"Church Bells May Ring" is a song written by The Willows, with songwriting credits also given to Morty Craft; Craft, a veteran arranger and talent scout, owned Melba Records, the label the Willows recorded for, and as often happened in the 1950s, label executives would give themselves a songwriting credit. There is little evidence Craft wrote the song, and according to the band members, he only paid them $200, despite the fact that the song sold well.[1] The Willows were formed in New York City in 1952. Their original name was the Five Willows, and their song was originally called "Church Bells Are Ringing."[2] "Church Bells May Ring" reached number 11 on the U.S. R&B chart and number 67 on the U.S. pop chart in 1956.[3]
| "Church Bells May Ring" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Willows | ||||
| B-side | "Baby Tell Me" | |||
| Released | February 1956 | |||
| Genre | Doo-wop | |||
| Length | 2:25 | |||
| Label | Melba | |||
| Songwriter(s) | The Willows, Morty Craft | |||
| The Willows singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Neil Sedaka played chimes on the song.[4][5]
Other charting versions
edit- The Diamonds released a version of the song as a single which reached number 14 on the U.S. pop chart in 1956.[6]
- The Willows re-released a version of the song as a single which reached number 114 on the U.S. pop chart in 1961.[7]
Other versions
edit- The Cadets released a version of the song as the B-side to their 1956 single "Heartbreak Hotel".[8]
- Sunny Gale released a version of the song as a single in 1960, but it did not chart.[9]
- The Four Seasons released a version of the song on their 1964 album Dawn (Go Away) and 11 Other Great Songs.[10]
- The Shirelles released a version of the song on their 1964 album The Shirelles Sing the Golden Oldies.[11]
References
edit- ^ Al Leichter. "The Willows Take Off, But Only Briefly." Staunton (VA) News-Leader, July 30, 1993, p. 27.
- ^ Joel Whitburn. Top Pop Singles, 1955-1999. Record Research, Menomonee Falls WI, 2000, p. 706.
- ^ "The Top 100 for the Survey Week Ending April 18, Billboard, April 28, 1956, p. 48". books.google.com. 28 April 1956. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ "The Willows, "Church Bells May Ring" Single Release". Discogs.com. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
- ^ "Obituary: Ralph Martin, original member of the Willows". Goldminemag.com. 6 April 2010. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ^ "The Diamonds, "Church Bells May Ring" Chart Position". Musicvf.com. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
- ^ "The Willows, "Church Bells May Ring" Chart Position". Musicvf.com. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
- ^ "The Cadets, "Heartbreak Hotel" Single Release". Discogs.com. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
- ^ "Sunny Gale, "Church Bells May Ring" Single Release". Discogs.com. 1960. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
- ^ "The Four Seasons, Dawn (Go Away) and 11 Other Great Songs". Discogs.com. 1964. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
- ^ "The Shirelles, The Shirelles Sing the Golden Oldies". Discogs.com. 1964. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
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