Then He Kissed Me Explained

Then He Kissed Me
Cover:Then He Kissed Me.jpg
Type:single
Artist:The Crystals
Album:Philles Records Presents Today's Hits
B-Side:Brother Julius
Released:July 12, 1963
Genre:Brill Building[1]
Length:2:35
Label:Philles (US, Canada)
London (UK)
Producer:Phil Spector
Prev Title:Da Doo Ron Ron
Prev Year:1963
Next Title:Little Boy
Next Year:1964

"Then He Kissed Me" is a song written by Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry. The song, produced by Spector, was initially released as a single on Philles Records (#115) in July 1963 by The Crystals. The lyrics are a narrative of a young woman's encounter, romance, and eventual engagement with a young man.

In 2004, this song was number 493 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[2] Pitchfork placed it at number 18 on its list of "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s".[3] Billboard named the song number 8 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.[4]

The song appears in the 1987 film Adventures in Babysitting and in the 1990 movie Goodfellas. It was also played in the opening scene of the 2020 film .

The Crystals version

The single is one of The Crystals' best-remembered songs. It was recorded at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles in April 1963. The lead vocal was sung by Dolores "LaLa" Brooks, the Wall of Sound arrangement was by Jack Nitzsche, featuring The Wrecking Crew, and Larry Levine was the engineer.[5] In the United States the single peaked at number 6 and in the United Kingdom it peaked at number 2. It was The Crystals' third single to chart in the top ten in the United States, and their second to reach the top ten in the United Kingdom. The song was also a major hit in the Republic of Ireland, reaching number 3 in the charts there.

Cash Box described it as "a captivating, quick moving, full sounding romantic that sports a sensational arrangement by Jack 'Specs' Nitzsche."[6]

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1963)Peak
position
Australia (Go-Set)[7] 9
Ireland (The Irish Times)[8] 3
New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)[9] 5
Norway (Verdens Gang)[10] 8
UK Singles Chart[11] 2
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[12] 6
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[13] 6

Year-end charts

Chart (1963)Rank
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 68
US Cash Box[15] 98

The Beach Boys version

Then I Kissed Her
Cover:Beach Boys - Then I Kissed Her.jpg
Caption:1967 UK single cover
Type:single
Artist:The Beach Boys
Album:Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
B-Side:"Mountain of Love"
Released:
Length:2:15
Label:Capitol
Producer:Brian Wilson

The song was retitled "Then I Kissed Her" and released by The Beach Boys on their 1965 album Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) with Al Jardine on lead vocals and production by Brian Wilson. Beyond title and gender changes, new lyrics were written retelling the story of the Crystals' song from the boyfriend's point of view.

Two years after appearing on the album, in April 1967 the song was released as a single in the United Kingdom, appearing as a stop-gap release while work continued on the "Heroes and Villains" single. This was reportedly done against the band's wishes; Beach Boys band member Mike Love commented on May 7, 1967, "The record company didn't even have the decency to put out one of Brian’s own compositions. The reason for the hold up with a new single has simply been that we wanted to give our public the best and the best isn't ready yet."[16]

"Then I Kissed Her" charted at number 4 in the UK. The B-side of the single was "Mountain of Love", a song off the band's 1965 Beach Boys' Party! album.

Charts

Chart (1967)Peak
position
Finland (Soumen Virallinen)[17] 16
Dutch Top 40[18] 2
German Singles Chart[19] 39
Irish Singles Chart[20] 4
Norwegian Singles Chart[21] 10
UK Singles Chart[22] 4
According to contemporary national charts sourced and cited by Billboard in 1967, it reached number 2 in Sweden and South Africa and number 9 in Belgium. It was number 12 in Australia's Go Set chart and number 6 in New Zealand.

Personnel

Personnel sourced from Craig Slowinski.[23]

The Beach Boys

Session musicians and production staff

Other versions

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Brill Building Sound: Where Rock And Roll Began . 20 July 2019 . Audioacademy.in . February 3, 2022.
  2. Web site: The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. https://web.archive.org/web/20081227072452/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6596338/then_he_kissed_me/1. dead. December 27, 2008. RollingStone.com. 2008-09-21.
  3. Web site: Staff Lists: The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s | Features . . August 18, 2006 . May 24, 2014 . June 2, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130602072550/http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/6405-the-200-greatest-songs-of-the-1960s/1/ . dead .
  4. Web site: 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks. Billboard. July 10, 2017. July 11, 2017.
  5. Phil Spector: Back To Mono 1958 - 1969, 4 CD box set, All Mother Bertha Music, 1991, liner notes
  6. CashBox Record Reviews . August 3, 1963 . 12 . 2022-01-12 . Cash Box.
  7. Billboard Magazine, December 21, 1963 . Billboard. 21 December 1963.
  8. Billboard Magazine, November 16, 1963 . Billboard. 16 November 1963.
  9. Web site: Flavour of New Zealand, 31 October 1963. Flavourofnz.co.nz. 23 October 2023.
  10. Billboard Magazine, November 23, 1963 . Billboard. 23 November 1963.
  11. Billboard Magazine, November 2, 1963 . Billboard. 2 November 1963.
  12. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 -
  13. Web site: Cash Box Top 100 12/28/68. 12 August 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140812082850/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/60s_files/19681228.html . 23 October 2023. 2014-08-12 .
  14. Web site: Top 100 Hits of 1963/Top 100 Songs of 1963. Musicoutfitters.com. 23 October 2023.
  15. Web site: Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 28, 1963 . May 16, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140713020757/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/60s_files/1963YESP.html . July 13, 2014 . dead .
  16. New Musical Express, May 7, 1967
  17. Book: Nyman, Jake . Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja . Tammi . 2005 . 951-31-2503-3 . 1st . Helsinki . 96. fi.
  18. Web site: De Nederlandse Top 40, week 26, 1967 . January 10, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071228043747/http://www.radio538.nl/web/show/id=44685/chartid=6574 . 2007-12-28 .
  19. Web site: Search results . Charts-surfer.de. January 10, 2009.
  20. Web site: Search results . Irishcharts.ie . January 10, 2009.
  21. Web site: The Beach Boys - Then I Kissed Her. Norwegiancharts.com. 23 October 2023.
  22. Web site: The Official Charts Company – Beach Boys – Then I Kissed Her . . January 10, 2009.
  23. Slowinski. Craig . Summer 2009 . Summer Days. 84. 22. Endless Summer Quarterly Magazine . Charlotte, North Carolina. David. Beard.
  24. Web site: Heat Wave. 1 January 1963. 23 October 2023. Open.spotify.com.
  25. Book: Janjatović, Petar. EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960–2006. 2007. self-released. Belgrade. 48.
  26. Web site: Every Song In Sex Education Season 3 . Hunt . James . . September 17, 2021. September 19, 2021.
  27. Web site: 1981 Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive - 18-24 October 1981 . . 8 July 2023.
  28. Discogs - Ebony (10) – Then He Kissed Me
  29. Web site: Bruce Springsteen - August 23, 2008 Scottrade Center, St. Louis. Live.brucespringsteen.net.
  30. Web site: Open.spotify.com. Asheghaneh. 2002-02-08. en. 2021-12-30.