Song:Hey Paula
Album:Greatest Hits
Duets in pop music weren't that common until Hey Paula topped the charts in 1963. They had a couple of other hits but Paul & Paula are mainly known for Hey Paula. Paul & Paula were from Texas. Ray Hildebrand was born Dec. 21, 1940 in Joshua, TX. Jill Jackson was born May 20, 1942 in McCamey, TX. They were students at Howard Payne College in Brownswood, TX. when they performed Hey Paula at a local benefit show. Hildebrand was inspired to write Hey Paula by the Annette Funicello hit Tall Paul. They went to Fort Worth to see producer Major Bill Smith who had a big hit with Hey Baby by Bruce Channel. When someone didn't show up for booked studio time, he agreed to record Hey Paula and released it as Jill and Ray. It was a regional hit and was picked up by Mercury Records for their Philips label. But first Mercury exec Shelby Singleton changed their name to Paul & Paula. Hey Paula topped the charts in 1963. Their second single Young Lovers reached #6 on the Billboard hot 100. Hey Paula was rejected by several labels including VeeJay. But the song's success influenced VeeJay to pair up Jerry Butler and Betty Everett and Motown's pairing of Marvin Gaye and Mary Wells. Nino Tempo and April Stevens were another duo influenced by Paul & Paula. Hey Paula got a big boost when it appeared in the 1978 film National Lampoon's Animal House. Paul & Paula recorded three albums and most of their music is on this CD. Hildebrand didn't like touring and he returned to school in 1965. Jill Jackson recorded a couple of singles for Reprise but then she married and moved to California. Hildebrand has worked for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for years. And he recorded Contemporary Christian Music for Word Records. In the 80s, he formed Land & Hildebrand with Paul Land and the duo recorded several Christian music albums. They retired in 2004. Here's Paul & Paula performing Hey Paula in 1963.
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