Why Do Fools Fall in Love (song)
Encyclopedia
"Why Do Fools Fall in Love" is a song that was originally a hit for early New York City-based rock and roll
group Frankie Lymon
& The Teenagers
in 1956
. It reached No. 1 on the R&B chart, No. 6 on Billboard
' s Pop Singles chart, and number one on the UK Singles Chart
. The song was ranked #307 on the Rolling Stone
magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
The song helped to make Frankie Lymon a household name and would make him a rock and roll pioneer, paving the way for later teen prodigies like Stevie Wonder
and Michael Jackson
, whose careers also took off at the age of 13.
, recording producer and owner of Gee Records
. Jimmy Merchant, tenor of the group, had written the song based on a line from some love letters given to the guys by a tenant in bassist, Sherman Garnes', apartment building. One of them featured the words "Why do birds sing so gay?," which fit in with lyrics of other songs that Jimmy had been writing based on a 1-6-2-5 chord pattern. So Jimmy worked with it, creating a song for Herman Santiago
to lead, and adjusting the harmony to take advantage of Frankie Lymon's high tenor/soprano. Along the way, Herman changed some of the lyrics. During the audition Frankie's voice stood out and, at Goldner's suggestion, the lead in subsequent recording sessions was given to Frankie. Frankie did some improvising and re-created the melody to match his own style. According to Jimmy Merchant, what happened at the recording session was a combination of "Frankie's singing ability coupled with George Goldner's special ability to bring out the best in Frankie."
Although early vinyl single releases of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" credit Frankie Lymon, Herman Santiago, and George Goldner
as co-writers of the song, later releases and cover versions were attributed only to Lymon and record producer George Goldner
. Goldner's name was later replaced by Morris Levy
when Levy bought Goldner's interest in Gee Records
, the Teenagers' record company.
After a lengthy court battle, song-writing credits were awarded to original Teenagers members Herman Santiago
and Jimmy Merchant in December 1992.
However, four years later in 1996, this ruling was overturned by the Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit under the statute of limitations and authorship, because Santiago and Merchant did not bring the case to court soon enough. This gave the song rights back to Lymon and Levy. The current publisher of the song is EMI Music Publishing
, which still lists these as the songwriters.
released a cover version
on the RCA
label in 1981
, peaking at #7 on Billboard
s Pop Singles Chart, and number four in the UK Singles Chart. The success of Ross' cover helped reintroduce a new generation of audiences to Lymon. Unlike the original, this version contains echoes of the soul of the 1960s. A remix of Ross' cover peaked at #36 on the UK charts in July, 1994
.
UK remix CD
single Fun, Fun, Fun
, which reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100
in 1964
. The Beach Boys
version of the song charted at #120. It was included on the Beach Boys 1964 album Shut Down Volume 2
. It had only appeared in mono since the release of the single back in 1964. The only release that was heard through the 90's and 2001 was the album mono mix. The single mix of the song was found and used on the 2007 The Warmth of the Sun
Compilation and on 2008 Singles Boxset. The 2008 Boxset also used a recently found mono Single Edit mix. In 2009, a new stereo mix was created with an amazing newly discovered intro thanks to the discovery of the original multitrack masters by Jon Stebbins. That version is featured on the band's new compilation Summer Love Songs.
Why Do Fools Fall in Love has also been covered by Kenny Rankin
, Gale Storm
, The Fabulous Four, Marion Ryan
, Alma Cogan
, Voices of Theory
, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and Joni Mitchell
. The Gale Storm version on Dot Records was recorded shortly after the Frankie Lymon original was released. It sold well and many white radio listeners of the time had heard only the Storm version and had no idea another version existed. Storm had a light soprano voice, and sounded classically trained; she had nearly no feel for rhythm and blues and yet her record in its way is as significant as the Lymon original. She approaches the song ironically and playfully. Virtually all of Storm's hits were covers of other artists' songs, but, she never simply copied the originals. She always brought her own qualities to them.
The Diamonds also did a more traditional Doo Wop version that came out the week after Lymon's version. This version spent 19 weeks on the charts, topping out at #12.
It's notable that both Diana Ross and Ronnie Bennett Spector said they had wanted to sound like Frankie Lymon and had been inspired by the tone and texture of his voice and particularly its clear, ringing quality. At the time of releasing her version of "Why" as her first RCA Victor single and the title track on her premier RCA album, Ross paid tribute to Lymon's inspiration.
This song was also covered in more recent years by The Overtones
on their debut album Good Ol' Fashioned Love
in November 2010.
& The Teenagers
features in the film "American Graffiti
" (1973). The same recording was also featured on the in-game radio station "Empire Central Radio" in the 2010 video game Mafia II
. Also featured in the 2011 UK McDonald's 1955 burger commercial.
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
group Frankie Lymon
Frankie Lymon
Franklin Joseph "Frankie" Lymon was an American rock and roll/rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, best known as the boy soprano lead singer of a New York City-based early rock and roll group, The Teenagers. The group was composed of five boys, all in their early to mid teens...
& The Teenagers
The Teenagers
The Teenagers are an American integrated doo wop group, most noted for being one of rock music's earliest successes, presented to international audiences by DJ Alan Freed...
in 1956
1956 in music
-Events:*January 26 – Buddy Holly's first recording sessions for Decca Records take place in Nashville, Tennessee*Roy Orbison signs with Sun Records*January 27 – Elvis Presley's single "Heartbreak Hotel" / "I Was the One" is released...
. It reached No. 1 on the R&B chart, No. 6 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
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 ...
. The song was ranked #307 on the Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
The song helped to make Frankie Lymon a household name and would make him a rock and roll pioneer, paving the way for later teen prodigies like Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
and Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, whose careers also took off at the age of 13.
Writing credits
In late 1955, The Teenagers (at that time calling themselves The Premiers) auditioned a song called "Why do Birds Sing So Gay?" for George GoldnerGeorge Goldner
George Goldner was an American record label owner and promoter. He worked, amongst others, with The Crows, The Flamingos, The Cleftones, The Shangri-Las, The Teenagers, The Chantels, Little Richard and Lou Christie. He had a son named Cary and a wife named Grace...
, recording producer and owner of Gee Records
Gee Records
Gee Records began in 1953 in New York as a subsidiary to George Goldner's Tico Records and Rama Records labels. Sometime in 1955 Goldner sold 50% of Gee to Joe Kolsky who was a business partner of Morris Levy....
. Jimmy Merchant, tenor of the group, had written the song based on a line from some love letters given to the guys by a tenant in bassist, Sherman Garnes', apartment building. One of them featured the words "Why do birds sing so gay?," which fit in with lyrics of other songs that Jimmy had been writing based on a 1-6-2-5 chord pattern. So Jimmy worked with it, creating a song for Herman Santiago
Herman Santiago
Herman Santiago is a rock and roll pioneer and songwriter who claimed to have written the iconic hit "Why Do Fools Fall In Love".-Early years:Santiago was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and raised in Manhattan, New York...
to lead, and adjusting the harmony to take advantage of Frankie Lymon's high tenor/soprano. Along the way, Herman changed some of the lyrics. During the audition Frankie's voice stood out and, at Goldner's suggestion, the lead in subsequent recording sessions was given to Frankie. Frankie did some improvising and re-created the melody to match his own style. According to Jimmy Merchant, what happened at the recording session was a combination of "Frankie's singing ability coupled with George Goldner's special ability to bring out the best in Frankie."
Although early vinyl single releases of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" credit Frankie Lymon, Herman Santiago, and George Goldner
George Goldner
George Goldner was an American record label owner and promoter. He worked, amongst others, with The Crows, The Flamingos, The Cleftones, The Shangri-Las, The Teenagers, The Chantels, Little Richard and Lou Christie. He had a son named Cary and a wife named Grace...
as co-writers of the song, later releases and cover versions were attributed only to Lymon and record producer George Goldner
George Goldner
George Goldner was an American record label owner and promoter. He worked, amongst others, with The Crows, The Flamingos, The Cleftones, The Shangri-Las, The Teenagers, The Chantels, Little Richard and Lou Christie. He had a son named Cary and a wife named Grace...
. Goldner's name was later replaced by Morris Levy
Morris Levy
Morris Levy was an American music industry executive, best known as the founder and owner of Roulette Records...
when Levy bought Goldner's interest in Gee Records
Gee Records
Gee Records began in 1953 in New York as a subsidiary to George Goldner's Tico Records and Rama Records labels. Sometime in 1955 Goldner sold 50% of Gee to Joe Kolsky who was a business partner of Morris Levy....
, the Teenagers' record company.
After a lengthy court battle, song-writing credits were awarded to original Teenagers members Herman Santiago
Herman Santiago
Herman Santiago is a rock and roll pioneer and songwriter who claimed to have written the iconic hit "Why Do Fools Fall In Love".-Early years:Santiago was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and raised in Manhattan, New York...
and Jimmy Merchant in December 1992.
However, four years later in 1996, this ruling was overturned by the Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit under the statute of limitations and authorship, because Santiago and Merchant did not bring the case to court soon enough. This gave the song rights back to Lymon and Levy. The current publisher of the song is EMI Music Publishing
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, which still lists these as the songwriters.
Diana Ross version
Diana RossDiana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
released 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...
on the RCA
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
label in 1981
1981 in music
See also:* Timeline of musical eventsThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1981.-January–April:*January 10 – A revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance opens at Broadway's Uris Theatre, starring Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith.*January 24 –...
, peaking at #7 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Pop Singles Chart, and number four in the UK Singles Chart. The success of Ross' cover helped reintroduce a new generation of audiences to Lymon. Unlike the original, this version contains echoes of the soul of the 1960s. A remix of Ross' cover peaked at #36 on the UK charts in July, 1994
1994 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1994.-January–February:*January 25 – Alice in Chains release their Jar of Flies album which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first ever EP to do so....
.
Music video
The plot of the music video Diana Ross performs the song in a city full of casinos and clubs.Track listings
7" Single- "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" - 2:51
- "Where Did We Go Wrong" - 4:11
UK remix CD
- "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" (159.0 bpm) - 2:53
- "I'm Coming Out" (Joey Negro Extended 12", 109.7 bpm) - 6:05
- "The Boss" (David Morales Club, taken from: Diana Extended/The Remixes, 124.0 bpm) - 6:29
- "Love Hangover" (Joey Negro Hangover Symphony, 121.0 bpm) - 8:57
- UK remix 7"
- "Why Do Fools Fall in Love"
- "I'm Coming Out" (Joey Negro 7" Mix)
Charts
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
6 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
2 |
| UK Singles Chart | 4 |
| German Singles Chart | 17 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 9 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 1 |
| Belgian Singles Chart | 1 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 3 |
Other Cover versions
The song was used as a B-side for The Beach BoysThe Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
single Fun, Fun, Fun
Fun, Fun, Fun
"Fun, Fun, Fun", written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, was a hit single by The Beach Boys that was released in 1964 on the band's album Shut Down Volume 2.- Composition :...
, which reached #5 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...
in 1964
1964 in music
-Events:*January 1 – Top of the Pops is broadcast for the first time, on BBC television.*January 3 – Footage of the Beatles performing a concert in Bournemouth, England is shown on The Jack Paar Show....
. The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
version of the song charted at #120. It was included on the Beach Boys 1964 album Shut Down Volume 2
Shut Down Volume 2
Shut Down Volume 2 is the fifth studio album by The Beach Boys, and the first of four they would release in 1964. The album's "Volume 2" refers to it being a follow-up to the 1963 hot rod compilation Shut Down, released by the band's label, Capitol Records, which included "409" and "Shut Down" but...
. It had only appeared in mono since the release of the single back in 1964. The only release that was heard through the 90's and 2001 was the album mono mix. The single mix of the song was found and used on the 2007 The Warmth of the Sun
The Warmth of the Sun
"The Warmth of the Sun" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1964 album Shut Down Volume 2 and as the B-side of the "Dance, Dance, Dance" single, which charted at number eight in the United States and number twenty-four...
Compilation and on 2008 Singles Boxset. The 2008 Boxset also used a recently found mono Single Edit mix. In 2009, a new stereo mix was created with an amazing newly discovered intro thanks to the discovery of the original multitrack masters by Jon Stebbins. That version is featured on the band's new compilation Summer Love Songs.
Why Do Fools Fall in Love has also been covered by Kenny Rankin
Kenny Rankin
Kenny Rankin was an American pop and jazz singer and songwriter, originally from the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City, New York.-Biography:...
, Gale Storm
Gale Storm
Gale Storm was an American actress and singer who starred in two popular television programs of the 1950s, My Little Margie and The Gale Storm Show.-Early life:...
, The Fabulous Four, Marion Ryan
Marion Ryan
Marion Ryan was a popular British singer in the 1950s.-Career:Born Marian Ryan in Middlesbrough, England, and once called "the Marilyn Monroe of popular song", Marion Ryan was a pop singer of the 1950s in the early years of British Independent Television...
, Alma Cogan
Alma Cogan
Alma Cogan was an English singer of traditional pop music in the 1950s and early 1960s. Dubbed "The Girl With the Laugh/Giggle/Chuckle In Her Voice", she was the highest paid British female entertainer of her era...
, Voices of Theory
Voices of Theory
-History:Voices of Theory was founded in the early 1990s by five Latino youths from North Philadelphia. Their first major exposure came when they were tapped to open for Mariah Carey for 12 nights of her 1993 tour. Later that year, they contributed a cover of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" for the...
, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
. The Gale Storm version on Dot Records was recorded shortly after the Frankie Lymon original was released. It sold well and many white radio listeners of the time had heard only the Storm version and had no idea another version existed. Storm had a light soprano voice, and sounded classically trained; she had nearly no feel for rhythm and blues and yet her record in its way is as significant as the Lymon original. She approaches the song ironically and playfully. Virtually all of Storm's hits were covers of other artists' songs, but, she never simply copied the originals. She always brought her own qualities to them.
The Diamonds also did a more traditional Doo Wop version that came out the week after Lymon's version. This version spent 19 weeks on the charts, topping out at #12.
It's notable that both Diana Ross and Ronnie Bennett Spector said they had wanted to sound like Frankie Lymon and had been inspired by the tone and texture of his voice and particularly its clear, ringing quality. At the time of releasing her version of "Why" as her first RCA Victor single and the title track on her premier RCA album, Ross paid tribute to Lymon's inspiration.
This song was also covered in more recent years by The Overtones
The Overtones
The Overtones are a five-piece British-Irish doo-wop boy band from London, formed in 2010. They were discovered by a Warner Brothers talent scout while working as decorators in a shop near Oxford Street, singing during their tea break. Their debut album Good Ol' Fashioned Love entered the UK...
on their debut album Good Ol' Fashioned Love
Good Ol' Fashioned Love
Good Ol' Fashioned Love is the debut studio album by five-piece British-Irish doo-wop boy band from London The Overtones, the album was released on November 1, 2010 in the UK by Rhino Entertainment, it was Re-released on 8 March 2011...
in November 2010.
In popular culture
The recording by Frankie LymonFrankie Lymon
Franklin Joseph "Frankie" Lymon was an American rock and roll/rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, best known as the boy soprano lead singer of a New York City-based early rock and roll group, The Teenagers. The group was composed of five boys, all in their early to mid teens...
& The Teenagers
The Teenagers
The Teenagers are an American integrated doo wop group, most noted for being one of rock music's earliest successes, presented to international audiences by DJ Alan Freed...
features in the film "American Graffiti
American Graffiti
American Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film co-written/directed by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
" (1973). The same recording was also featured on the in-game radio station "Empire Central Radio" in the 2010 video game Mafia II
Mafia II
Mafia II is a third-person action-adventure video game, the sequel to Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. It is developed by 2K Czech, previously known as Illusion Softworks, and is published by 2K Games...
. Also featured in the 2011 UK McDonald's 1955 burger commercial.