The Teddy Bears - To Know Him is to Love Him - 1958

The Teddy Bears go all the way to # 1 for three weeks in October of 1958 with their only chart hit.... a great song !!

The Teddy Bears was Phil Spector's first vocal group, the only one of which he was a member.

[edit] HistoryFollowing graduation from Fairfax high school in Los Angeles, California, Phil Spector became obsessed with the song "To Know Him Is to Love Him" he had written for his group, The Teddy Bears. After a hasty audition at ERA Records who offered to finance a studio session, The Teddy Bears - Phil Spector, Marshall Leib, Harvey Goldstein (who left the group early on), lead singer Annette Kleinbard,[1] and last minute recruit, drummer Sandy Nelson - recorded the song at Gold Star Studios at a cost of $75. Released on ERA's Dore label in August 1958, it took two months before "To Know Him Is to Love Him" began to get airplay.

The record stayed in the Billboard Hot 100 for 23 weeks, in the Top Ten for 11 of those weeks, and commanded the #1 chart position for three weeks. At 19 years old, Spector had written, arranged, played, sung, and produced the best-selling record in the country.[1] Although subsequent releases by the Teddy Bears on the Imperial label were well-recorded soft pop, they did not sell, and within a year of the debut, Spector disbanded the group.

Spector was not the only Teddy Bear who went on to a career after the group broke up. Harvey Goldstein became a certified public accountant. Annette Kleinbard continued to write and record songs, and changed her name to Carol Connors. Among her credits are the Rip Chords hit "Hey Little Cobra" and the Academy Awards nominated Rocky theme song "Gonna Fly Now," co-written with Ayn Robbins.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• 45's teddy bears
• music
• rock and roll
• radio
• oldies
• record player
• vinyl

[1shipaground]

I remember as a 10 year old,begging for a threepenny bit,then running to the coffee bar and playing this song on the juke box

[RadioCarino]

@1shipaground Great Tune indeed. Thank you for tuning in.....Check out my channel if you like, I have over 1200 oldies on my page ! THANK YOU S CARINO

[TheCowboy1943]

Good dance music -- Reminds me of the best years of my life with BZ

[SWTMZBUTTACUP]

THIS MUSIC WAS BEFORE MY TIME BUT I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!!!!!

[MagicGary1960]

@MagicGary1960 Carol Connors wrote Gonna Fly Now the theme to Rocky and wrote alot of classic songs!

[desert3347]

I never knew what they looked like. Transistor radio, Bandstand was about it.

God, she's beautiful......Curves in the right places.

Too bad "Spector" Ruiuned my Memories of this "Masterpiece".

[Salubesame]

Very nice remembrance

Thank you very much for this song

[JOANNHFL]

@JOANNHFL

THERE WAS A SPECIAL MAN IN MY LIFE THAN AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD STAY THAT WAY...

[JOANNHFL]

WHEN THAT SONG WAS ON TOP OF THE CHARTS I FELT EXACTLY ABOUT A SPECIAL GUT AT THE THAT TIME AND WISHED IT LASTED FOREVER...

[MagicGary1960]

Carol Connors AKA Annette Kleinbard co-wrote the theme to Rocky I thought that was pretty cool? Carol made the statement that she changed her name from Annette Kleinbard to Carol Connors, Because of Annette Funicello she could'nt stand her thusly she decided to change her name a true story.