To Know Him Is to Love Him explained
| To Know Him Is to Love Him |
| Cover: | To Know Him Is to Love Him – The Teddy Bears.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | The Teddy Bears |
| B-Side: | "Don't You Worry My Little Pet" |
| Released: | September 1958[1] |
| Recorded: | 1958 |
| Genre: | Pop |
| Length: | 2:18 |
| Label: | Doré |
| Next Title: | I Don't Need You Anymore |
| Next Year: | 1959 |
"To Know Him Is to Love Him" is a song written by Phil Spector, inspired by the words on his father's gravestone, "To Know Him Was to Love Him".[2] It was first recorded by the only vocal group of which he was a member,[3] The Teddy Bears. The single spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1958,[4] while reaching No. 2 on the UK's New Musical Express chart.[5] Peter & Gordon and Bobby Vinton later each experienced chart success with the song (with its title and lyrics altered to the gender-neutral "To Know You Is to Love You"), in 1965 and 1968, respectively.
In 1987, the song was resurrected in a country style by the vocal group Trio—consisting of Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris—and featured on their album Trio (1987), topping the US Hot Country Songs chart and the Canadian country music chart.
The song is in 12/8 time, played at a thoughtful, steady pace.
Chart performance
| Chart (1958) | Peak
position |
|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| UK (New Musical Express) | 2 |
| Canada CHUM Chart [6] | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Sides[7] | 10 |
|
All-time charts
Peter and Gordon version
In 1965, Peter and Gordon released a version of the song, titled "To Know You Is to Love You". Peter and Gordon's version spent 10 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 5,[9] while also reaching No. 5 on Canada's "RPM Play Sheet".[10] In the United States, the song spent seven weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 24.[11]
Charts
Bobby Vinton version
In 1969, Bobby Vinton released a version of the song, titled "To Know You Is to Love You". Vinton's version spent seven weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 34,[13] while reaching No. 8 on Billboards Easy Listening chart,[14] No. 16 on Canada's RPM 100,[15] and No. 6 on RPMs Adult Contemporary chart.[16]
Charts
| Chart (1969) | Peak
position |
|---|
| US – Billboard Hot 100 | 34 |
| US – Billboard Easy Listening | 8 |
| Canada – RPM 100 | 16 |
| Canada – RPM Adult Contemporary | 6 |
| Canada – CHUM 30[17] | 14 | |
Trio (Parton/Ronstadt/Harris) version
| To Know Him Is to Love Him |
| Cover: | To Know Him Is to Love Him – Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris.jpeg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris |
| Album: | Trio |
| B-Side: | "Farther Along" |
| Released: | January 26, 1987 |
| Genre: | Country |
| Length: | 3:48 |
| Label: | Warner Bros. |
| Producer: | George Massenburg |
In 1987, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris, collectively called Trio, recorded a cover of the song, including it on their Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum album Trio. The group would go on to release it as the album's first single, topping both the Canadian and American country charts. The single peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of May 16, 1987. The accompanying music video, directed by Star Wars creator George Lucas (Ronstadt's boyfriend at the time), aired regularly on CMT and GAC.[18] [19]
Charts
| Chart (1987) | Peak
position |
|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles[20] | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 | |
Other versions
- The Beatles recorded two versions, both retitled "To Know Her Is to Love Her". One version was on their January 1962 audition tapes with Decca, not released during the band's existence and not included on Anthology 1. The second version was recorded on 16 July 1963 for the Pop Go the Beatles radio show and was not officially released until 1994, on their Live at the BBC compilation album. John Lennon recorded his own version of the song in 1973 ("To Know Her Is to Love Her"), but it would not see release until the 1986 posthumous compilation Menlove Ave.[21]
- The Shirelles included a version on their album The Shirelles Sing the Golden Oldies (1964).
- In 1972, Jody Miller released her version as a single and on the album There's a Party Goin' On.[22] Miller's version reached No. 18 on Billboards Hot Country Singles chart,[23] No. 20 on Record Worlds Country Singles Chart,[24] and No. 21 on the Cash Box Country Top 75 chart.[25] It also reached No. 12 on Canada's RPM Country Playlist.[26]
- Gary Glitter did a cover, retitled "To Know You Is to Love You", on his album Touch Me (1973).
- In 2006, English singer Amy Winehouse used her version of the song as a B-side on the UK edition of her hit single "You Know I'm No Good", off of her debut album Back to Black (2006).[27] [28] She also performed the song live on BBC Radio the same year, on Pete Mitchell's programme.[29]
- In 2010, Roger Waters and David Gilmour, formerly of Pink Floyd, reunited to perform the song for the Hoping Foundation's annual fundraiser.[30]
External links
Notes and References
- Classic Tracks, Back To Back Singles; Thunder Bay Press, 2008.
- Web site: Profile of Phil Spector. Charles Montaldo. About.com. September 25, 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131006021017/http://crime.about.com/od/famousdiduno/p/philspector.htm. October 6, 2013. mdy-all.
- Web site: Show 14 – Big Rock Candy Mountain: Rock 'n' roll in the late fifties. [Part 4] : UNT Digital Library |publisher=Digital.library.unt.edu |date=April 27, 1969 |work=[[Pop Chronicles]] |access-date=September 9, 2010].
- [Joel Whitburn|Whitburn, Joel]
- http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/6763/teddy-bears/ Teddy Bears – Full Official Chart History
- Web site: CHUM Hit Parade - December 1, 1958.
- "Hot R&B Sides", Billboard, December 8, 1958. p. 34. Accessed October 27, 2015
- Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart. Billboard . 10 December 2018.
- http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/11023/peter-and-gordon/ Peter & Gordon – Full Official Chart History
- "R.P.M. Play Sheet", RPM Weekly, Volume 3, Ed. 25, August 16, 1965. Accessed October 27, 2015
- http://www.billboard.com/artist/328816/peter-gordon/chart Peter & Gordon – Chart History – The Hot 100
- Web site: RPM Top 40 Play List - August 16, 1965.
- http://www.billboard.com/artist/295525/bobby-vinton/chart?page=1&f=379 Bobby Vinton – Chart History – The Hot 100
- http://www.billboard.com/artist/295525/bobby-vinton/chart?page=2&f=341 Bobby Vinton – Chart History – Adult Contemporary
- "The RPM 100", RPM Weekly, Volume 11, Ed. 11, May 12, 1969. Accessed October 25, 2015
- "Young Adult", RPM Weekly, Volume 11, Ed. 11, May 12, 1969. Accessed October 25, 2015
- Web site: CHUM 30 – May 17, 1969 . 2015-12-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20061107215659/http://www.1050chum.com/charts/chartview.aspx?img=19690517 . November 7, 2006 . . mdy-all . Collector's issue No. 41.
- Book: Lewry, Peter . Linda Ronstadt: A Life In Music, Second edition. 2010 . Andrews UK Limited . 9781849892476 .
- Newton, Dione (Director) . 2016 . Sisters in Country: Dolly, Linda and Emmylou . 47:50 . Documentary . UK . ВВС.
- Book: Whitburn, Joel . The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944–2006, Second edition. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 152.
- Web site: To Know Her Is to Love Her . Beatlesbible.com. March 16, 2008 . 2016-08-28.
- "Billboard Album Reviews", Billboard. September 2, 1972. p. 34. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
- "Hot Country Singles", Billboard. December 23, 1972. p. 28. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
- "The Country Singles Chart", Record World. December 16, 1972. p. 62. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
- "Cash Box Country Top 75", Cash Box. December 16, 1972. p. 38. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
- "The Programmers Country Playlist", RPM. Volume 18, No. 19. December 23, 1972. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
- Web site: How Amy Winehouse made 'To Know Him is to Love Him' her own . Marcus . Greil . 29 August 2014 . . 20 July 2021 .
- Web site: You Know I'm No Good by Amy Winehouse . . . 20 July 2021 .
- Web site: Winehouse . Amy . 6 May 2021 . To Know Him Is To Love Him (Live Pete Mitchell, BBC Radio Session / 2006) . .
- Web site: HOPING for the Children of Palestine . July 10, 2010 .
