|
|
To Know Him is to Love Him
#1 in 1958
|
The Teddy Bears was a group that is perhaps most known for
being Phil Spector's first band. Following his graduation from Fairfax
high school in Los Angeles, California, Spector became obsessed with a
song, "To Know Him Is to Love Him", 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 - Spector, Marshall
Leib, lead singer Annette Kleinbard, and last minute recruit, drummer
Sandy Nelson - recorded the song at Gold Star Studios at a total cost of
$75. Released on ERA's Dore label in August 1958, it took a full two
months before "To Know Him Is to Love Him" began to get
airplay. The record eventually stayed in the Billboard Hot 100 for
twenty three weeks, resided in the Top Ten for eleven of those weeks,
and commanded the #1 chart position for three weeks. At age seventeen,
Spector had written, arranged, played, sung, and produced the
best-selling record in the country. Although subsequent releases by the
Teddy Bears on the Imperial label were considered well-recorded soft
pop, they did not sell, and within a year of their impressive debut,
Spector had disbanded the group. Spector was not the only Teddy Bear who
went on to an illustrious career after the group broke up. Annette
Kleinbard continued to write and record songs, and eventually changed
her name to Carol Connors. Among her songwriting credits are the Rip
Chords hit "Hey Little Cobra" and the Academy Awards nominated
Rocky theme song "Gonna Fly Now". |