Jump to content

The Teddy Bears

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Wbm1058 (talk | contribs) at 14:54, 29 July 2018 (For the Swedish band, see Teddybears (band).). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The Teddy Bears
Background information
OriginLos Angeles, California, United States
GenresPop
Years active1958–1959
LabelsEra
Past members
For the Swedish band, see Teddybears (band). For other uses, see Teddy bear (disambiguation).

The Teddy Bears were an American pop music group. They were record producer Phil Spector's first vocal group.

History

Following graduation from Fairfax high school in Los Angeles, California, Phil Spector became obsessed with "To Know Him Is to Love Him", a song he had written for his group, the Teddy Bears. After a hasty audition at ERA Records who offered to finance a studio session, the Teddy Bears – Phil Spector, Marshall Leib, Harvey Goldstein (who left the group early on), lead singer Annette Kleinbard,[1] and last minute recruit, drummer Sandy Nelson – recorded the song at Gold Star Studios at a cost of $75. Released on ERA's Dore label in August 1958, it took two months before "To Know Him Is to Love Him" began to get airplay.

It went on to become a global hit. The record stayed in the Billboard Hot 100 for 23 weeks, in the Top Ten for 11 of those weeks, and commanded the number 1 chart position for three weeks. It also reached #2 in the UK. It sold over two and a half million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.[2] At 19 years old, Spector had written, arranged, played, sung, and produced the best-selling record in the country.[1] Although subsequent releases by the Teddy Bears on the Imperial label were well-recorded soft pop, they did not sell, and within a year of the debut, Spector disbanded the group.

Spector was not the only Teddy Bear who went on to a career after the group broke up. Harvey Goldstein became a certified public accountant. Annette Kleinbard continued to write and record songs, and changed her name to Carol Connors. Among her credits are the Rip Chords hit "Hey Little Cobra", and the Academy Awards nominated Rocky theme song, "Gonna Fly Now," co-written with Ayn Robbins.

Discography

Studio album
  • The Teddy Bears Sing! (Imperial Lp-9067; 1959)

Track listing:

  • 1. Oh Why (Phil Spector) – 2:27
  • 2. Unchained Melody (Alex North; Hy Zaret) – 2:17
  • 3. My Foolish Heart (Ned Washington; Victor Young) – 2:19
  • 4. You Said Goodbye (Spector) – 1:56
  • 5. True Love (Cole Porter) – 2:00
  • 6. Little Things Mean a Lot (Carl Stutz; Edith Linderman) – 2:27
  • 7. I Don't Need You Anymore (Spector) – 2:40
  • 8. Tammy (from the Universal Studios release Tammy and the Bachelor; Jay Livingston; Ray Evans) – 2:06
  • 9. Long Ago and Far Away (Ira Gershwin; Jerome Kern) – 2:03
  • 10. Don't Go Away (Spector) – 2:23
  • 11. If I Give My Heart to You (Al Jacobs; Jimmie Crane; Jimmy Brewster) – 1:57
  • 12. Seven Lonely Days (Alden Shuman; Earl Shuman; Marshall Brown) – 1:56
Singles

1958

  • "To Know Him is to Love Him", b/w "Don't You Worry My Little Pet"
  • "If You Only Knew (The Love I Have for You)", b/w "You Said Goodbye"
  • "Oh Why", b/w "I Don't Need You Anymore"

1959

  • "Wonderful Lovable You", b/w "Till You'll Be Mine"
  • "Don't Go Away", b/w "Seven Lonely Days"

References

  1. ^ a b Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 61. CN 5585.
  2. ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 108. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Teddy_Bears&oldid=852517637"