Easier Said Than Done

"Easier Said Than Done"
Single by The Essex
from the album Easier Said Than Done
A-side	Are You Going My Way
Released	May 1963
Format	vinyl single
Genre	girl group, pop
Length	2:08
Label	Roulette
Writer(s)	William Linton, Larry Huff
The Essex singles chronology
"Easier Said Than Done" "A Walkin' Miracle"

"Easier Said Than Done" is a popular song sung by The Essex that was a number-one song in the United States during 1963. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on July 6, 1963, and remained there for two weeks.^[1] The song was written by William Linton and Larry Huff.^[2]

The Essex were active-duty members of the United States Marine Corps at the time, as was Linton, who wrote the song at the request of Essex member Walter Vickers. The song's rhythm was inspired by the sound of the Teletype machines in the communications office of their Marine post. The group was not thrilled with the song, but recorded it for use as the B-side of their debut single, "Are You Going My Way". The recording was unusually short, and editing was used to repeat part of the recording; even so, the song was only a little over two minutes. The single was released in May 1963, but "Easier Said Than Done" quickly emerged as the more popular side.^[3] The song became a major hit with broad appeal, reaching number one on both the pop and rhythm and blues charts.^[4] The song became the title track of the group's first album, which reached number 113 on the Billboard album chart, becoming their only charting album.^[5]

Footnotes

1. Joel Whitburn, Top Pop Singles 1955-1999 (Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research, 2000), 208.
2. Bronson, Fred (1992). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits - revised & enlarged. New York: Billboard Books. p. 132. ISBN 0-8230-8298-9.
3. Jay Warner, American Singing Groups: A History From 1940 To Today (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 2006), 376.
4. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 803.
5. Joel Whitburn, Top Pop Albums 1955-2001 (Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research, 2001), 272.