7. "That's All You Gotta Do" (Brenda Lee)
8. "My Home Town" (Paul Anka)
9. "A Rockin' Good Way" (Dinah Washington and Brook Benton)
10. "When Will I Be Loved" (Everly Brothers)
    

Written by: Dallas Frazier (born October 27, 1939 in Spiro, Oklahoma.)

"Alley Oop" was the first major songwriting hit for Frazier. He wrote it while working at a cotton gin in Pond, California.

Dallas Frazier wrote many hits after "Alley Oop", including "Mohair Sam", "There Goes My Everything", and "Elvira".

Alley Oop is the title character of a comic strip created in 1932 by cartoonist V. T. Hamlin, who wrote and drew Alley Oop for four decades. The current Alley Oop Sunday and daily strips are written by Carole Bender and illustrated by Jack Bender.

In basketball, an "alley oop" is an offensive play in which a player throws the ball up towards the basket to a teammate who jumps, catches the ball in mid air and scores a basket, usually with a slam dunk. It is an impressive way to score and often electrifies the spectators. It is thought that this basketball move was named for the comic strip character because sportscasters believed the throw looked like Alley Oop the caveman in action.

The phrase itself, according to meriam-webster.com, derives from the French allez-oop, the cry of a circus acrobat about to leap.

Also by: The Dyna-Sores and Dante and the Evergreens.

"Alley Oop" was released by three different artists around the time of May 1960: The Dyna-Sores, Dante and the Evergreens, and the Hollywood Argyles.

The Dyna-Sores version reached #59 (US), the Dante and the Evergreens version reached #15 (US), and the Hollywood Argyles version reached #1 (US) and sold over a million copies. The Hollywood Argyles' version is generally considered to be the definitive version.

It was also recorded by the Beach Boys on their 1965 album Beach Boys' Party!, with Mike Love on lead vocals.

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• The Hollywood Argyles - Alley Oop (MP3)
• The Dyna-Sores - Alley Oop (MP3)
• Dante and the Evergreens - Alley Oop (MP3)

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I'm Sorry (1960)

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• Brenda Lee - I'm Sorry (MP3)

By: Brenda Lee (born Brenda Mae Tarpley December 11, 1944 in Atlanta, Georgia.)

Brenda Lee was nicknamed "Little Miss Dynamite" (after her song "Dynamite") for her big voice and small size at 4 feet, 9 inches tall. She first began recording at the age of 11 in July 1956.

Along with Connie Francis she was one of the first female teen idols of the 1950s and 1960s. She is the only female to be inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame.

On March 28, 1960, following the success of her first hit, "Sweet Nothin's", 15-year-old Brenda Lee recorded "I'm Sorry". It was released 2 months later on May 30, 1960.

Chart position: #1 (US).

It stayed in the Top 100 for over 6 months, becoming her first gold record and biggest selling record ever, selling over 1 million copies.

Though she was a country singer, the song never charted on the US Country singles chart.

It was #1 in the US for three weeks in July and August 1960. It was preceded at #1 by "Alley Oop" (The Hollywood Argyles) and succeeded by "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" (Brian Hyland).

Between 1957 and 1980, Lee had 41 charting singles.

The Top Ten Songs: July 18, 1960 (US Billboard Hot 100).

1. "I'm Sorry" (Brenda Lee)
2. "Alley Oop" (Hollywood Argyles)
3. "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" (Connie Francis)
4. "Only The Lonely" (Roy Orbison)
5. "Because They're Young" (Duane Eddy)
6. "That's All You Gotta Do" (Brenda Lee)
7. "Mule Skinner Blues" (Fendermen)
8. "When Will I Be Loved" (Everly Brothers)
9. "Tell Laura I Love Her" (Ray Peterson)
10. "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" (Brian Hyland)
    

Written by: Dub Albritton and Ronnie Self (born July 5, 1938 in Tin Town, Missouri, died Aug 28, 1981 in Springfield, Missouri.)

Ronnie Self also wrote such songs as "Everybody Loves Me But You" and "Sweet Nothin's", both hits by Brenda Lee. Self was also a recording artist.

Music critic Bruce Eder wrote: "Why Ronnie Self never made it as a performer is one of the great mysteries and injustices of pop music history. He had the look and the sound - a mix of country, rockabilly and R&B that sometimes made him sound like a white Little Richard, but mostly like the young Elvis or Carl Perkins - and he wasn't lacking for good songs, which he mostly wrote himself."

"He should have been there, thought of in the same breath as Perkins or Jerry Lee Lewis; instead, he's a footnote in rock & roll history outside of Europe, where he's treated as a legend."

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• Brenda Lee - I'm Sorry (MP3)

 
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Are You Lonesome Tonight? (1950) (1960)

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• Elvis Presley - Are You Lonesome Tonight? (MP3)

By: Elvis Presley (born Elvis Aron Presley January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, died August 16, 1977 in Memphis, Tennessee.)

Called the King of Rock 'n' Roll Elvis is generally considered to be the most important, iconic entertainer of the 20th Century. He has sold over one billion records worldwide, more than anyone in record industry history.

He has had 150 albums and singles certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum, 149 charting songs in the US, 114 of which were Top 40 hits, 40 of which were Top 10 hits, and 18 #1 hits.

In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him #3 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

In March 1960, Elvis was honorably discharged from the US army. Soon after, on April 4, he was in a darkened recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee at 4:00 AM, with Chet Atkins as producer.

As a favor to manager Colonel Tom Parker, who had never asked Presley to record any song, Elvis sang the Colonel and his wife's favorite song: "Are You Lonesome Tonight?". Presley liked the tune and the Colonel thought it had hit potential.

As he was singing in the dimly lit room, Elvis kept bumping the microphone stand. Frustrated, Presley felt he could not do justice to the song and wanted to forget about recording it. He was encouraged to get at least one full take of the song.

The first take of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?", even with the sounds of inadvertent bumping, was the recording that became a hit.

Elvis' version was listed at #81 on Billboard's Greatest Songs Of All Time.

Chart position:  #1 (US), #1 (UK).

It was preceded at #1 in the US by "Stay" (Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs) and succeeded by "Wonderland by Night" (Bert Kaempfert).

The Top Ten Songs: November 28, 1960 (US Billboard Hot 100).

1. "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" (Elvis Presley)
2. "Last Date" (Floyd Cramer)
3. "Stay" (Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs)
4. "Poetry In Motion" (Johnny Tillotson)
5. "A Thousand Stars" (Kathy Young and the Innocents) 
6. "New Orleans" (Gary U.S. Bonds)
7. "North To Alaska" (Johnny Horton)
8. "Alone At Last" (Jackie Wilson)
9. "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go" (Hank Ballard and the Midnighters)
10. "Georgia On My Mind" (Ray Charles)

Written by: Lou Handman (born September 10, 1894 in New York, New York, died December 9, 1956 in Flushing, New York) and Roy Turk (born September 20, 1892 in New York, New York, died November 30, 1934 in Hollywood, California.)

It was originally published in 1926.



Also by: Blue Barron (born Harry Freidman November 19, 1913 in Cleveland, Ohio, died July 16, 2005 in Baltimore, Maryland.)

Blue Barron was a big-band orchestra leader in the 1940s and 1950s, who had a #1 hit with "Cruising Down The River" in 1949.

Barron's version of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?", with vocals by Bobby Beers, was the first version to chart, reaching #19 in 1950. It was also the first version to feature the spoken-word middle section, recited by John McCormick.

That section was loosely based on a line from William Shakespeare's As You Like It: "All the world's a stage, and all men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts."

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• Elvis Presley - Are You Lonesome Tonight? (MP3)

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Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (1960)

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• The Shirelles - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (MP3)
• Carole King - Will You Love Me Tomorrow (MP3)

By: The Shirelles, formed in 1958 by high school friends Shirley Owens, Doris Coley, Addie "Micki" Harris, and Beverly Lee in Passaic, New Jersey.

The Shirelles were the first girl group to have a #1 US hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Their other hits include "Baby It's You" (written by Burt Bacharach/Mack David/Barney Williams,) "Mama Said," "Foolish Little Girl," and "Soldier Boy" (Luther Dixon/Florence Greenberg.)

Other songs by the Shirelles became hits when covered by British groups: "Sha La La" was an international hit when covered by Manfred Mann, "Boys" (with Ringo Starr singing lead) and "Baby It's You" (with John Lennon singing lead) were covered by the Beatles on their album Please Please Me.

In 1996, the Shirelles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked them #76 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

In 1960, when first presented with the song, lead singer Shirley Alston refused to sing it because she thought it to be "too country and western." She was convinced to sing it, and warmed to it after producer and arranger Luther Dixon completely redid the song's arrangement, most notably with the "sha-la-la-sha"'s and its signature string orchestration.

The song's co-writer, Carole King, plays piano.

At the time of its release, some radio stations banned "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow".

Chart position: #1 (US), #2 (US R&B), #4 (UK).

It was #1 in the US for two weeks in January and February 1961. It was preceded and succeeded at #1 by two instrumentals: "Wonderland by Night" (Bert Kaempfert) and "Calcutta" (Lawrence Welk).

The Top Ten Songs: February 6, 1961 (US Billboard Hot 100).

1. "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" (Shirelles)
2. "Calcutta" (Lawrence Welk)
3. "Exodus" (Ferrante and Teicher)
4. "Shop Around" (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles)
5. "Calender Girl" (Neil Sedaka)
6. "Wonderland by Night" (Bert Kaempfert)
7. "Angel Baby" (Rosie and the Originals)
8. "Emotions" (Brenda Lee)
9. "My Empty Arms" (Jackie Wilson)
10. "Rubber Ball" (Bobby Vee)
    

Written by: Gerry Goffin (lyrics) (born February 11, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York) and Carole King (music) (born Carole Klein February 9, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York).

The husband-and-wife songwriting duo of Goffin and King also wrote such songs as "One Fine Day", "Take Good Care of My Baby", "The Loco-Motion", "Pleasant Valley Sunday", "Porpoise Song", "Up on the Roof", "Chains", "Don't Say Nothing Bad About My Baby", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", "I'm into Something Good", and "Go Away Little Girl".

In 1990, Goffin and King were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the non-performer category for their songwriting achievements.

King's 1971 album "Tapestry" (which included this song, retitled, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow") stayed on the album charts for more than 5 years, selling over 10 million copies in the US, and close to 22 million copies worldwide.

In 1960, Goffin and King worked at the Brill Building for Don Kirshner's Aldon company. They were assigned to write a song for the Shirelles as a follow-up song to first Top 40 hit "Tonight's The Night." Upon hearing the demo version of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", Kirshner recognized the potential of it immediately, and gave Goffin and King each advances of over $10,000. It became the first song Goffin and King wrote that sold over 1 million copies.

Also by: The Four Seasons, whose version reached  #24 (US) in 1968.

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• The Shirelles - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (MP3)
• Carole King - Will You Love Me Tomorrow (MP3)

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