Song:The Book Of Love
Album:Vintage Music: Collector's Series Volumes 1 & 2
The classic doo wop song The Book Of Love was the only hit for The Monotones in 1958. The song got a big boost when George Lucas used it in the 1972 film American Graffiti. The Monotones were from Newark, NJ led by lead singer Charles Patrick. They sang at the New Hope Baptist Church led by Cissy Houston. That's right, Whitney Houston's mom. Charles and his brother James Patrick were cousins of Cissy Houston and Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick. Other group members were Warren Davis, Charles Malone, John Smith, Warren Ryanes and his brother John Ryanes. They were all high school students. In 1956, they won Ted Mack's Amateur Hour performing The Cadillacs' Zoom. James Patrick left The Monotones to join the rival group The Kodaks. The story goes that Charles Patrick heard a Pepsodent commercial on the radio and the slogan I Wonder Where The Yellow Went inspired him to write The Book Of Love. Davis and Malone helped him write it that day. They recorded a demo and this got them a deal with Hull Records who released it on their Mascot label. It got too big for Hull who licensed it to Chess Records who released it on Argo. The Book Of Love reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1958. After subsequent singles went nowhere, The Monotones split up in 1962. You can get The Book Of Love on this various artists budget CD. The song got a big boost when it appeared in American Graffiti. They started touring the oldies circuit and a version of The Monotones still tours today. Here are The Monotones performing The Book Of Love on The Dick Clark Beech Nut Show Apr. 12, 1958.
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