The Pastels - Been So Long (1957)

In 1954, DiFosco “Dee” Ervin, Jr., Richard Travis, Tony Thomas, and Jimmy Willingham were all stationed at a local base in Narsarssuak, Greenland as members of the U.S. Air Force. Together, they formed a doo-wop outfit and reached local acclaim after performing at the local military affairs. Within a couple of years, all four members of the group were transferred to a base located in Washington D.C., where they eventually shone at the “Tops in Blue” Air Force talent show. They decided to make a run at getting a record deal and were successfully signed by the small Hull Records around 1956. In total, the quartet released three singles: one top five hit heard below, and two less successful follow-ups. In early 1959, the group decided to disband.

Ervin, Jr., whose name may have actually been Defosca Erwin by some accounts, would later have a successful solo career. He would go by the stage name Dee Erwin, was called Big Dee Irwin, and recorded a successful 1963 duet cover of Bing Crosby's 1944 "Swinging on a Star" with Little Eva.

Released in November 1957 on the Hull label, this song was the group’s most successful release. Written by Ervin, Jr., the song got the attention of Chess Records, who decided to release the single nationally on their Argo subsidiary label. The new release of the song reached number four on the R&B charts in early 1958 and even reached number twenty-four on the Billboard pop charts.



The Pastels - Been So Long (1957)

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Lyrics:

Been so long
(Been so long)
Since I held you tight
(Held you tight)
Been so long since
(Been so long)
Since I kissed you goodnight
The blues are mine

Been so long
(Been so long)
My hours seemed like years
(Seemed like years)
Been so long
(Been so long)
I shed precious tears
The blues are mine

I never ever
Thought I'd fall in love like this
I need your arms
That warmth of your sweet kiss

Been so long
(Been so long)
I need you, oh, so bad
(Oh, so bad)
Been so long
(Been so long)
My heart is sad
The blues are mine