He's a Rebel
Encyclopedia
"He's a Rebel" is a pop song credited to the girl group
The Crystals
, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
charts in November 1962
. Written by Gene Pitney
and produced by Phil Spector
, it is considered one of the definitive examples of the Spector-produced girl group
sound.
In 2004, the song was ranked #263 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
In 2011, the song was sampled by electro-rap duo Chiddy Bang for their song, "Rebel."
performs a saxophone solo during the song's bridge. The piano riff at the beginning was contributed by Al DeLory. Unusually for Spector productions, no strings
played on the track.
Pitney had originally written "He's a Rebel" for The Shirelles
, but they declined. Spector learned that Vikki Carr
was soon to record the song for Liberty Records
as her debut single, and decided he had to rush his own version to stores. The Crystals were touring on the east coast at the time, and so Spector instead had Darlene Love
sing lead on the track, backed by The Blossoms
, a Los Angeles-based group. Spector gave The Crystals credit on the record; Mary Thomas later recalled that "our mouths fell open" when she and her groupmates heard a radio disc jockey announce "the new Crystals song." The quintet was then obliged to add "He's a Rebel" to their live repertoire, even though lead singer Barbara Alston's soft voice could not mimic Love's hearty delivery. For this reason, fifteen-year-old Dolores "LaLa" Brooks was promoted to the role of lead singer the following year starting with their follow-up single "Then He Kissed Me
".
The single, with the artist listed simply as "The Crystals," was released in late August 1962, with the b-side "I Love You Eddie." By November 3, "He's a Rebel" had reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The number two song that week was Gene Pitney's "Only Love Can Break a Heart
", giving him (as a songwriter and/or performer) the two top-selling singles in the U.S. Pitney would never hit #1 as a performer. In the United Kingdom
, "He's a Rebel" peaked at #19.
recorded a cover version
for the soundtrack to the 1997 film Bean.
by the character of Alabama when Clarence asks her her kind of music she likes.
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
The Crystals
The Crystals
The Crystals are an American vocal group based in New York, considered one of the defining acts of the girl group era of the first half of the 1960s. Their 1961–1964 chart hits, including "Uptown", "He's a Rebel", "Da Doo Ron Ron " and "Then He Kissed Me", featured three successive female lead...
, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
charts in November 1962
1962 in music
-Events:*January 1 – The Beatles and Brian Poole and the Tremeloes both audition at Decca Records, a company which has the option of signing one group only...
. Written by Gene Pitney
Gene Pitney
Eugene Francis Alan Pitney, known as Gene Pitney , was an American singer-songwriter, musician and sound engineer. Through the mid-1960s, he enjoyed success as a recording artist on both sides of the Atlantic and was among the group of early 1960s American acts who continued to enjoy hits after the...
and produced by Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
, it is considered one of the definitive examples of the Spector-produced girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
sound.
In 2004, the song was ranked #263 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
In 2011, the song was sampled by electro-rap duo Chiddy Bang for their song, "Rebel."
History
The song is about a girl in love with a young man who spurns society's conventions. Despite his being misunderstood by others, the singer claims that he is sweet and faithful, and she vows to be the same towards him. Studio musician Steve DouglasSteve Douglas (saxophonist)
Steven Douglas Kreisman , better known as Steve Douglas, was an American saxophonist, flautist and clarinetist. Douglas is best known as a Los Angeles session musician, a member of The Wrecking Crew, who worked with Phil Spector, Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys...
performs a saxophone solo during the song's bridge. The piano riff at the beginning was contributed by Al DeLory. Unusually for Spector productions, no strings
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
played on the track.
Pitney had originally written "He's a Rebel" for The Shirelles
The Shirelles
The Shirelles were an African-American girl group that achieved popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens , Doris Coley , Addie "Micki" Harris , and Beverly Lee...
, but they declined. Spector learned that Vikki Carr
Vikki Carr
Vikki Carr is an American singer and humanitarian from El Paso, Texas. She has performed in a variety of music genres, including jazz, pop and country, but has enjoyed her greatest success singing in Spanish.-Career:After taking the stage name 'Vikki Carr', she signed with Liberty Records in 1962...
was soon to record the song for Liberty Records
Liberty Records
Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
as her debut single, and decided he had to rush his own version to stores. The Crystals were touring on the east coast at the time, and so Spector instead had Darlene Love
Darlene Love
Darlene Love is an American popular music singer and actress. She gained prominence in the 1960s for the song "He's a Rebel," a #1 American single in 1962, and was part of the Phil Spector stable that produced a celebrated Christmas album in 1963....
sing lead on the track, backed by The Blossoms
The Blossoms
The Blossoms were a backing group from California. They had a recording career in their own right and were to the American West Coast what The Sweet Inspirations were to the East Coast and The Andantes were for Motown.-Early years:...
, a Los Angeles-based group. Spector gave The Crystals credit on the record; Mary Thomas later recalled that "our mouths fell open" when she and her groupmates heard a radio disc jockey announce "the new Crystals song." The quintet was then obliged to add "He's a Rebel" to their live repertoire, even though lead singer Barbara Alston's soft voice could not mimic Love's hearty delivery. For this reason, fifteen-year-old Dolores "LaLa" Brooks was promoted to the role of lead singer the following year starting with their follow-up single "Then He Kissed Me
Then He Kissed Me
"Then He Kissed Me" is a song written by Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry. The song was released as a single in September 1963 by The Crystals. It is a narrative of a young woman's encounter, romance, and eventual marriage with a fellow youth. The single is one of The Crystals' most...
".
The single, with the artist listed simply as "The Crystals," was released in late August 1962, with the b-side "I Love You Eddie." By November 3, "He's a Rebel" had reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The number two song that week was Gene Pitney's "Only Love Can Break a Heart
Only Love Can Break a Heart
"Only Love Can Break a Heart" is the title of a popular song from 1962 by the American singer-songwriter Gene Pitney. The song was written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach and appears on Pitney's second album Only Love Can Break a Heart.Pitney had enjoyed some success as a songwriter prior to...
", giving him (as a songwriter and/or performer) the two top-selling singles in the U.S. Pitney would never hit #1 as a performer. In the United Kingdom
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, "He's a Rebel" peaked at #19.
Cover versions
Alisha's AtticAlisha's Attic
Alisha's Attic were an English duo of the 1990s and early 2000s. The two members were sisters Shelly McErlaine and Karen Poole, born in Barking and Chadwell Heath respectively. Their father is Brian Poole of 1960s group Brian Poole and the Tremeloes...
recorded a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
for the soundtrack to the 1997 film Bean.
Trivia
The song is cited in the movie True RomanceTrue Romance
True Romance is a 1993 American romance crime film written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott. The film stars Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette with an ensemble cast consisting of Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Chris Penn, Tom Sizemore, Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin...
by the character of Alabama when Clarence asks her her kind of music she likes.