"Come Softly to Me" | ||||
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Single by The Fleetwoods | ||||
from the album Mr. Blue | ||||
B-side | "I Care So Much" | |||
Released | February 16, 1959 (Dolphin) April, 1959 (Liberty) | |||
Recorded | Fall 1958 | |||
Genre | Pop [1] | |||
Length | 2:25 | |||
Label | Dolphin Records, Liberty Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Gretchen Christopher, Barbara Ellis and Gary Troxel | |||
Producer(s) | Bob Reisdorff | |||
The Fleetwoods singles chronology | ||||
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"Come Softly to Me" is a popular song recorded by The Fleetwoods, composed of Gretchen Christopher, Barbara Ellis, and Gary Troxel, who also wrote it. [2] The original title was "Come Softly", but was changed en route to its becoming a hit. Bob Reisdorf, the owner of Dolphin Records, which in 1960 changed to Dolton Records, was responsible for the title change. He thought that "Come Softly" might be too obvious and considered risqué, so he had it changed to "Come Softly to Me." The title phrase never appears in the song's lyrics.
Recording the song at home, the group sang it a cappella with the rhythmic shaking of Troxel's car keys. The tape was then sent to Los Angeles where the sparse instrumental accompaniment was added, including an acoustic guitar played by Bonnie Guitar, herself a successful singer-songwriter ("Dark Moon") and Reisdorf's in-house record producer. Released in 1959, the single reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in April. [3] [4]
| All-time charts
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The song has been covered by other artists, including Sandy Salisbury, Marcel Amont "Tout doux, tout doucement" (1958), Henri Salvador (1959), Paul & Paula (1963), Four Jacks and a Jill (1965), [8] The Serendipity Singers on United Artists in 1968, and Bob Welch (with Christine McVie on backing vocals).
"California Dreamin'" is a song written by John and Michelle Phillips in 1963 and first recorded by Barry McGuire. The best-known version is by the Mamas & the Papas, who sang backup on the original version and released it as a single in December 1965. The lyrics express the narrator's longing for the warmth of Los Angeles during a cold winter in New York City. It is recorded in the key of C-sharp minor.
The Fleetwoods were an American vocal group from Olympia, Washington, whose members were Gary Troxel, Gretchen Christopher, and Barbara Ellis.
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"Sleep Walk" is an instrumental song written, recorded, and released in 1959 by American instrumental rock and roll duo Santo & Johnny Farina, with their uncle Mike Dee playing the drums. Prominently featuring steel guitar, the song was recorded at Trinity Music in Manhattan, New York City. "Sleep Walk" entered Billboard's Top 40 on August 17, 1959. It rose to the number 1 position for the last two weeks in September and remained in the Top 40 until November 9. "Sleep Walk" also reached number 4 on the R&B chart. It was the last instrumental to hit number 1 in the 1950s and earned a gold record for Santo and Johnny. In Canada, the song reached number 3 in the CHUM Charts. In the UK it peaked at number 22 on the charts.
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