Randy & the Rainbows - Denise (1963)

Formed in Maspeth, Queens, New York in 1962, this doo-wop ensemble consisted of brothers Dominick and Frank Safuto, brothers Mike and Sal Zero, and Ken Arcipowski. When they initially came together, they first operated under the name Junior & the Counts, later The Encores, and finally Randy & the Rainbows, which was bestowed upon them by the owners of Laurie Records, the group’s label. There wasn’t actually a “Randy” in the group, but the record label thought it had a nice ring to it, so Dominick, the lead singer, had to adopt it as his nickname.

The song heard below was written by Neil Levenson; its title was inspired by Levenson’s childhood friend, Denise Lefrak. When the song was recorded and released by Randy & the Rainbows in 1963, it spent seventeen weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually peaking at number ten. It was the group’s only notable song, as their follow-up single, “Why Do Kids Grow Up,” only reached number ninety-seven. The group failed to chart again.

Blondie covered the song in 1978, changing the subject of the song from Denise to Denis.



Randy & the Rainbows - Denise (1963)

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Lyrics:

(Oh, oh)
(Oh, Denise)
(I'm in love with you, Denise)
(I'm in love with you, Denise)
(I'm in love with you)

Denise, Denise
Oh, with your eyes so blue
Denise, Denise
I've got a crush on you
Denise, Denise
I'm so in love with (you)

Oh, when we walk, it seems like paradise
And when we talk, it always feels so nice
Denise, Denise, I'm so in love with you

(You’re my dream)
(And I'm in heaven every time I look at you)
(When you smile it’s like a dream)
And I'm so lucky ‘cause I found a girl like you

(Oh, Denise)
(I'm in love with you, Denise)
(I'm in love with you, Denise)
(I'm in love with you)

Denise, Denise
Oh, won't you hold me tight?
Denise, Denise
Oh, can we kiss goodnight?
Denise, Denise
I'm so in love with you

(Oh, Denise)
(I'm in love with you, Denise)
(I'm in love with you, Denise)
(I'm in love with you, Denise)
(I'm in love with you…)

Emy Jackson - Crying In A Storm (1965)

Born Emy Eaton, today’s featured artist was born on July 2, 1945 to Japanese parents living in Essex England. As a teenager, Emy moved back to Japan, in Yokohama, where she found work as a DJ. Her career began after being asked by the director of a radio program if she could sing.

In April 1965, Emy released her debut single (the song heard below) which had been written by Yasutoshi Nakajima and Reiko Yukawa. She was backed by an ever-changing collection of session musicians who were ambiguously labeled “The Smashmen” by Columbia Records, as well as backup vocalists from the Philippines known as the MGM boys. Emy herself was given the stagename “Emy Jackson” and promoted as a foreign artist, despite her records actually being made in Japan. The song heard below reached number four in Japan (despite being sung entirely in English) and was the first English-sung hit in Japan to sell over one million copies.



Emy Jackson - Crying In A Storm (1965)

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Lyrics:

Take me, take me
Take my heart and all
I was born (I was born) to be yours

Love me, love me
Get me, hold me tight
Now I’m crying in a storm

I know that you’ve got this crazy sports car
Kitty, Chris, and Ronnie, Julie, Nancy, and Patsy
Why? (Why?) Why (why) not me?

Take me, take me
Take my heart and all
I was born (I was born) to be yours

Take me, take me
Take my heart and all
I was born (I was born) to be yours

Love me, love me
Get me, hold me tight
Now I’m crying in a storm

I know that you’ve got this crazy sports car
Kitty, Chris, and Ronnie, Julie, Nancy, and Patsy
Why? (Why?) Why (why) not me?

Take me, take me
Take my heart and all
I was born (I was born) to be yours

The Honeycombs - Have I the Right? (1964)

Originally but briefly known as The Sheratons, this English beat group was founded by a hairdresser, Martin Murray (rhythm guitar) and his salon assistant, Honey Lantree (drums). On the drums, Honey Lantree was one of the few female drummers to be in a band. It was her name (Honey) and profession (salon assistant) which led to the inspiration for the group’s name, as in, “Honey combs hair for a living."

Rounding out the original lineup of the group were Honey’s brother, John Lantree (bass), and two of the trio’s friends: Denis D’Ell (lead singer) and Alan Ward (lead guitar).

Although the group charted multiple times in the UK (and twice in the US), it’s primarily the song below for which they are remembered. Written by Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley at the beginning of their eventually prolific careers, the song was released in June 1964, steadily climbed the charts, and ultimately peaked at number one in the UK, Australia, and Canada by August that same year. Eventually, sales reached over one million.



The Honeycombs - Have I the Right? (1964)

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Lyrics:

Have I the right to hold you?
You know I've always told you
That we must never, ever part

Have I the right to kiss you?
You know I'll always miss you
I've loved you from the very start

Come right back, I just can't bear it
I've got some love and I long to share it
Come right back, I'll show my love is strong
Oh yeah

Have I the right to touch you?
If I could, you'd see how much you
Send those shivers runnin’ down my spine

Have I the right to thrill you?
You know I'll wait until you
Give me the right to make you mine

Well, come right back I just can't bear it
I've got some love and I long to share it
Come right back, I'll show my love is strong
Oh yeah
Alright

Have I the right to hold you?
You know I've always told you
That we must never, ever part
No, no, no, no, no

Have I the right to kiss you?
You know I'll always miss you
I've loved you from the very start

Come right back, I just can't bear it
I've got some love and I long to share it
Come right back, I'll show my love is strong
Oh yeah
Yeah

Come right back, I just can't bear it
I've got some love and I long to share it
Come right back, right back where you belong
Oh yeah
You belong
Oh yeah
You belong

Country Joe and the Fish - Cetacean (1968)

Together, recorded in 1967 and released in 1968, was the third album released by today’s featured band. Before recording started, Country Joe McDonald had departed from the group, forcing them to use the name “The Fish” for a brief period of time. But by the time recording had begun, Country Joe had reunited with his bandmates and contributed to the recordings.

The song heard below is the tenth track on Together. The title refers to cetaceans, which are marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, or porpoises. The song was written by the band’s original bassist, Bruce Barthol, who made his exit from the band one month after this album’s release. The album itself didn’t sell all that well, with the most common belief attributing the lack of sales to Country Joe’s absent songwriting due to his hiatus.



Country Joe and the Fish - Cetacean (1968)

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Lyrics:

Open the door and love walks in
Close the door and you’re alone again