Song:To Know Him Is To Love Him
Album:Phil Spector-Back To Mono (1958-1969)
Of course today Phil Spector is a convicted murderer and has been perceived as borderline psychotic since the 70s. But back in the 60s, Spector created some of the best pop music ever. And To Know Him Is To Love Him was Spector's very first recording and topped the pop charts in 1958. Spector started hanging around Los Angeles recording studios as a teen learning recording techniques. After graduating from high school in 1958, he booked his first session at Gold Star Studios. Spector needed forty dollars to pay for the session. He borrowed money from his mom and Mashall Leib, Harvey Goldstein and Annette Kleinbard agreed to contribute if the could sing on the record. He recorded one song and signed a deal with Dore Records. Spector went back into the studio and brought in drummer Sandy Nelson to replace Goldstein. Spector wrote To Know Him Is To Love Him as a tribute to his father who committed suicide in 1949 and To Know Him Is To Love Him is on his tombstone. Dore sent the single to radio stations and it landed The Teddy Bears an appearance on American Bandstand. The song sold a million copies by the end of 1958. The Teddy Bears left Dore for Imperial over royalties in early 1959. But Imperial owner Lew Chudd wouldn't allow Spector to produce so they didn't last long there. Spector signed with Lieber & Stoller's Spark label but they couldn't use the Teddy Bears name. So after three singles as The Spectors Three, Spector disbanded the group and he went on to much bigger things. You can get everything on this box set. Annette Kleinbard changed her name to Carol Conners and has had a lot of success as a songwriter including co-writing Gonna Fly Now for the film Rocky. Sandy Nelson had some success as a solo artist on Imperial until a 1963 motorcycle accident forced him to have his leg amputated. Marshall Leib joined The Hollywood Argyles. Here are The Teddy Bears performing To Know Him Is To Love Him on The Perry Como Show 1959.
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