Mr. Lee as Performed by the Bobbettes (1957)

“It all started as a pastime for eight girls ranging in age from nine to eleven in New York’s Harlem. Schoolmates that began singing in the glee club of P.S.109 in 1955. Calling themselves the Harlem Queens, they began by doing local amateur nights. Gradually over the next two years the octet shrunk to a quintet. After appearing at the Apollo Theater’s famed amateur night, they didn’t win, they broadened their already growing following. Soon thereafter, James Dailey took over the group’s management. Feeling that “The Harlem Queens” wasn’t an appropriate name for five girls in there early teens he changed the name to the Bobbettes.

Dailey got them a recording contract with Atlantic Records and had them in the recording studio by the end of February 1957. Their first four recordings were group compositions and it wasn’t a fluke. They would write ten of their first eighteen recorded songs.

The group had already written a few songs and one which was the legendary “Mr. Lee,” who was actually a teacher of some of the Bobbettes. The group’s first single was released in June 1957. Although the lyrics speak glowing of “Mr. Lee,” the original lyrics were not the least bit flattering. The girls had an immense dislike for the teacher and the song was originally written as a put down. At the request of Atlantic’s A&R executives the group revised the lyrics to make it more commercial or possibly less controversial. ” (Source)

Composed by the Bobettes, “Mr. Lee” went straight to #1 on the R&B Chart and to #6 on the Pop Chart.

Mr. Lee Composed by Heather Dixon/Helen Gathers/Emma Pought/Jannie Pought/Laura Webb

One, two, three, look at Mr. Lee
Three, four, five, look at him jive
Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee
Oh, Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee
Oh, Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee

I met my sweetie
His name is Mr. Lee
I met my sweetie
His name is Mr. Lee
He’s the hansomest sweetie
That you ever did see

My heart is achin’ for you Mr. Lee
My heart is achin’ for you Mr. Lee
‘Cause I love you so
And I’ll never let you go

Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee
Oh, Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee
Oh, Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee

Oh, Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee

Here comes Mr. Lee
He’s coming for me
Here comes Mr. Lee
He’s coming for me
He’s my lover boy
Let’s jump for joy

Come on Mr. Lee and do your stuff
Come on Mr. Lee and do your stuff
‘Cause you’re gonna be mine
Till the end of time

One, two, three, look at Mr. Lee
Three, four, five, look at him jive
One, two, three, look at Mr. Lee
Three, four, five, look at him jive

Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee
Oh, Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee
Oh, Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee
Oh, Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee

One, two, three, look at Mr. Lee
Three, four, five, look at him jive

Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee
Oh, Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee
Oh, Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee
Oh, Mr. Lee
Mr. Lee

“Despite their initial success and the excitement of their performances, the Bobbettes’ next five releases sold poorly and Atlantic lost interest. At a final 1959 session, the girls recorded “I Shot Mr. Lee,” in which they finally sang what they really thought about their former teacher, but Atlantic refused to release it. The company did release the girls from their contract, however, and they went looking for a new label.” (Source)

This is what “I Shot Mr. Lee” sounds like. Great cut don’t you think? I had not heard it before I began searching the internet for information about the Bobbettes! Love it. Gonna add it to my Zen.

I Shot Mr. Lee Composed by Dixon/Gathers/Emma Pought/Laura Webb

One, two, three
I shot Mr. Lee
Three, four, five
I got tired of his jive

Whoa, whoa, whoa
We should’ve never, uh oh
Whoa, whoa, whoa
We should’ve never, uh oh

Whoa, whoa, whoa
We should’ve never, oh no
Whoa, whoa, whoa
We should’ve never, uh oh

Whoa, whoa, whoa
We should’ve never, oh no
Whoa, whoa, whoa
We should’ve never

Shouldn’t have never met a sweety
He shouldn’t have never met me
Shouldn’t have never met a sweety
Shouldn’t have never met me
Now his memory has got a history

He was a real cool cat
And wore a high top hat
He was a real cool cat
And wore a high top hat

He was a real cool cat
All the girls loved that

Whoa, whoa, whoa
We should’ve never, uh oh
Whoa, whoa, whoa
We should’ve never, uh oh

Whoa, whoa, whoa
We should’ve never, oh no
Whoa, whoa, whoa
We should’ve never, uh oh

Whoa, whoa, whoa
We should’ve never, oh no
Whoa, whoa, whoa
We should’ve never

I picked up my gun
And I went to his door
I picked up my gun
And I went to his door
Now Mr. Lee can tell me no more

He hollered help, help
Murder, police
The girl’s after me with a gun
Hollered help, help, murder, police
The girl’s after me with a gun

Six, seven, eight
Mr. Lee had a date
Nine, ten, eleven
Now he’s up in heaven

Shot him in the head
Boom boom, whoa oh
Shot him in the head
Boom boom, whoa oh

Shot him in the head
Boom boom, whoa oh
Shot him in the head
Boom boom, whoa oh

Shot him in the head
Boom boom, whoa oh
Shot him in the head
Boom boom

Thank you for visiting and enjoy the music.

Administrative Note

Sorry for the delay in posting today. I have been unable to publish any posts on WordPress since Thursday evening. I am not sure what the problem was but everything seems to work now. Friday’s song post is forthcoming.

Thanks for your patience.

Where Did Our Love Go - 40th Anniversay Edition

The album that started the meteoric rise to international fame for the most notorious Girl Group of our time was “Where Did out Love Go” by The Supremes. Originally released in August 1964, a remastered 40th Anniversary Edition was released in 2004. Check it out on the companion blog to OSML right here.

Enjoy the music.

Iko Iko as Performed by The Dixie Cups (1965)

I loved this tune the moment I heard it when I was in elementary school. I suppose it’s simplicity is what grabbed me as a child but as an adult the simplicity still is endearing. The song went to #20 on both the Pop and R&B charts in 1965.

The song also has quite an interesting pedigree that Richie Unterberger summed up in his “Iko Iko” song review on All Music.Com as follows:

“The impression is one of somehow sneaking in on a trio of girls just practicing or playing games among themselves for their own pleasure, whether in a dressing room, bedroom, or jumping rope perhaps, instead of a professional group doing a recording session.It turns out that “Iko Iko” wasn’t even planned to be recorded at its session. But after the musicians had gone home, while the women were doing some overdubbing, they started singing “Iko Iko” among themselves, using only a chair, drumstick, Coke bottle, ashtray, and drums as accompaniment. Producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller had the band record it for real. Actually, a quite good full-band single with a song quite similar to “Iko Iko,” obviously based on similar New Orleans sources, had been recorded for the R&B market in the mid-1950s by Sugar Boy Crawford & His Cane Cutters, given the title “Jock-a-Mo.” Dr. John, Buckwheat Zydeco, Cyndi Lauper, and Ringo Starr are among the artists who’ve covered “Iko Iko” subsequent to the Dixie Cups’ hit. “(Source)

There is also a “Mardi Gras Digest Online” that records “Iko Iko” as the #8 ranking Mardi Gras Song. You can read more song history here at their site and see the song lyrics as well.

I appreciate your visit. Thanks for stopping by.

Chapel of Love as Performed by The Dixie Cups (1964)

“The group hit the top of the charts in 1964 with “Chapel of Love,” a song that Phil Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich had originally written for The Ronettes. The trio consisted of sisters Barbara and Rosa Lee Hawkins; plus their cousin Joan Johnson, from the Calliope housing project in New Orleans. They first sang together in grade school. Originally they were to be called Little Miss and the Muffets, but were named The Dixie Cups just prior to their first release.

By 1963 the trio had decided to pursue a career in music and began singing locally as the Meltones. Within a year Joe Jones, a successful singer in his own right with the Top Five 1960 single “You Talk Too Much,” became their manager. After working with them for five months, Jones took them to New York, where record producers/songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller signed them to their new Red Bird Records.

Their first release, “Chapel of Love,” proved to be their biggest hit.” (Source)

“Chapel” Charted number 1 on both the Pop and R&B charts in 1964! Now that’s how to start a career and a record company.

Chapel of Love Composed by Lieber & Stoller

Goin’ to the chapel
And we’re gonna get ma-a-arried
Goin’ to the chapel
And we’re gonna get ma-a-arried
Gee, I really love you
And we’re gonna get ma-a-arried
Goin’ to the chapel of love

Spring is here, th-e-e sky is blue, whoa-oh-oh
Birds all sing as if they knew
Today’s the day we’ll say “I do”
And we’ll never be lonely anymore because we’re

Goin’ to the chapel
And we’re gonna get ma-a-arried
Goin’ to the chapel
And we’re gonna get ma-a-arried
Gee, I really love you
And we’re gonna get ma-a-arried
Goin’ to the chapel of love

Bells will ring, the-e-e sun will shine, whoa-oh-oh
I’ll be his and he’ll be mine
We’ll love until the end of time
And we’ll never be lonely anymore because we’re

Goin’ to the chapel
And we’re gonna get ma-a-arried
Goin’ to the chapel
And we’re gonna get ma-a-arried
Gee, I really love you
And we’re gonna get ma-a-arried
Goin’ to the chapel of love

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Goin’ to the chapel of love
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
FADE

Thanks for stopping by. I so appreciate your visit.