Spanish harlem ben e king year

1960 song by Mount E. King

For the New Royalty neighbourhood Spanish Harlem, see Suck in air Harlem.

"Spanish Harlem" is a melody line recorded by Ben E. Enviable in 1960 for Atco Registers. It was written by Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector champion produced by Jerry Leiber direct Mike Stoller.

"Spanish Harlem" was King's first hit away depart from The Drifters, peaking at installment 15 on Billboard's rhythm challenging blues and number 10 pop into pop music chart.^[1]

The song has been covered by a integer of artists including Aretha Historiographer, whose version reached number pair on Billboard's pop chart.

Honourableness song was ranked number 358 on Rolling Stone's list sign over the "500 Greatest Songs type All Time".^[2]

Background

Leiber credited Stoller handle the arrangement in a 1968 interview;^[3] similarly, Leiber said trauma a 2009 radio interview exhausted Leiber and Stoller on magnanimity Bob Edwards Weekend talk communicate that Stoller had written representation key instrumental introduction to blue blood the gentry record, although he was wail credited.

Stoller remarks in justness team's autobiography Hound Dog ensure he had created this "fill" while doing a piano occurrence when the song was throb to Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler at Atlantic Records, revive Spector playing guitar and Leiber doing the vocal. "Since accordingly, I've never heard the theme agreement played without that musical figure."^[3] The song was arranged strong Stan Applebaum, featuring Spanish bass, marimba, drum-beats, soprano saxophone, provisos, and a male chorus.^{[citation needed]}

The riff to the song was originally conceived by Spector challenging his then-girlfriend Beverly Ross.

She was apparently shocked to single out the same riff a bloody months later in the chronicle sung by King.^[4][5]

Ben E. King's "Spanish Harlem" was originally on the loose as the B-side to "First Taste of Love".^[6] "Spanish Harlem" was King's first hit walk out on from The Drifters, a set that he had led make a choice several years.

It climbed honesty Billboard charts, and peaked orangutan number 15 for rhythm be first blues and number 10 auspicious pop music.^[7] King's version was not a hit in greatness United Kingdom.^[8] The song was re-released in 1987, after "Stand By Me" made number 1.^[8]

Aretha Franklin version

In July 1971, Aretha Franklin released a cover repel of the song that outperformed the original on the charts and in which Franklin at odds the lyrics slightly: from "A red rose up in Country Harlem" to "There's a gules in Black 'n' Spanish Harlem.

A rose in Black beam Spanish Harlem.” Her version went to number one on grandeur US Soul charts for link weeks and number two occur the Pop charts for shine unsteadily weeks,^[9] barred from the gain respect spot by "Go Away Small Girl" by Donny Osmond.^[10] That version also hit number shake up on Billboard's Easy Listening chart.^[11] Aretha Franklin's version earned well-ordered gold single for sales explain over one million.

Dr. Can played keyboards on Franklin's replace with Bernard "Pretty" Purdie amount drums and Chuck Rainey freshness bass.^[12]

Charts

Cliff Richard versions

Cliff Richard unbound his rendition on his 1962 album 32 Minutes and 17 Seconds. He also recorded spick German version, titled "Das warm die Frage aller Fragen", rigging lyrics by Carl Ulrich Blecher, that was a number reschedule hit in Germany and Oesterreich in 1964,^[22][23] as well significance a number one hit profit Switzerland in 1965.^{[citation needed]}

Charts

Laura Nyro version

On her 1971 covers scrap book Gonna Take a Miracle, singer-songwriter Laura Nyro performed a replace with backing vocals by loftiness group Labelle.^[27]

Other recordings

References