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| "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byFrankie Lymon &the Teenagers | ||||
| from the albumThe Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon | ||||
| B-side | "Please Be Mine" | |||
| Released | January 10, 1956 | |||
| Recorded | November 1955 | |||
| Genre | Doo-wop,rock and roll | |||
| Length | 2:20 | |||
| Label | Gee | |||
| Songwriters | Frankie Lymon,Herman Santiago,Jimmy Merchant[1] | |||
| Producer | George Goldner | |||
| Frankie Lymon &the Teenagers singles chronology | ||||
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| Audio sample | ||||
13-second audio sample of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" | ||||
"Why Do Fools Fall in Love" (initially "Why Do Birds Sing So Gay?") is a debut single by Americanrock and roll bandFrankie Lymon &the Teenagers that was released on January 10, 1956. It reached No. 1 on the R&B chart,[2] No. 6 onBillboard's Pop Singles chart,[3] and No. 1 on theUK Singles Chart in July.[4][5] Many renditions of the song by other artists have also been hit records in the U.S., including versions bythe Diamonds (in 1956),the Beach Boys (in 1964), andDiana Ross (in 1981).
The song was included inRobert Christgau's "Basic Record Library" of 1950s and 1960s recordings—published inChristgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981)[6]—and ranked No. 314 on theRolling Stone magazine's list ofThe 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[7] In 2001, the 1955 recording of the song onGee Records was inducted into theGrammy Hall of Fame.[8]
In late 1955, The Teenagers (at that time calling themselves The Premiers) auditioned a song called "Why do Birds Sing So Gay?" forGeorge Goldner, recording producer and owner ofGee Records.Herman Santiago, tenor of the group, had written the song based on a line from some love letters given to the guys by a tenant in bassistSherman Garnes' apartment building. One of them featured the words "Why do birds sing so gay?," which fit in with lyrics of other songs that Herman had been writing based on a 1-6-2-5 chord pattern. Herman adjusted the harmony to take advantage of Frankie Lymon's high tenor/soprano. At Goldner's suggestion, some of the lyrics were changed. During the audition, Lymon's voice stood out and Goldner recommended the lead in subsequent recording sessions be given to Lymon. The singer did some improvising and recreated 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."[9]
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 byMorris Levy when Levy bought Goldner's interest in Gee Records, the Teenagers' record company.[10]After a lengthy court battle, songwriting credits were awarded to original Teenagers members Herman Santiago and Jimmy Merchant in December 1992.[11]
However, this ruling was overturned by theU.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit because Santiago and Merchant did not bring the case to court soon enough. This gave the song rights back to Lymon and Levy.[12] The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a further appeal.[13] The current publisher of the song isEMI Music Publishing, which still lists these two as the songwriters.
| "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 U.S. picture sleeve (reverse) | ||||
| Single bythe Beach Boys | ||||
| from the albumShut Down Volume 2 | ||||
| A-side | "Fun, Fun, Fun" | |||
| Released | February 3, 1964 | |||
| Recorded | January 7–8, 1964 | |||
| Length | 2:07 (original version)
| |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Songwriters | Frankie Lymon,Morris Levy | |||
| Producer | Brian Wilson | |||
| The Beach Boys singles chronology | ||||
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The song was used as aB-side forthe Beach Boys single "Fun, Fun, Fun", which reached #5 on theBillboard Hot 100 in1964.[14] The Beach Boys' version of the song charted at #120.[15] It was included on the Beach Boys 1964 albumShut Down Volume 2 and had only appeared in mono since the release of the single back in 1964.
The single mix of the song was later found and used on the 2007The Warmth of the Sun compilation and onThe Original US Singles Collection The Capitol Years 1962–1965. This box set, released in 2008, also used a recently found mono single edit mix. In 2009, a new stereo mix was created with a newly discovered intro, due to the discovery of the original multitrack masters byJon Stebbins and is featured on the band's compilationSummer Love Songs. The song was also performed as part of the band's50th Anniversary Tour, usually during the first half of the shows. One of the performances was later included on thelive album from the tour.[citation needed]
Sourced from Craig Slowinski.[16]
The Beach Boys
Additional musicians
| "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byDiana Ross | ||||
| from the albumWhy Do Fools Fall in Love | ||||
| B-side | "Think I'm in Love" | |||
| Released | September 25, 1981 | |||
| Recorded | 1980 | |||
| Genre | R&B[17] | |||
| Length | 2:51 | |||
| Label | RCA Records | |||
| Songwriter | Herman Santiago | |||
| Producer | Diana Ross | |||
| Diana Ross singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" onYouTube | ||||
American singerDiana Ross released acover version on theRCA label on September 25, 1981, as the first single fromher album of the same name (1981). She also produced her rendition of the song. It was a hit, peaking at No. 2 on theUS adult contemporary chart, No. 4 in theUK Singles Chart, No. 6 on theUS R&B chart, and No. 7 onBillboard's Pop Singles Chart,[18] and earning her a British Phonographic Industry silver disc award for sales in excess of 250,000 copies. It also reached No.1 in Belgium and the Netherlands and climbed to the top 10 in Ireland, New Zealand and Switzerland as well as making the top 20 in Australia, Canada and West Germany. A reissue of Ross' cover peaked at No. 36 on the UK chart in July 1994.[4]
After Ross returned the song to the top ten, a controversy ensued concerning Lymon's estate. Three women involved in lawsuits and countersuits over Lymon's copyrights and royalties each claimed to be Lymon's rightful widow. The string of court cases were portrayed in the 1998 filmWhy Do Fools Fall in Love.[citation needed]
In the music video, Ross performs the song on Fremont Street in Las Vegas.[19]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC) | 36 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[43] | Silver | 250,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
The title of a 1998biographical film depicting the original life ofFrankie Lymon wasnamed after the song.
Disputes regarding the original recording's copyright and ownership of royalties emerged in the decades following Lymon'sdeath, with cases lasting until the 1990s.
The recording byFrankie Lymon &The Teenagers is featured in the 1973 filmAmerican Graffiti (which is set in 1962), in a scene whereRichard Dreyfuss's character first notices a mysterious blonde girl; as well as the 1999 filmOctober Sky, it is featured whenJake Gyllenhaal's characterHomer Hickam and his friends are spending the night out at the dance club.
