1-2-3 (Len Barry song)
| "1-2-3" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Bullseye" |
"1 - 2 - 3" is a 1965 song recorded by American blue-eyed soul singer Len Barry, who co-wrote the song with John Medora and David White. The recording's chorus and accompaniment were arranged by Jimmy Wisner. The single was released in 1965 on the American Decca label.[1][2] The writers were sued by Motown Records at the time, claiming that the song is a reworking of Holland-Dozier-Holland's "Ask Any Girl" released by The Supremes as the B-side to their single "Baby Love" the year before. They denied the claim, but after two years of litigation, agreed to give the Motown writers 15% of the song's writing and publishing royalties.[3] Holland-Dozier-Holland are listed as co-authors by BMI.[4] The personnel on the original recording included Vinnie Bell, Bobby Eli and Sal Ditroia on guitar, Joe Macho on Bass, Artie Butler on Percussion, Leon Huff on piano, Artie Kaplan on sax, Bill Tole and Roswell Rudd on Trombone, Lee Morgan on trumpet, Fred Hubbard on clarinet, and Bobby Gregg on drums.[citation needed]
"1-2-3" reached number two in the US Billboard chart and number three on the UK Singles Chart.[5] "1-2-3" also went to number 11 on the Billboard R&B chart.[6] It sold over one and three quarter million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.[7]
It was also a Top 10 hit in both Australia, where it went to number seven, and in Ireland, where it went to number eight.[citation needed]
Chart performance
| Chart (1965) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| United States (Billboard Hot 100) | 2[8] |
| United States (Billboard R&B Singles Chart) | 11[8] |
| United Kingdom (Record Retailer) | 3[9] |
| United Kingdom (NME) | 1[10] |
Legacy
- Jane Morgan covered the song for the easy listening market. Her version reached No. 16 in 1966 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart and spent nine weeks on the chart.[citation needed]
- In 1980, the disco/dance group Salazar, peaked at number 60 on the US Billboard Hot Dance/Disco chart with their version of the song.[11]
- In 1994, it was sampled in Scottish musician Edwyn Collins' single A Girl Like You,[12] becoming the singer's biggest solo hit.[13]
References
- ^ "Decca 31827". 45cat.com. 31 July 1965. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
- ^ Len Barry: 1 - 2 - 3 at Discogs (list of releases)
- ^ "1 - 2 - 3". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ^ "1-2-3". Repertoire.bmi.com. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 43. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 49.
- ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 186. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ a b "allmusic ((( Len Barry > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
- ^ "Artist Chart History Details: Len Barry". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
- ^ Rees, Dafydd; Lazell, Barry; Osborne, Roger (1995). Forty Years of "NME" Charts (2nd ed.). Pan Macmillan. p. 160. ISBN 0-7522-0829-2.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 226.
- ^ "Edwyn Collins's A Girl Like You sample of Len Barry's 1-2-3 - WhoSampled". WhoSampled. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ^ "secondhandsongs.com". Secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 13 September 2014.