Artist:Lenny WelchSong:Since I Fell For You
Album:A Taste Of Honey: The Complete Cadence Recordings 1959-1964
Lenny Welch had his biggest hit in 1963 with the big band standard Since I Fell For You. A couple of his other songs charted but circumstances beyond his control prevented him from being a bigger star. He was born Leon Welch May 15, 1938 in Asbury Park, NJ. During a 1958 Decca Records audition, executives started calling him Lenny because they thought it sounded better than Leon. A couple of singles went nowhere. Then boxer Coley Wallace introduced Welch to Cadence Records owner Archie Bleyer. Welch signed and his first single You Don't Know Me charted. Unfortunately Ray Charles had a much bigger hit with that song. He also recorded A Taste Of Honey before The Beatles had a hit with it in 1963. Finally Welch scored when Since I Fell For You reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by Buddy Johnson and he originally recorded it in 1945 with sister Ella Johnson singing lead. Paul Gayten's version was a top 20 R & B hit in 1947. Eartha Kitt and Dinah Washington were among those who recorded Since I Fell For You before Welch recorded his definitive version. When Welch's recording of Ebb Tide was used in the 1964 film Sweet Bird Of Youth, it looked like he was on his way to a long successful career. But Archie Bleyer closed Cadence in 1964 because he saw what The Beatles were doing and he didn't think he could keep up with changing musical tastes. He sold all the recordings to Andy Williams. So Welch was looking for a new label. And he was drafted into the service. He signed with Kapp Records but was never able to recreate the success of Since I Fell For You. You can get his Cadence recordings on this comp from Ace Records. Lenny Welch still tours the oldies circuit today. Here's a video for Since I Fell For You by Lenny Welch.
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