Lennon/Ono with the Plastic Ono Band - Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) (1970)

This “conceptual band” was started by The Beatles’ John Lennon and Yoko Ono who had met in 1966, became romantically involved with in 1968, and married in 1969. They made their first official release using the Plastic Ono Band name with “Give Peace a Chance” in 1969, even though the couple had been making music and releasing albums together as early as 1968.

Backing them, the Plastic Ono Band had a rotating lineup which at any time could have featured numerous notable musicians, such as George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Keith Moon and many, many others. Lennon and Ono were fond of reminding their fans that “YOU are the Plastic Ono Band.”

The song below was Lennon’s attempt to create an “instant single.” He wrote the song (in an hour) on January 27, 1970, recorded it that very same day, and saw its release about a week later. Playing on the song besides Lennon and Ono (backing vocals), was George Harrison, Klaus Voormann, Alan White, Billy Preston, Mal Evans, with Allen Klein and numerous people from a pub down the street who assisted with backing vocals. It was George Harrison who suggested Lennon use famed producer Phil Spector, who happened to be visiting London at the time. Spector obliged, ending a self-imposed retirement he had begun in 1966. His collaboration with Lennon on the song led to his eventual hiring for production of The Beatles’ Let It Be album, which was released later that year in May.



Lennon/Ono with the Plastic Ono Band - Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) (1970)

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Lyrics:

…three, four

Instant karma’s gonna get you
Gonna knock you right on the head
You better get yourself together
Pretty soon you’re gonna be dead
What in the world you thinking of?
Laughing in the face of love
What on earth are you tryin’ to do?
It’s up to you
Yeah, you

Instant karma’s gonna get you
Gonna look you right in the face
Better get yourself together darlin’
Join the human race
How in the world you gonna see?
Laughin’ at fools like me
Who on Earth do you think you are?
A superstar?
Well, right you are

Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Well we all shine on
Everyone
Come on

Instant karma’s gonna get you
Gonna knock you off your feet
Better recognize your brothers
Everyone you meet
Why in the world are we here?
Surely not to live in pain and fear
Why on earth are you there
When you’re everywhere?
Come and get your share

Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Yeah, we all shine on
Come on and on and on- on- on

Yeah, yeah
Alright

Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Yeah, we all shine on
On and on and on- on and on

Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Well we all shine on
Like the moons and the stars and the sun
Yeah we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun

The Ronettes - Be My Baby (1963)

Composed of sisters Veronica and Estelle Bennett and their cousin, Nedra Talley, these three girls first began singing together at their grandmother’s house when they were just teenagers. Originally accompanied by the Bennett’s other cousins, Diane, Elaine, and the only male, Ira, the six relatives landed a gig at amateur night at the Apollo in the late ‘50s. When it came time to perform, Ira, who was supposed to be the lead singer, froze. Veronica, now going by her nickname Ronnie, rushed to the rescue and belted out the lead of Frankie Lymon’s “Why Do Fools Fall In Love.” After that night, Ira, Diane, and Elaine left the group. Ronnie, with her sister and cousin, continued on as Ronnie and the Relatives, signing to Colpix Records in 1961. When their first two singles failed to chart, the girls found themselves at the front door of a club, the Peppermint Lounge, trying to get in despite being underage. After receiving some tips from the girls’ mothers about how to look and act older, the doorman mistook the trio as dancers scheduled to perform on stage with Joey Dee and the Starliters. The girls were brought on stage, danced, and Ronnie was even handed the microphone to sing a song. Soon, Ronnie and the Relatives were making regular appearances at the Peppermint Lounge and renamed themselves The Ronettes.

Released in August 1963, this song was written by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, and Ellie Greenwich. It was the first song to be released on Spector’s label, Philles Records, and reached number two in the US and four in the UK. The technique used to record the song was Phil Spector’s “wall of sound,” a technique that involved recording multiple instruments in unison for supreme clarity on AM radio and jukeboxes. Among the many musicians and vocalists heard on the track are Sonny and Cher, Darlene Love, and The Wrecking Crew. The song is said to have had a huge impact on The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson (who wrote "Don't Worry Baby" as a response-song), The Beatles, and nearly everyone else of the '60s pop era. It has been covered countless times by famous artists and is one of the most enduring songs of the 1960s.



The Ronettes - Be My Baby (1963)

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Lyrics:

The night we met
I knew I needed you so
And if I had the chance
I’d never let you go
So, won’t you say you love me?
I’ll make you so proud of me
We’ll make ‘em turn their heads
Every place we go

So won’t you, please
(Be my- be my baby)
Be my little baby?
(My one and only baby)
Say you’ll be my darling
(Be my- be my baby)
Be my baby now
(My one and only baby)

I’ll make you happy, baby
Just wait and see
For every kiss you give me
I’ll give you three
Oh, since the day I saw you
I have been waiting for you
You know I will adore you
‘til eternity

So won’t you please
(Be my- be my baby)
Be my little baby?
(My one and only baby)
Say you’ll be my darling
(Be my- be my baby)
Be my baby now
(My one and only baby)

So, come on, and please
(Be my- be my baby)
Be my little baby
(My one and only baby)
Say you’ll be my darling
(Be my- be my baby)
Be my baby now
(My one and only baby)

(Be my- be my baby)
Be my little baby
(My one and only baby)
(Be my- be my baby)
(My one and only baby)

(Be my- be my baby)
(My one and only baby)
(Be my…)

Ray Peterson - Corrina, Corrina (1960)

Ray Peterson was born in Denton, Texas 1939 and suffered from polio as a child. Managing to overcome his disease, he moved to Los Angeles, California at the age of nineteen to pursue a career in singing. After having only been there a year in 1959, Peterson released “The Wonder of You” which reached number twenty-five in the US and twenty-three in the UK. The song would later be covered by Elvis Presley. His biggest hit song came the following year, in 1960, when he released the “teenage tragedy” song titled “Tell Laura I Love Her.” Later that same year, Peterson created his own record label, Dunes Records with his manager Stan Shulman, where he hired record producer Phil Spector. He had a string of mild hits in 1961 and a couple of cooler ones in 1963 and 1964 before the British Invasion took off. After the waning of his popularity, Peterson moved to Nashville, Tennessee and became a Baptist Church minister, where he would occasionally take part in “oldies” tours that celebrated the music of the ‘50s and early ‘60s. He died from cancer in 2005 in Smyrna, Tennessee at the age of 65, leaving behind his widow and seven children.

Although this traditional song was first recorded in December 1928 by Bo Carter, the song has roots dating much farther back. Iterations of the song can be traced back to 1918 via sheet music written by Roger Graham. This particular version of the song, recorded by Peterson in 1960, was the first hit that Peterson released on his newly formed Dunes Record label. It was also his second-highest charting song, after “Tell Laura I Love Her,” reaching number nine in the US and number forty-one in the UK. Other artists to have performed the song include Big Joe Turner, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Haley & His Comets, Bob Dylan, and Joni Mitchell. The version by Bob Dylan was re-arranged to mix with Robert Johnson’s 1937 song “Stones in My Passaway” and released on his 1963 album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.



Ray Peterson - Corrina, Corrina (1960)

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Lyrics:

I love Corrina,
Tell the world I do
I love Corrina
Tell the world I do
I pray every night
She'll learn to love me, too

Corrina, Corrina
Corrina, Corrina
Corrina, Corrina
I love you so

Oh, little darling
Where you been so long?
Oh, little darlin’
Where you been so long?
I ain’t had no loving
Since you been gone

Corrina, Corrina
Corrina, Corrina
Corrina, Corrina
I love you so

I left Corrina
Way across the sea, oh me
I left Corrina
Way across the sea
If you see Corrina
Send her home to me

Corrina, Corrina
Corrina, Corrina
Corrina, Corrina
I love you so

Corrina, Corrina
Corrina, Corrina
Corrina, Corrina
I love you so

Oh, darling, don't you know
I love you so?
Darling, don't you know?

The Crystals - Santa Claus is Coming to Town (1963)

This American vocal group from New York, New York was of the premiere girl groups, which dominated the charts in the first half of the 1960s. When they were first discovered by Phil Spector in 1961, none of the five members were even close to finishing high school. Signed to Spector’s label, Philles Records, the girls shot to stardom with hit songs like “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Then He Kissed Me.” Although the 1960s saw talent come and go, Dolores “Dee Dee” Kenniebrew rekindled the group in 1971 and still performs with new Crystals members to this day. Eventually the relationship between Spector and the girls soured, as many of the girls believed that Spector was withholding royalty money from them. Spector was also giving the girls far less attention, as his new obsession was on his latest discovery, The Ronettes. The group left Philles Records in 1964 and eventually disbanded in 1967. It wasn’t until 1971, as mentioned above, that they reunited around Dee Dee.

Written by John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie, this song was first sung in November 1934 on a radio show by Eddie Cantor. Cantor decided to give the song a chance after many other famous vocalists had rejected the song as being “too childish” and “silly.” This particular version of the song was recorded and released in 1963 on the album A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector.



The Crystals - Santa Claus is Coming to Town (1963)

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Lyrics:

Jimmy, I just came back from a lovely trip along the Milky Way
I stopped off at the North Pole to spend the holiday
I called on old, dear Santa Claus to see what I could see
He took me to his workshop and told his plans to me

Now Santa is a busy man, he has no time to play
He's got millions of stockings to fill on Christmas day
You better write your letter now and mail it right away
Because he's getting ready his reindeers and his sleigh

You'd better watch out, you'd better not cry
You'd better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town

He's making a list, he's checking it twice
He's gonna find out who’s naughty or nice
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town

He sees when you are sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake

Oh, you'd better watch out, you'd better not cry
You'd better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town

With little tin horns and little toy drums
Rooty-toot-toots and rummy-tum-tums
Curly head dolls that toddle and coo
Elephants, boats, and kiddie cars too
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town

The kids in Girl’s and Boy Land will have a jubilee
They're going to build a Toyland all around the Christmas tree
So, you’d better watch out, you’d better not cry
You’d better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town

Santa Claus is coming to town