THE CRYSTALS " LITTLE BOY " PHIL SPECTOR CLASSIC

[elpuma70]

just amazing. thank you so much for posting.

[annnilini]

beautiful voices! wonderful to listen to!

[Desiree50]

He may be a nurderer but he was the mad genius.

[nash665588]

Does any one know the names of all four artists??

[dpohunter]

@nash665588 Per an earlier post, left-to-right: Barbara Alston, Barbara Massey, Dee Dee Kennibrew and lead Lala Brooks. Barbara Massey replaced original member Pat Wright, but was only briefly with the group, soon replaced by Frances Collins (who can be seen in the two Shivaree! Crystals performances here on YT)

[richardm123uk]

JUST fucking incredible. Glad to be alive,

[odovicor]

@richardm123uk You said it! I ordered a Crystals cd for this song, and you wouldn't believe some of the other great tunes--specifically "O Yeah, Maybe Baby, I'm fallin' in Love."

[desert3347]

IS THAT LALA SINGING LEAD ??????????????

[sergio944]

@desert3347 yes, it is La la .

[Desiree50]

@desert3347 it sure is.

[desert3347]

@Desiree50 I Thought So. God, I Love Her Voice!!

[MrB17FlyingFortress]

I just found out Ellie Greenwich passed away. I met her and she introducted me to her mother. What a nice lady.

[Desiree50]

LaLABrooks must of been about 13 or 14 years old here.

[Dairybeat]

The 'Little Boy' Lyrics with Guitar Chords that I tabed is on Ultimate Guitar.

[JimmyBoi2]

Never realized how this song employs a fabulous conga beat ... you can especially "feel it" in the Karen Verros version-- excellent, by the way !

[carolingianVI]

beautiful Lala leads, next to her is Dee Dee, Mary (or Pat?,....not so sure about this, since Patsy lef the band in 64) and then, wonderful Barbara! Lala must have been some 16-17 years old (assuming this video is from 1964, the year this song was released) So cute!!!!!

[glamourpho]

very confusing still. blossoms/darlene love/crystals

[JimmyBoi2]

@glamourpho Confusing, yep! Phil wanted to record He's A Rebel and He's Sure the Boy I Love QUICKLY, and the Crystals were on tour AND pissed at him for royalties, sooo... he hired session singers-- the Blossoms, who were also an act unto themselves.

[JimmyBoi2]

@glamourpho  Philles 100B There's No Other, Philles 102 Uptown, Philles 105 He Hit Me: Lead by Barbara Alston. Philles 100A Oh Yeah Maybe Baby: Lead by Patsy Wright. Philles 106 He's A Rebel, Philles 109 He's Sure the Boy I Love: lead by Darlene Love. Philles 112 Da Doo Ron Ron, Philles 115 Then He Kissed Me, Philles 119X Little Boy, Philles 122 All Grown Up: lead by La La Brooks.

[JimmyBoi2]

@glamourpho And finally LOL... Darlene Love had THREE solo singles on Philles-- 111, 114, and 117. And led THREE by Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans: 107, 110, 1nd 113. And another Blossom joined Darlene as a Blue Jean. BUT on the Christmas LP, two DIFFERENT girls portray Blue Jeans: Carolyn Willis (another Blossom!!) and a Miss Washington (a session singer). It was all about who was available for Spector to use in the studio...

[j4vice]

it sounds like ... Darlene ...

[Jayplaysgitar]

@j4vice The distinctive vocals here belong to a very young LaLa Brooks. These are the real Crystals performing in this video. Darlene Love never performed with the Crystals, but she had a couple of records released on the fly under that name by Phil Spector. In some respects DL gets rather too much credit for things...

[kabbovi]

Fascinating footage... Many thanks! LaLa Brooks looks just a kid! TV back then just couldn't contain the Spector Sound, could it? This particular track needed a Concet Hall to do it real/reel justice...

[krejcik666]

How old they were when tey sang the song? It look like they had just celebrated their trirteenths

[boundary22]

You can get this mp3 at instantmp3s..com

[MingnonDunn]

Thick as a Persian rug. Roaring good!

[foxnaif]

da da da da da - dah - that's the beat that makes the Wall of Sound, attributed to Phil Spector, who wrote/produced Wall of Sound classics with Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry like Be My Baby by the Ronettes (1964); Leader of the Pack by the Shangri-Las (1963); Da Do Ron Ron by the Crystals (1963). You can hear it here on Little Boy, too. But what is interesting is this beat is on Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow by the Shirelles, written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King -- in 1960!

[gooboo1000]

Lala can sing. Such a robust, complete, no nonsense set of vocals. I wish you much happiness, gigs, and great song!!!

[Desiree50]

yeah he changed he has no wigs to wear and hes bald and he always hated it.i hope buba fucks him in the ass

[odovicor]

I love this song, but I don't think it's available on any recording?

[michellesvideosuk]

@odovicor Oh yes it is as I have it, it is on the Best of the Crystals CD with a pink colour cover!

And it is not re-recorded before anyone ask, they are all the original reconrdings on the CD I have! xxx

[odovicor]

@michellesvideosuk Thanks! And I just now sent my order to AMAZON. I have most of the Crystals' songs, but this one, and a few others on the CD, I don't have.

Thanks so much for the inside info on the particular recording. I was one of the suckers who bought the re-recordings.

Long live the Wall of Sound!

[michellesvideosuk]

@odovicor Your welcome, you will love that CD when you get it as I love it so much, such great music! xx

[odovicor]

@michellesvideosuk Greetings! Just got the CD a couple of days ago, and I have been indulging ever since. I love this song, and many of the others I had already had. Cheers!

[michellesvideosuk]

@odovicor Hiya, awww, I am so pleased you are enjoying the CD, it is a great collection of the girls music, I am glad I helped. Enjoy! xxx

[odovicor]

@michellesvideosuk Thanks! I enjoyed it coming in to work this morning. A song I had never heard before may now be my favorite by the Crystals: "O, Yeah, Maybe, Baby." Magnificent.

[michellesvideosuk]

@odovicor Oh, yes that is a great song, Patsy Wrignt does the lead on that one and she is good on it. Quite catchy too. Lol xxx

[odovicor]

@michellesvideosuk Hey, Hey--I am on my way home after a day of teaching. Now a nice ride home through the country listening to this cd. I wonder if there is a 12 Step program to break the addiction. Cheers!

[odovicor]

@michellesvideosuk Hey, Hey--I am on my way home after a day of teaching. Now a nice ride home through the country listening to this cd. I wonder if there is a 12 Step program to break the addiction?Cheers!

[rfgrass]

la la brooks sings as great today as ever...maybe even better!

[MICKEYSMONKEY]

is that lala leading?.....nice cut

[JSG1951]

@MICKEYSMONKEY It is La La,you're correct.Awesome track that only got to 92 or 98 on the charts.

[MICKEYSMONKEY]

@JSG1951 thanks.....also.....is that deedee sharp next to la la?....the locomotion chick

[JSG1951]

@MICKEYSMONKEY Hi Mickey. No she is not Dee Dee Sharp, but is Dee Dee Kennebrew who is the only original member that was continuously in the group through the years. Little Eva recorded the Loco Motion and Dee Dee Sharp was a solo act who sang Mashed Potato Time and other hits.

[MingnonDunn]

Wall-o-Sound squared!

[dpohunter]

Too bad this cuts off before Dick Clark gets to interview them, would have been interesting. But this footage is very rare nonetheless. Thanks for posting!

[brotherjulius]

These young girls quietly appear from behind the curtain and then,along with Spector,deliver a musical tsunami_absolutely brilliant.

[imyoursuperior2]

I like the way you put it, musical tsunami

[odovicor]

@brotherjulius Love your metaphor--tsunami would truly describe the effect.

[HSECMAN]

@brotherjulius a tsunami of sound! perfect analogy-you dont see it coming until it hits you in the face! EXCELLENT

[JSG1951]

follow up to " Then He Kissed Me" I believe.Early 1964?

[ScriptWorker]

Yes thats right, January.

[24JohnE]

I have ever song by the Crystals except the flip side of this song and one other. By any chance, do you have the flip side "Harry And Milt'? It's an instrumental. Thanks.

John

[Jayplaysgitar]

Lead vocalist, LaLa Brooks is appearing tonight in a Christmas Special, 8.00pm Bergen PAC, Englewood, NJ. where she will be performing selections from her hit records with her own backing band and singers. Curtain rises 8.00pm for a great show with some great acts. Check internet for "A Rockin' Holiday Doo-Wop Celebration"

[spacepatrolman]

That used to be a theater where local groups like the scance brothers performed then they hired andre previn as a consultant [this record was arranged by jack nitsche whos great uncle was nitsche the philosopher unfortunately nitsche the philosopher is rubbish along with milton if you are interested in philosophy then read aristotle ,plato ,eric erikson and maslow] .

[StevesWifeCharlo]

Happy Birthday, DICK CLARK~

[Freyja1133]

R I P Ellie Greenwich....

[yaniska100]

Hey, whatever happened to the great.. PHIL SPECTOR.??

He produced some great artist!

[cashc0w]

he went to prison for murder

[kuda1552]

@yaniska100 hes in jail for manslaughter, he's a wacko

[MrKnopf]

But he made GREAT music and brought lots of joy to the world... And, maybe, he was / is innocent, who knows?!

[THEMOJOMANsince1959]

@MrKnopf That why I wonder ??? After OJ and BLAKE they socked it to PHIL

[JimmyBoi2]

From a posting on Crystal Barbara Alston's site:

On a previous post I give the site for a per-

formance of the Crystals on American Bandstand from January 1964 performing "Little

Boy". The girls are from left to right:

Barbara Alston, Barbara Massey, Dee Dee Kenniebrew, and, of course, La La Brooks singing lead.

Barbara Massey was only with the group

for a brief period before she left to

work with Harry Belafonte.

This is when Frances Collins was brought

in.

[easypickns]

JimmyBi2, When did Darlene Love join the Crystals?

[JimmyBoi2]

Hiya Easy -- Darlene Love never did join. She and the other Blossoms recorded He's A Rebel and He's Sure the Boy I Love, which Spector released as by the Crystals, but the Blossoms were never actually ever Crystals-- only on label, due to Spector's shenanigans.

[easypickns]

Wow! I never new that. Thanks to You Tube now we can ask people questions that really know their music.

[rfgrass]

Lala is great...saw her at the Cutting Room in NYC about a year ago and she KILLED! and Darlene Love came up out of the audience to sing "He's A Rebel" w/ Lala doing

backing vocals....she did this song, a bunch of other Crystals hits plus tremendous versions of the Stones "Beast Of Burden" and Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" this song barely charted so that's why a lot of people don't know it...

[keniee]

Lala is the bomb for me. I love her in Da Do Ron Ron....... she is so fine.

[letseeitplease]

that was excellent. i always wondered what they looked like. i had this record when i was a kid,, thanks for posting this wonderful video of the Crystals, -------- Thank You.

[king1and]

RIP Ellen Greenwich 26th August 2009

[arizonaghost1]

this was released in jan.;64

[kokoho99]

very nice music !!!!!!

[snertster]

Willy DeVille and his band Mink DeVille re-did this as "Little Girl."

[belltocher]

this is a great tune. how come i'v never herd this before ?. i only listen to oldes radio.

[jjkdc]

Such a beautiful song. I've never seen any Crystals video before this...

[OmeletteThePuppy]

Lala's pretty good, but I still prefer Barbara Alston.

[SueBeaWho]

How sweet, they are just babies :-)

[hebneh]

Yeah, it does look like the curtain failed to open. But I actually like the way they come through it.

I actually find the orchestration on this to be overwhelming, but I think that's partly the fault of the very low-fidelity quality of this particular TV clip's audio.

[spintation]

Was this after Then He Kissed Me?

[JSG1951]

I think so. I think this came out in January '64? Following this was "All Grown Up" in August '64.That was their last Philles recording.There were 2 versions that they recorded of "All Grown Up ".Unfortunately,this song and "All Grown Up" didn't do well on the charts.

[keniee]

That's definitely La La Brooks singing lead.

[soulfultony]

LaLa-lead, Dee Dee, Fippy in the middle & Barbara Alston.

[odovicor]

Fabulous, roaring "wall of sound."

[oxonsteve]

@odovicor . WONDERFUL. Best of this genre?

[odovicor]

@oxonsteve Certainly in the top FIVE, along with their "O baby, maybe, I'm falling...." or something like that. Cheers!

[HSECMAN]

@odovicor it sounds like a cage of lions in the background-UNBELIEVABLE!

[odovicor]

@HSECMAN May there always be one more! You're on the mark with the "cage of lions." I had not heard this until Youtube. 

[IStehSHIT]

@odovicor i think this can show us how far shoegaze is the name of everything with the wall of sound

[zincalloy1]

This is the definition of the wall of sound.

[Desiree50]

where is LaLa Brooks or Darlene Love?

[peterandreasen]

It´s LaLa "singing" lead. Darlene Love never performed public as a crystal

[Desiree50]

thank you for the info,i got to watch a nice clip of darlene and lala jamming,its on you tube.i really am a wall of sound fan i even met ronnie spector on two different occasions.what a beautiful woman.peace Des

[michellesvideosuk]

@Desiree50 La la is on this clip, she is singing lead!! xxx

[justicejackson223]

Who is the woman standing between Barabara and Dee Dee, She doesn't look liek Frances Collins or Pasty Wright

[JimmyBoi2]

I believe that's a young lady referred to as "Fippy" in Barbara's book... anyone have a correction ?

[justicejackson223]

Wait a minute the short one isn't Dee Dee, That one must be Fippy, I seen the pic but who is the one in the middle??

[Soplush322]

No that's Dee Dee

[dylandollyspud]

I bet she'd hate being called Pasty!

I felt sorry for all those sixties girlie groups having to mime, as they all looked so uneasy

[justicejackson223]

No that's her nick name that's what verybody called here her real name was Patricia Wirght

[WWAHP]

Was Darlene Love ever part of the singing the Crystals?

[boopkid]

I believe she was only a "studio" substitution for the Crystals.

[justicejackson223]

No, Only sang lead vocals for the songs "He's Rebel", she was in her own group called The Blossoms and they did the actual back ground they didn't start using the real crytals until this song came out

[JSG1951]

Darlene also sang "He's Sure The boy I Love" however, the record was stamped The Crystals in name only.All other songs by the Crystals were sung by The Crystals.

[BlackCeasar6661]

Yeah that's the song from the Good Fellas "Go Get Your Shinebox" scene! I've been trying to figure who sung that song for last 15 years.

[CharlesBarry]

To jsg1951, Hi ! Darlene ( Wright her real name ) Love also sang lead on He's a Rebal, Also Darlene and her younger sister Edna Wright ( laed singer of the group Honeycone ) sang all the background ! NO CRYSTALS !!!

[JSG1951]

Hi Charles,You are correct.I forgot about "He's a Rebel" in which Darlene sang lead and none of the Crystals sang on.Thanks

[michellesvideosuk]

@justicejackson223 Wrong, between 1961 and 1962 the crystals recorded all their own songs when Barbara Alston was the lead singer, it was only after 1962, that Spector got Darlene Love to record "He's A Rebel" and "He's Sure The Boy I Love" with her group the Blossoms that things changed, three songs were done with new lead snger La La and the Blossoms and they were "Da Doo Ron Ron", Then He KIssed Me" and "Heartbreaker" all the rest of the songs were the actual Crystals with La La on lead. xxx,

[atletico45]

Wow! Phil Spector's true Wall Of Sound.

Gosh a 2 minute song with full orchestra

composed of hundreds of instruments. Like

Phil used to say. All my songs are little

symphonies or small operas. He sure was right!

[PaulDePace]

My big question is.... How does this Dick Clark "American Bandstand" video able to survive on YouTube when so many of that show's videos have been removed by YouTube due to licensing issues. Presumably Dick Clark does not allow their showing? There is only on Ronettes video...and virtually not much else? Anyway...glad to have this one!

[57Will]

Wow! Being able to see a performance of this group lip syncing on "American Bandstand" a song that I'd never heard until now is a real treat. Think this was their last charted single (#92 on Billboard's pop charts in 1964). Very underrated song, I think.

[odovicor]

Absolutely. I'm just past the 50s mark, but I had never heard this song. It is marvelous, and the "wall of sound" roars like a tidal wave. Nothing like it anywhere, except the last movement of a Beethoven symphony!!!!

[57Will]

So am I, and I'd never heard this marvelous song before, either. Really should have done a lot better on the charts, but then again, perhaps the coming of the "British Invasion" killed it. Doesn't diminish the song's charm.

[odovicor]

Well said, and inherent in your comments is that the discerning person would still like the song even if it had hit number one. I like much of the garage bands of three guitars and a set of drums, but this sound is unique. The music business has historically been inimical to women artists, who really did have to be twice as good to get half the recognition. Interestingly, many male moguls within the entertainment industry cite these girl groups as favorites--in one way or another. Cheers!

[CloudPanda568]

I must say, I'm surprised that a show with a forgotten 60s song wasn't wiped long ago... Anyhow, when I first heard this, I was a big suspicious, but now I really like it! The old Wikipedia article referred to it as monstrous, so I changed the article to be a tad more neutral. :)

[DncnBoy]

ive been a fan of the Crystals for a while, they are truly beautiful ( girls) Women. The lead singer seems so shy and what a voice...her name is La La Brooks and she is still beautiful and singing...this is the first time ive seen them perform

[Jinxdad]

Even if they are lip-synching, this is the kind of retrospective that we need to keep the old sound alive. Thanks.

[brotherjulius]

Regarding what the girls are chanting in the background_Jack Nitzsche arranged the Crystals' version and produced Mink Deville's version_Deville sing "doo ronde ronde" and I think this goes for the girls.Monumental track!.

[pj76ers]

See if you can track down Mink DeVille's cover, "Little Girl". You won't be disappointed.

[LAMF1968]

God , love that wall of Sound

[laminage]

Thank you for putting this up!!! I heard that alot of his "groups" didn't make a dime off of their recordings. Is this true?

[dutchhenkie]

Don't you love it when to come on stage... the curtain probably failed... And then this song....

[1961FloridaBoy]

THE BEST! Those 4 beautiful black girls group,

The Crystals were so hot and so cool.

[drpesky]

Wonderful song ive never worked out what the girls sing is it

Blue gowns and roses ????

i have an oil painting of the girls in my bedroom

[sschev]

Just Great !!!!!!!!!!!

[heathrow27r]

No need to wonder brotherjulius "I Wonder/Little boy"is the greatest 45rpm ever full stop, and how cool are the girls

[weikko79]

One of the most underappreciated of The Crystals' classic songs.

[brotherjulius]

In the U.K."I Wonder" followed "Then He Kissed Me" and reached No.36 in the charts.With "Little Boy" as the "B"side I wonder if there has been a greater pop single?!

[JohnAGood]

I bought I wonder/ Little Boy when it first came out in the UK, i remeber being awe inspired by the Wagnerian qualities of it, absolutely knock out, always been my favourite Crystals track , just love the Crystals.

[beachwood4]

Does anyone know if this is lip synced? it sounds slower that the original, but i don't have the original around.

[oxyaena]

How Homely...I guess they had to fit the "innocent" persona of the song"Little Boy" by looking like "Little Girls"-even though they closer in age to 20 than to 10...

[Howmanone]

Mink De Ville did a good cover of this in the eighties I do believe!!

[durang77]

the sound isn't that good on youtube.

it's sound a lot better on Rhapsody.

look under Phil Spector Back to Mono.

it's free

[gillisgrant]

I have always wanted to know what they are singing in the background. Does anyone know?

[dlovefan]

They're singing "Little boy, take my hand."

[gillisgrant]

Actually, after hearing a more recent clip of La La Brooks singing this with her band, it seems what they are singing is "Doo Ron Day Ron Day".

[louiecostello]

no you fuckin moron. its "little boy take my hand". END OF. jeez what a prick

[boortztoo]

I agree with you, they are saying "Doo Ronde Ronde" in the background, which is what The Shirelles also sang in the background on "I Met Him On A Sunday".

The Monkees also used "ronde ronde" on "She Hangs Out". It's been used on some other songs from that period also.

[naltrexone23X]

Its "little boy I cant hide it"

[kpitt1204]

Hmm? Never heard this song before. I guess it will have to grow on me. To me, it all feels too far away, like there is too much noise in the record, but I guess that it what people liked about Phil Spector's production. I do however love the innocence of the girls.

[ibidu2]

This song was chart clunker peaking at 92. The next song peaked at 98. This was the start of the end and they knew, look at their faces,

[weikko79]

That's too bad, since this is a great song.

[JSG1951]

I think this song followed "Then He Kissed Me" which had a clearer,more commercial sound."Little Boy" didn't do as well. "Then He Kissed Me" was a #5 or #6 hit,Little Boy" reached #92 or #98 on the charts.they had one more single on Philles after that."All Grown Up" which had 2 versions.That song also didn't do well on the charts.

[orvgg]

eeriest love song of all times. that background sound gives me chills.

[lrush777]

They were sweet little girls.

[soulfultony]

Spector did NOT drop the Crystals, they dropped him because he did not pay royalties.

[Freyja1313]

south,that's why they're sueing spector

[JohnMaher]

Was this not the B-side of 'I Wonder'? Didn't 'I Wonder' resurface in the seventies disguised as Roy Wood's 'Forever'?

The Crystals were my first sweet-hearts. They were good girls you could take home to meet mum and dad.

But the Ronettes??? With their beehive hair, mascara and slit dresses??? Oh no! They were BAD girls! [he said, tongue-in-cheek].

[Freyja1313]

John,the Ronettes wore boufants,not bee hives that was one of the shangri las... Betty Weiss

[spacepatrolman]

you can ask roy at his website

[bobbysoxer69]

I think it is Fippy in between Babs and Dee Dee, it certainly doesn't look like Patsy or Frances.

[MurielBumblehorse]

I like the way rhe girls rescued what could have been a disaster when the curtain failed to open.

[JSG1951]

Thanks for bringing this clip back.love this song. What a voice.Love this song. Think it's the follow up to "Then He Kissed Me".

[MurielBumblehorse]

Although I loved The Ronettes I actally preferred the Crystals, spector made a big mistake when he dropped them. interesting comment Jimmyboi I certainly don't think the crystal you mention is either Pat or her replacement Frances Collins.They recorded an even better song about this time call I wonder which I think may have only been released in the UK. A truly awsome record.

[spacepatrolman]

A JACK NITSCHE ARRANGEMENT

[JimmyBoi2]

Is that Pat between Barbara and Dee Dee? Or maybe it's the elusive Fippy, who Barbara mentions as a temporary Crystal on her website ...

[bobbysoxer69]

This is awesome, it is a rare to see Barbara Alston on screen, even though she is in the background it is awesome to finally see a clip of her.