To Know Him Is to Love Him

"To Know Him Is to Love Him"
Single by The Teddy Bears
B-side "Don't You Worry My Little Pet"
Released September 1958[1]
Format
  • Vinyl
  • 7"
  • 45 RPM
Recorded 1958
Genre Pop
Length 2:18
Label Doré
Writer(s) Phil Spector[2]
The Teddy Bears singles chronology
"To Know Him Is to Love Him"
(1958)
"I Don't Need You Anymore"
(1959)

"To Know Him Is to Love Him" is a song written by Phil Spector, inspired by words on his father's tombstone, "To Know Him Was To Love Him."[3] It was first recorded by the only vocal group of which he was a member,[2] the Teddy Bears. Their recording spent 3 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1958,[4] while reaching No. 2 on UK's New Musical Express chart.[5] Peter & Gordon and Bobby Vinton later had hits with the song, with its title and lyrics changed to "To Know You Is to Love You". In 1987, the song was resurrected by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, whose Trio recording topped the U.S. country singles charts. The song is in 12/8 time.

Chart performance

Chart (1958) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 1
UK – New Musical Express 2
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Sides[6] 10
Preceded by
"Tom Dooley"
by The Kingston Trio
Billboard Hot 100 number-one single (Teddy Bears version)
December 1, 1958 – December 21, 1958 (3 weeks)
Succeeded by
"The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)"
by David Seville and The Chipmunks

Nancy Sinatra version

"To Know Him Is to Love Him"
Single by Nancy Sinatra
A-side "Like I Do"
Released 1962
Format 7" vinyl
Recorded 1962
Genre Pop
Length 2:13
Label Reprise
Writer(s) Phil Spector[2]
Producer(s) Tutti Camarata
Nancy Sinatra singles chronology
"Cuff Links and a Tie Clip" "To Know Him Is to Love Him" "June, July, and August"

In 1962, Nancy Sinatra released her version of the song on Reprise Records, as the B-side of "Like I Do".[7]

Peter and Gordon version

"To Know You Is to Love You"
Single by Peter and Gordon
B-side "I Told You So"
Released 1965
Format
  • Vinyl
  • 7"
  • 45 RPM
Genre Pop rock
Length 2:33
Label Columbia
Writer(s) Phil Spector

In 1965, Peter and Gordon released a version of the song, titled "To Know You Is to Love You". Peter and Gordon's version spent 10 weeks on the UK's Record Retailer chart, peaking at No. 5,[8] while also reaching No. 5 on Canada's "RPM Play Sheet".[9] In the United States, the song spent 7 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 24.[10]

Chart performance

Chart (1965) Peak
position
UK – Record Retailer 5
Canada – RPM Play Sheet 5
US – Billboard Hot 100 24

Bobby Vinton version

"To Know You Is to Love You"
Single by Bobby Vinton
from the album Vinton
B-side "The Beat of My Heart"
Released 1969
Format
  • Vinyl
  • 7"
  • 45 RPM
Genre Pop
Length 2:21
Label Epic
Writer(s) Phil Spector
Bobby Vinton singles chronology
"I Love How You Love Me"
(1968)
"To Know You Is to Love You"
(1969)
"The Days of Sand and Shovels"
(1969)

In 1969, Bobby Vinton released a version of the song, titled "To Know You Is to Love You". Vinton's version spent 7 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 34,[11] while reaching No. 8 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart,[12] No. 16 on Canada's RPM 100,[13] and No. 6 on RPM's Adult Contemporary chart.[14]

Chart performance

Chart (1969) Peak
position
US – Billboard Hot 100 34
US – Billboard Easy Listening 8
Canada – RPM 100 16
Canada – RPM Adult Contemporary 6
Canada – CHUM 30[15] 14

Jody Miller version

In 1972, Jody Miller took a version to No. 18 on the Billboard country charts.

Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris version

"To Know Him Is to Love Him"
Single by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris
from the album Trio
B-side "Farther Along"
Released January 1987
Genre Country
Length 3:48
Label Warner Bros. Nashville
Writer(s) Phil Spector
Producer(s) George Massenburg
Dolly Parton singles chronology
"We Had It All"
(1986)
"To Know Him Is to Love Him"
(1987)
"Telling Me Lies"
(1987)
Linda Ronstadt singles chronology
"I Knew You When"
(1983)
"To Know Him Is to Love Him"
(1987)
"Telling Me Lies"
(1987)
Emmylou Harris singles chronology
"Today I Started Loving You Again"
(1986)
"To Know Him Is to Love Him"
(1987)
"Telling Me Lies"
(1987)

In 1987, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris covered the song, including it on their Trio album, and releasing it as the album's first single. Their version reached number one on the US Hot Country Songs chart in May 1987. Its music video was directed by White Copeman.[16]

Chart performance

Chart (1987) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles[17] 1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 1
Preceded by
"The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder"
by Michael Johnson
Billboard Hot Country Singles
number-one single

May 16, 1987
Succeeded by
"Can't Stop My Heart from Loving You"
by The O'Kanes
Preceded by
"Don't Go to Strangers"
by T. Graham Brown
RPM Country Tracks
number-one single

May 16–23, 1987

Other versions

"To Know Him Is to Love Him"
Single by Amy Winehouse
from the album Back to Black (Deluxe Edition Bonus Disc)
Released 2007
Genre Soul
Length 2:25
Label Island
Writer(s) Phil Spector

The Beatles recorded two versions, both retitled "To Know Her Is to Love Her". One version was on their January 1962 audition tapes with Decca, not released during the band's existence. The second version was not officially released until 1994, on their Live at the BBC compilation album. John Lennon recorded his own version of the song in 1973 ("To Know Her Is to Love Her"), but it would not see release until the 1986 compilation Menlove Ave.

British rock star Gary Glitter recorded a version on his second studio album Touch Me in 1973, which reached No. 2 in the UK charts.

Steeleye Span played a cover of the song on their 1974 album Now We Are Six, which features, as a guest, David Bowie on alto saxophone. The inclusion of a rock 'n' roll standard baffled many listeners who had come to expect Steeleye Span's interpretations of traditional fare; what is generally not known, however, is that the track does represent an aspect of Steeleye Span's live show at that time (1974). They were known for doing a rock 'n' roll encore during this period, influenced by the band Sha Na Na with whom they toured.

David Bromberg included a version on his album My Own House (Fantasy 9572, 1978). He recorded the acoustic guitar and vocal live, and then overdubbed a slide guitar part.

In 2007, Amy Winehouse recorded the song acoustically for a B-side of "You Know I'm No Good". A version by Winehouse also appeared on the 2007 compilation album The Saturday Sessions: The Dermot O'Leary Show. In the same year, the song was recorded as a duet by Jill Johnson and Lisa Miskovsky.[18]

On July 10, 2010 the song was performed by David Gilmour and Roger Waters when they played a concert in aid of the "Hoping Foundation"[19] – their first performance together since Pink Floyd's gig for Live 8 in July 2005 – as a tongue-in-cheek reference to their often-volatile creative relationship. In 2011, Kikki Danielsson recorded the song on the album Första dagen på resten av mitt liv.[20]

References

  1. Classic Tracks, Back To Back Singles; Thunder Bay Press, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 "Show 14 – Big Rock Candy Mountain: Rock 'n' roll in the late fifties. [Part 4] : UNT Digital Library". Pop Chronicles. Digital.library.unt.edu. April 27, 1969. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
  3. Charles Montaldo. "Profile of Phil Spector". About.com. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  4. Joel Whitburn, "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits", Billboard Publications, Inc., 1987. p. 301
  5. Teddy Bears – Full Official Chart History, Official Charts Company. Accessed October 27, 2015
  6. "Hot R&B Sides", Billboard, December 8, 1958. p. 34. Accessed October 27, 2015
  7. "Reviews of New Singles", Billboard, January 20, 1962. p. 36. Accessed October 27, 2015
  8. Peter & Gordon – Full Official Chart History, Official Charts Company. Accessed October 27, 2015
  9. "R.P.M. Play Sheet", RPM Weekly, Volume 3, Ed. 25, August 16, 1965. Accessed October 27, 2015
  10. Peter & Gordon – Chart History – The Hot 100, Billboard.com. Accessed October 27, 2015
  11. Bobby Vinton – Chart History – The Hot 100, Billboard.com. Accessed October 25, 2015
  12. Bobby Vinton – Chart History – Adult Contemporary, Billboard.com. Accessed October 25, 2015
  13. "The RPM 100", RPM Weekly, Volume 11, Ed. 11, May 12, 1969. Accessed October 25, 2015
  14. "Young Adult", RPM Weekly, Volume 11, Ed. 11, May 12, 1969. Accessed October 25, 2015
  15. CHUM 30 – May 17, 1969 at the Wayback Machine (archived November 7, 2006). Collector's issue No. 41. CHUM. Accessed December 17, 2015.
  16. "CMT : Videos : Emmylou Harris : To Know Him Is To Love Him". Country Music Television. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  17. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944–2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 152.
  18. "Svensk mediedatabas". Retrieved May 18, 2011.
  19. "Hoping Foundation". Hoping Foundation. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
  20. "Svensk mediedatabas". Retrieved May 18, 2011.

External links

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