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#6 Pop
Before there was the angelic youthful tenor of the pre-teen Michael Jackson, there was a teenager named Frankie Lymon. He sang lead on “Why Do Fools Fall in Love” propelling his group, The Teenagers, right on up the Pop charts!
The young Frankie influenced everyone from Ronnie Spector to Berry Gordy, who would later pattern his cross-over success on the musical template that Frankie Lymon laid out for the Pop Music industry.
I recall vividly being so excited by the youthful MJJ and sharing his music with my musical mentor, my Father. Daddy like MJJ but would repeatedly tell me that he was just a copy of Frankie Lymon. And of course eventually, when my musical taste matured, I realized how right he was. But I also wish my Dad had lived to here the entire development of MJJ musical talents during the span of his in credible solo career.
The composer of this song has been in dispute for years — but I can say that whoever wrote it made a classic hit song for the ages.
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#2 Adult Contemporary, # 6 R&B & #7 Pop
The proof of the song’s classic stature is that almost 30 years after it’s release, the cover version of “WDFFIL” by Diana Ross zoomed up the charts just as Lymon’s original release had done decades before.
Which of these two renditions is your fave and why?
Now please enjoy Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers first live TV performance of “WDFFIL” in 1956 and Diana Ross’ 1981 promotional video for “WDFFIL.”
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#1 R&B, #11 Pop
If you have been around OSML since the beginning you may remember that I blogged about this Orioles’ classic cover, “Crying In The Chapel,” back in 2008. And you may also recall that this song has a very special place in my heart so not only am I blogging about it again but I may do so again in the future.
If you are new here please listen to this beautiful ballad covered by the Baltimore male vocal group, active from 1946-1954, that were part of the master blueprint for what Doo-Wop & R&B were to become -- The Orioles!
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#4 Pop
June Valli covered the song in 1953 as well and charted quite high. She has an awesome voice IMHO.
This was Valli’s (the one time voice of Chiquita Banana) biggest hit.
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#4 Country & Western, #6 Pop
And of course here is the original version by Darrell Glenn that I had not yet heard at the time of my first post, but have since purchased and want to share here for your listening pleasure. The original charted well both Pop and Country Western in 1953.
Besides Glenn’s original and The Orioles and June Valli Covers ( all three versions hits in 1953), Rex Allen’s cover charted #8; Ella Fitzgerald’s cover charted #15 and an Art Lund cover charted #23 all in 1953.
Two of my favorite subsequent cover versions are by The Platters and Mahalia Jackson.
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#1 Easy Listening #3 Pop, #1 U.K.
Here is Elvis’ cover version recorded in 1960 for a Gospel LP, but released as a single in 1965.
Lastly here is a later version of a performance by latter day Orioles performing “CITC” to replace the video that has been removed from the previous post on this topic. Enjoy this beautiful ballad one more time right after you vote for your favorite.
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I loved Peggy Lee singing her signature cover song “Fever” in the Fifties (another of my Barbie doll’s favorites to sing in a night club -- LOL) and her her songs from Disney’s 1955 American film “Lady & The Tramp” Soundtrack!
But her only Grammy win was The Grammy for the 1969 Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Female that went to “Is That All There Is.” The arrangement makes me think of the musical “Cabaret”!
This Lieber and Stoller penned classic charted #1 Adult Contemporary and #11 on the Billboard T op 100. This was Peggy’s (born Norma Deloris Egstrom) last number one hit.
Is That All There Is (partial)
And here are two of my faves from “Lady & The Tramp.” Actually I have never seen the movie all of the way through or if I did as a child I don’t recall the plot. I only remember these awesome songs! What about you? Do you recall the plot?
He’s A Tramp -- This should have been a number one pop hit IMHO. Yo go girl
Song writer, singer and session musician Joe Souter, known professionally as Joe South, had written and played on many hits for other artists — but his composition “Games People Play” was his first chart topping hit at #12 on the Billboard Top 100: plus it won him not one but two Grammys as songwriter! The [...]
[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Last August 2008 OSML spotlighted the Best R&B Grammy Winners from 1958 to 1968. This month, February 2010, OSML is moving on to present all of the wonderful 1969 Grammy winners, in a variety of categories, that I grew up with and loved. This music was oh so [...]
[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Probably one of the most under-rated pop singers of my generation is Dionne Warwick. Brought up in the gospel world in a musical extended family, Dionne formed the “Gospelaires” singing group with her sister Dee Dee and her aunt Cissy Houston ( later the mother of Whitney Houston). [...]
[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Sam Harris — Sugar Don’t Bite (1984) Peaked at #36 on the Billboard Hot 100. Oklahoman Sam Harris is a Motown male vocalist in from Eighties era. This is a bit out of my area of knowledge since I sort of shut down on Pop music in the [...]
But her only Grammy win was The Grammy for the 1969 Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Female that went to “Is That All There Is.” The arrangement makes me think of the musical “Cabaret”!
