Brad, I first heard the song in 58 (10th grade) at the drugstore where they had a small jukebox at every booth that fed into main jukebox. Had a crush on girl in 11th grade. Couldn't count times I rode by her house while playing this song or songs by Platters. We got together over summer of 59. I still love her, 57 years later.
Brilliant. The Golden Age of American Teen Innocence exemplified. Includes the tale of powerhouse songwriter and arranger Phil Spector. The surfeit of fame finally overtook him and brought him down. Who is it that roams the world like a roaring lion seeking the ruin of souls ... ?
number one hit 1958-59!!!i remember it as though it was yesterday !1 although we may have had our problems,it was a great time to be alive!!! Thanks for posting. Sept. 20 , 2015
Yep.. Unfortunately, his genius drove him mad.. But in his day, he made stars out of his office workers. This song written by him was about his father. His wall of sound is unmatchable, even with the technology of today. Anything that added to the sound Phil wanted was used.
The First Of Many Groups That Phil Spector Discovered -He May Have Been A NUT, The Man Really Had An Ear For GREATNESS!!!!! Long Live The Spector "Wall Of Sound"
I just found out that he died. That's what brought me here. I saw the title of this song in the news story of his death and for the life me, couldn't remember exactly how the song went.
On this day in 1958 {October 29th} the Teddy Bears performed "To Know Him Is to Love Him" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'... At the time the song was at #15 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and five weeks later on December 1st, 1958 it would peak at #1 {for 3 weeks} and spent a total of 23 weeks on the Top 100... The Los Angeles-based trio had two other Top 100 songs and both peaked in the 90s; "Oh Why" reached #91, and the flip-side, "I Don't Need You Anymore" peaked at #98... Twenty-nine years later Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, & Emmylou Harris covered the song; their version reached #1 {for 1 week} on May 10th, 1987 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart... One other covered version also made the Hot Country Singles chart; Jody Miller took her version to #18 in 1972...
This spent 3 weeks at the top of the charts in '58 when I heard it at age 9. Phil Spector wrote it, and this was the only group, the Teddy Bears, that he is credited as belonging to. Of course, he played with many groups, including the Stones, without credit. As a kid, I was drawn to music strongly. Now I've got a compilation of many 50's hits on CD's by K-Tel etc. But you know, this song stands up today as having a great hook, a very creative middle eight, as having nostalgia, yes, but beauty.
Many geniuses are not nice people. Phil was a genius. If he had pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter, he would have served a few years at most. Such a tragedy that he didn't.
One of my first girl friends used to play this record when I went back to her house. A delightful and romantic song. Sadly we broke up in 1965. I often wonder if she is still alive. I would love to meet her again.
What a beautiful voice she had! One of my all time favorites. I read somewhere that Spector wrote this song for is dad. He was so talented but something went so wrong.
This was such a huge hit at my high school's dances. It was like every girl knew this song by heart. What a shame this female vocalist didn't go solo and make some serious cash.
As a kid hearing this song it always seemed to have an ethereal, "eerie" sound to it, different than the standard pop stuff of the day in the "why can't he see" section...years later reading Spector took the title line from his father's tombstone, that sweet melancholy tone made sense...a Top 10 tune for sure...
I was in the 8th grade listening to this on a Chicago station every night. The only station I could get on the radio and wow was it a great station. Played all the great songs like this one. Love it............
I roomed over at Clark University in the late 70's with 2 foreign exchange students from England, one female and one male, and one of them was listening to my collection of 45's one day. When he asked me if I had this one, and I said Yes, his jaw dropped. He just about flipped over it, borrowed it and played it over and over. Richard, are you out there?
Great performance of three great performers...and two made it in the music business. Even though I was a little girl at the time, the song is still a classic.
Wow - I remember this track so well. I never knew that Phil Spector wrote it & it's him on the right. What an absolute genius, but bonkers fella. Such an interesting/tragic story.
The perfect love song. Beautiful singing from all three. I think the ones who have given the thumbs down to this are doing so more as a 'two fingers' to Spector. Whatever he has done (and it doesn't get much worse than what he's done!) you can't deny this is a great song.
Who’s listening in 2020 My goodness this really takes me back makes you wonder where the years have gone doesn’t it ,it’s like it was just yesterday ❤️
My sweetheart, who has the voice of an angel, dedicated and sang this song to me last night at a gig she had. Something I will never forget. Thank you for such a kind and special gift. There is no equal. You are the best. I love you babe.
Great Tune...Smooth! I am almost 70 and I love it..Great memory! That's what music is...a great memory...so just enjoy it! it is not about the good old days..It's about enjoying it now.
Oh how true this is...... I think I am the only one that truly knew my Gerald like me and that is why I love him so and have since I met him in 1972....... To you my love Gerald
the 21st century has bro so much tecno to the world and what do we do with it?we go back in time to see and listen to these wonderful songs of yesteryear
This was one of the very first 45 records that I bought. I had no idea until recently that Phil Spector was part of this group. One of my favorite songs and from an age when I first started becoming interested in listening to music.
@@Theywaswrong If we only listened to music not performed by murderers, rapists, thieves, wife/husbands beaters, racists, abusers and junkies , it would be vera lynn or nothing at all. wise up daftie
With just a minor lyric tweak, this could be a religious song. Certainly an everlasting title, a classic melody and inspired arrangement. Thanks for posting ... love it.
Live! WOW! Does whoever posted this realize how GREAT this is? And the wholesomeness, innocence, decency of the female lead is so pure, it brings tears to my eyes. They don't make people like Annette or songs like this today. Thanks for posting this.
I love Phil Spectors music ...His Wall Of Sound production was second to none ,it still sounds ground-breaking to this very day imo , and his Xmas album is the best ever...but it seems the guy had a very bad streak in him , which has ruined his Legacy , he will now be remembered for all the wrong things,its a shame
Keith Bate Repeatedly holding women at gunpoint because they won't have sex with you until you finally murder one of them qualifies as a lot more than "debris", I think. He did great things for music but he was just really a bad, bad person.
What started Phil's anger with Lana Clarkson (I read) was when Phil entered the place Lana Clarkson was working, she accidentally addressed Phil Spector as "Mame". This insulted Phil. And it went downhill after that. Lana made the horrible mistake of going home with this angry male.
percy 12/14/37 - Me too! Every morning I wake up with a different song playing in my head. It's like there's this independent disc jockey in my head who makes the decisions on what to play. Sometimes I'm surprised, I hear a song I haven't heard for 30 years. Sometimes a song I don't like very much. And the music is more intense than when I play it back on something electronic. Sometimes Beatles, sometimes Beethoven, today it was Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head, yesterday A Hard Day's Night, and day before yesterday Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In. It's one and all miracle.
Number one song of 1958,"OR" 1959 !!! a Great song ,sung by a very talented group , that Had a heart warming message .Thanks For Posting!!! Feb.13,2017 (Monday).
lazurm Well this song is from the 1960's Also in the 80's and after is all computer made music. Before then it was real instruments and vocals with no auto tune. So pre 80 was real music
