Tag Archives: Jerry Leiber

♫ I Keep Forgettin’ ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music

As things sometimes happen, my daughter made an offhand remark tonight that she kept forgetting … I disremember WHAT she kept forgetting, but it’s irrelevant … and that brought this song playing in my head … and hers, too, as she was singing it just a minute or two later!  And now that it’s firmly implanted in my head, the only possible remedy is to plant it into yours!  So, here you go … enjoy a bit of Michael McDonald!   From the last time I played this in 2019 …

Tonight I am tired and was just settling down after washing a mountain of dishes to decide on the song for the day, but my mind wasn’t cooperating.  Then all of a sudden, as if dropped onto my dashboard by karma, came a comment from friend Patty with a suggestion …

“How about,  I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near) by Michael McDonald? I love that one!!!!”, said she, and so it shall be!

Michael McDonald recorded this with his sister Maureen McDonald providing background vocals. It was featured on If That’s What It Takes, his first solo album away from The Doobie Brothers.  Greg Phillinganes, Steve Lukather and Jeff Porcaro of the band Toto played the clavinet, guitar and drums respectively. Noted bassist Louis Johnson laid down the song’s pronounced bassline.

This song was written by the legendary songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, and was originally recorded by R&B singer Chuck Jackson in 1962. The song was also recorded by The Checkmates Ltd. and The Hi-Fi’s before Michael McDonald put together a new version of the song with Ed Sanford of Sanford And Townsend. It was the first solo hit for McDonald.

And without further ado … here you go, Patty!

I Keep Fogettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)
Michael McDonald

I keep forgettin’ we’re not in love anymore
I keep forgettin’ things will never be the same again
I keep forgettin’ how you made that so clear
I keep forgettin’

Everytime you’re near
Everytime I see you smile
Hear your “hello”
Saying you can only stay a while

Hey, I know that it’s hard for you
To say the things that we both know are true
But tell me how come

I keep forgettin’ we’re not in love anymore
I keep forgettin’ things will never be the same again
I keep forgettin’ how you made that so clear
I keep forgettin’

Everytime I hear
How you never want to live a lie
How it’s gone too far
And you don’t have to tell me why

Why you’re gone and the game is through
If this is what’s real, if this is what’s true
Tell me how come

I keep forgettin’ we’re not in love anymore (baby)
I keep forgettin’ things will never be the same again
I keep forgettin’ how you made that so clear (yeah, baby)
I keep forgettin’

Don’t say that, don’t say that, don’t say that
I know you’re not mine anymore, anyway, anytime
But tell me how come

I keep forgettin’ we’re not in love anymore (How come I)
I keep forgettin’ things will never be the same again
I keep forgettin’ how you made that so clear
I keep forgettin’ (baby)

Everytime you’re near (I keep forgettin’ we’re not in love anymore)
Everytime you’re near (I keep forgettin’ things will never be the same again)
Oh Baby (I keep forgettin’ how you made that so clear)
Everytime you’re near (I keep forgettin’)

Songwriters: Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
I Keep Fogettin’ (Every Time You’re Near) lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

♫ I Who Have Nothing ♫ (Redux)

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music

It is rare that I prefer a later version to the original of a song.  And, even rarer that I prefer another over Ben E. King, for he’s a longtime favourite.  But, I have to admit that my preference for I Who Have Nothing is none other than that Welshman, Tom Jones.

King’s version, released in 1963, went to #29 on the U.S. charts, but didn’t play well elsewhere, from what I can find.  Then it was covered by:

  • 1966 Terry Knight and the Pack (who later became Grand Funk Railroad) (#46)
  • 1970 Liquid Smoke (#82)
  • 1970 Tom Jones (#14)

The song’s melody was based on an Italian song, “Uno Dei Tanti,” (English: “One of Many”), which King had heard in Italy. King’s producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller translated the lyrics into English.

As far as I can tell, the Tom Jones version hit #16 in the UK, but I could not verify that, so if anybody is aware of anything different, please feel free to correct me.  This wasn’t his most successful song, but since it was stuck in my head this evening, I decided it must be the song of the day!

I shall offer up both Tom Jones’ and Ben E. King’s versions …

I Who Have Nothing
Tom Jones

I, I who have nothing
I, I who have no one
Adore you and want you so
I’m just a no one with nothing to give you but, oh
I love you

He, he buys you diamonds
Bright, sparkling diamonds
But, believe me, dear, when I say
That he can give you the world, but he’ll never love you the way
I love you

He can take you any place he wants
To fancy clubs and restaurants
But I can only watch you with
My nose pressed up against the window pane

I, I who have nothing
I, I who have no one
Must watch you go dancing by
Wrapped in the arms of somebody else when, darling, it’s I
Who loves you

I love you
I love you
I love you

Songwriters: Giulio Mogol Rapetti / Carlo Donida / Mike Stoller / Jerry Leiber
I Who Have Nothing lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave

♫ Stand By Me ♫ (Redux)

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I first played this song in October 2018, so it’s not too soon for a redux, is it?

There have been over 400 recorded versions of this song, performed by many artists, including John Lennon and Muhammad Ali — yes, that Muhammad Ali — “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee …”

My favourite, however, remains the original sung by Ben E. King and written by King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller.  It was featured in the 1986 film of the same name, based on a Stephen King novella and directed by Rob Reiner.

In 2015 King’s original version was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress, as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”, just under five weeks before his death. Later in the year, the 2015 line up of the Drifters recorded it, in tribute to him.

Released in 1961, Stand By Me hit #1 on the US R&B charts, but only made it to #27 in the UK.  Anyway … have a listen, see what you think …

Stand By Me
Ben E. King

When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we see
No I won’t be afraid
No I won’t be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

And darling, darling stand by me
Oh, now, now, stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me

If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
And the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won’t cry, I won’t cry
No I won’t shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

And darling, darling stand by me
Oh, stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me

Whenever you’re in trouble won’t you stand by me
Oh, now, now, stand by me
Oh, stand by me, stand by me, stand by me

Darling, darling stand by me
Stand by me
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me

Songwriters: Ben King / Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
Stand By Me lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Raleigh Music Publishing

♫ To Know Him Is To Love Him ♫

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Determined to play something I hadn’t already played here before, I had to dig all the way back to 1958, the year of my 7th birthday.  Still, I well remember this one and most of my readers likely will too … except you young whipper snappers!

This is the song that launched Phil Spector’s career. He was a 17-year-old senior in high school when he recorded this, and he quickly became a top producer after working with prominent songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. By the time he was 23, he had produced hits like Be My Baby and You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ and was already a millionaire.  Wow!!!  He became famous for obsessive attention to detail and a heavily layered sound, but he also had mental health issues. After producing the Beatles album Let It Be and working on solo albums for George Harrison and John Lennon in the 1970s, he went into seclusion and worked only sporadically.

Phil Spector was inspired to write this in early 1958 by a photograph of his father Ben’s tombstone that said “To have known him was to have loved him.” Phil changed the tense of the epitaph on the tombstone and matched it to the music of When the Red, Red Robin Goes Bob-Bob-Bobbin’ Along.  Phil’s father, Benjamin Spector, was a steelworker who had killed himself 9 years earlier.

According to SongFacts …

Along with some high school friends, Phil put together The Teddy Bears (named after the Elvis Presley song), and wrote this so their new vocalist, Annette Kleinbard, would have something new to sing at a recording session. They had an audition with Era Records head Lew Bidell, who thought they were “okay” but needed better material. Kleinbard didn’t like the song, but agreed to sing it anyway. The group consisted of high school seniors Spector and Marshall Lieb, sophomore Kleinbard, and alumnus Sandy Nelson (who later had #4 hit “Teen Beat” and #7 “Let There Be Drums”) on the drum kit. Although Lieb played piano at the recording session, Spector had asked another friend to do it: future Beach Boy Bruce Johnston. Johnston turned Spector down because he had a date.

This was released on Dore Records as the B-side of “Don’t You Worry My Little Pet” and released in August 1958. After a month, very little happened with the record on the local level. Dore tried again with the record – this time pushing “To Know Him Is To Love Him” as the A-side. Still nothing – it looked like doom for the single. Meanwhile, a radio station in Fargo, North Dakota, began playing “To Know Him Is To Love Him” regularly, and orders began coming in for the record. Then the record started getting airplay in Minneapolis. The record had sold nearly 20,000 copies when it entered Billboard at #88 on September 22. Lew Bedell called Dick Clark in Philadelphia to help him promote the record, which was only a Midwest hit, and Clark played it on American Bandstand on October 3, 1958. The following week, it entered the Top 40, and on October 29, The Teddy Bears appeared live on Bandstand. By December 1, “To Know Him Is To Love Him” was #1 in the nation. It ended up selling nearly one-and-a-half million copies. Spector finished the Dore contract by providing them with a second single, “Wonderful Loveable You” backed with “Till You’re Mine.”

The Teddy Bears left Dore for Imperial Records and released the album The Teddy Bears Sing. It went nowhere and the group soon disbanded, with Spector joining Lester Sill and Lee Hazlewood’s Gregmark Publishing and forming a new group called The Spectors Three. Annette Kleinbard had a serious car accident requiring months of recovery time. She did recover and issued a single, “Alibi”/”What Difference Does It Make,” on Imperial under the name Annette Bard. After that single failed, Kleinbard changed her name to Carol Connors (she hated her name because of Annette Funicello’s presence in The Mickey Mouse Club) and later gained fame as a songwriter (“Hey Little Cobra” and “Gonna Fly Now (Theme From Rocky)”).

Spector claimed that he learned a great deal from writing, recording and promoting this song. He learned that he didn’t want to be a singer, and he also got a lesson in the brutal nature of the record business when he received only $3,000 out of the $20,000 he thought he had earned from the record. “I learnt about payola and distributors and manufacturing,” Spector said. “I learnt about the Mafia.”

On February 3, 2003, Spector shot actress Lana Clarkson in the mouth while in his mansion (the Pyrenees Castle) in Alhambra, California. Her body was found slumped in a chair with a single gunshot wound to her mouth.  On May 29, 2009, Spector was sentenced to 19-years-to-life in the California state prison system where he remained until he died earlier this year at age 81.  Whoa … how did I manage to turn a fun music post into such a depressing one.  Okay, never mind me and just listen to the song, okay?  Oh, by the way, this song peaked at #1 in the U.S. and #2 in the UK.

To Know Him Is to Love Him
The Teddy Bears

To know, know, know him
Is to love, love, love him
Just to see him smile
Makes my life worthwhile

To know, know, know him
Is to love, love, love him
And I do

I’ll be good to him, I’ll bring love to him
Everyone says there’ll come a day
When I’ll walk alongside of him

Yes, just to know him
Is to love, love, love him
And I do

Why can’t he see?
How blind can he be?
Someday he’ll see
That he was meant for me

To know, know, know him
Is to love, love, love him
Just to see him smile
Makes my life worthwhile

To know, know, know him
Is to love, love, love him
And I do

Why can’t he see?
How blind can he be?
Someday he’ll see
That he was meant for me

To know, know, know him
Is to love, love, love him
Just to see him smile
Makes my life worthwhile

To know, know, know him
Is to love, love, love him
And I do

To know, know, know him
Is to love, love, love him
Just to see him smile
Makes my life worthwhile

To know, know, know him
Is to love, love, love him
And I do

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Phil Spector

♫ Spanish Harlem ♫

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For no reason at all, while I was folding laundry yesterday, this one popped into my head.  I haven’t heard it in years, but once it found its way into my head, it refused to leave!  So …

Spanish Harlem is a section of New York City with a large Latino population and a rich cultural heritage. This song is about a rose that grows through the concrete in the city, always shaded from the sun. The singer is enchanted by this beautiful flower and dreams of taking it to his garden.

This was one of the first songs written by the legendary producer Phil Spector. He wrote it with Jerry Leiber, the lyricist of the famous songwriting team Leiber and Stoller. Spector learned his craft working with Leiber and Stoller, and quickly made a name for himself as a top producer.

Spector was an apprentice of sorts to Leiber and Stoller, who took him on as a favor to their music publisher, Lester Still. After a few months, the duo agreed to write a song with him. According to Leiber, they decided to meet at his house at 6:30, and Spector showed up at 5:00. Stoller was having dinner with his family and running late; by the time he was ready to come over, Leiber and Spector had finished the song.

According to Jerry Leiber, who was the lyricist, he had the idea for this song long before Phil Spector came to his house to write it. Since the song was about a rose in Spanish Harlem, he wanted the music to have a Spanish flavor, so he played Spector some music from his collection, including works by Andrés Segovia and Maurice Ravel.

“He started to play a melody that was like Jeff Barry rock and roll. Sort of jazzy and wrong.  I played him two or three of those pieces. He has a good ear, and he picked up something in there. I think he even picked up a three or four-bar lick in one of the pieces that were in the strings. And we wrote it together.”

This was the first single Ben E. King released as a solo artist – he left The Drifters after complaining of low wages. The song became the title track of his first solo album, which had a Spanish theme, with songs like Besame Mucho and Perfidia.  King recorded this in the same sessions as Stand By Me, which would be his next release and biggest hit.

The Ben E. King version did not chart in the UK, but two years later, in 1962, British musician Cliff Richard released his rendition on his 1962 album 32 Minutes and 17 Seconds, that went to #3 in the UK.  

Spanish Harlem
Ben E. King

There is a rose in Spanish Harlem
A red rose up in Spanish Harlem
It is a special one, it’s never seen the sun
It only comes out when the moon is on the run
And all the stars are gleaming
It’s growing in the street right up through the concrete
But soft and sweet and dreaming

There is a rose in Spanish Harlem
A red rose up in Spanish Harlem
With eyes as black as coal
Then look down in my soul
And starts a fire there
And then I lose control
I have to beg your pardon

I’m going to pick that rose
And watch her as she grows in my garden

I’m going to pick that rose
And watch her as she grows in my garden

(There is a rose in Spanish Harlem)
La la la, la la la, la la la la
(There is a rose in Spanish Harlem)
La la la, la la la, la la la la
(There is a rose in Spanish Harlem)

Writer/s: Jerry Leiber, Phil Spector
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

♫ Stand By Me ♫ (Redux)

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I first played this song in October 2018, so it’s not too soon for a redux, is it?

There have been over 400 recorded versions of this song, performed by many artists, including John Lennon and Muhammad Ali — yes, that Muhammad Ali — “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee …”

My favourite, however, remains the original sung by Ben E. King and written by King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller.  It was featured in the 1986 film of the same name, based on a Stephen King novella and directed by Rob Reiner.

In 2015 King’s original version was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress, as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”, just under five weeks before his death. Later in the year, the 2015 line up of the Drifters recorded it, in tribute to him.

Released in 1961, Stand By Me hit #1 on the US R&B charts, but only made it to #27 in the UK.  Anyway … have a listen, see what you think …

Stand By Me
Ben E. King

When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we see
No I won’t be afraid
No I won’t be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

And darling, darling stand by me
Oh, now, now, stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me

If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
And the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won’t cry, I won’t cry
No I won’t shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

And darling, darling stand by me
Oh, stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me

Whenever you’re in trouble won’t you stand by me
Oh, now, now, stand by me
Oh, stand by me, stand by me, stand by me

Darling, darling stand by me
Stand by me
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me

Songwriters: Ben King / Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
Stand By Me lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Raleigh Music Publishing

♫ Save The Last Dance For Me ♫

Posted on by under music, Social commentary

I was rolling smokes a while ago, doing a mental checklist.  Comments answered?  Check.  Jolly Monday scheduled?  Check.  Email cleaned up?  Check.  Music post?  Oops … I knew I had forgotten something.  So, the song I was whistling at that moment was Tom Jones’ I Who Have Nothing, which is a great song, but … I already played that one last September, and I did promise new content after last night’s redux.  The other song that I found myself whistling, then humming, was this one … Save the Last Dance for Me.  I knew I had done songs by The Drifters before, but lo and behold!  I haven’t played this one yet!

This song tells the story of a couple at a dance. He tells his wife that she is free to dance and socialize with other men throughout the evening, but she should not forget that she is going home with him. Inspiration for the song came from a very personal experience.

The songwriting team of Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman wrote this song. In Lonely Avenue: The Unlikely Life & Times of Doc Pomus, Alex Halberstadt explains that one night, Pomus found a wedding invitation in a hatbox, and back came his most vivid memory from his wedding: watching his brother Raoul dance with his new wife while Doc, who had polio, sat in his wheelchair. Inspired, he stayed up all night writing the words to this song on the back of the invitation. Shuman had played him a soaring Latin melody that afternoon, and he wanted the words to sound like a poem translated into English – something along the lines of Pablo Neruda. By the second verse, a hint of jealousy and vulnerability creeps in with the lyrics, “If he asks if you’re all alone, can he take you home, you must tell him no.” Pomus ended his night of songwriting by writing down the words that would become the title: Save The Last Dance For Me.

Pomus and Shuman were writers for Atlantic Records, where they worked with the team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who produced this song. Leiber and Stoller were great with Latin rhythms, which is what they used here and what Pomus had in mind with the flow of the lyrics. Leiber and Stoller were using The Coasters to record most of their songs at the time, and had asked Pomus and Shuman to write songs for The Drifters.

The Drifters lead singer for this song was Ben E. King, who a few months later started scoring solo hits with Spanish Harlem and Stand By Me. When they were recording the song Atlantic Records boss Ahmet Ertegun told King how the song was inspired by Pomus watching his wife dance with another man at his wedding, and King drew on that story to wring out the emotion in his vocals.

In a rare bonehead move by Atlantic Records honchos Ertegun and Jerry Wexler, they relegated this song to the B-side of another Pomus/Shuman composition called Nobody But Me.  It was Dick Clark who broke the song when he flipped the single and played Save The Last Dance for Me on his show American Bandstand. The song gave The Drifters their only #1 hit.

Emmylou Harris in 1979 and Dolly Parton in 1984 have had Country hits with this song, and Michael Bublé reached #99 in the US with his version.  But, with apologies to Harris, Parton and Bublé , I still prefer the Drifters.

Save The Last Dance For Me
The Drifters

You can dance every dance with the guy
Who gives you the eye, let him hold you tight
You can smile every smile for the man
Who held your hand ‘neath the pale moonlight

But don’t forget who’s taking you home
And in whose arms you’re gonna be
So darlin’, save the last dance for me, hmm

Oh, I know that the music’s fine (oh, I know, yes I know)
Like sparkling wine go and have your fun
Laugh and sing but while we’re apart
Don’t give your heart to anyone

But don’t forget who’s taking you home
And in whose arms you’re gonna be
So darlin’, save the last dance for me, hmm

Baby, don’t you know I love you so?
Can’t you feel it when we touch?
I will never, never let you go
I love you, oh, so much

You can dance, go and carry on
‘Till the night is gone and it’s time to go
If he asks, if you’re all alone
Can he take you home, you must tell him, no

‘Cause don’t forget who’s taking you home
And in whose arm’s you’re gonna be
So darlin’, save the last dance for me

‘Cause don’t forget who’s taking you home
And in whose arm’s you’re gonna be
So darlin’, save the last dance for me, hmm

Save the last dance for me, hmm, hmm
Save the last dance for me, hmmm
Save

Songwriters: Doc Pomus / Mort Shuman
Save The Last Dance For Me – Re-Recording (by Original Artist) lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Spirit Music Group

♫ I Who Have Nothing ♫

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It is rare that I prefer a later version to the original of a song.  And, even rarer that I prefer another over Ben E. King, for he’s a longtime favourite.  But, I have to admit that my preference for I Who Have Nothing is none other than that Welshman, Tom Jones.

King’s version, released in 1963, went to #29 on the U.S. charts, but didn’t play well elsewhere, from what I can find.  Then it was covered by:

  • 1966 Terry Knight and the Pack (who later became Grand Funk Railroad) (#46)
  • 1970 Liquid Smoke (#82)
  • 1970 Tom Jones (#14)

The song’s melody was based on an Italian song, “Uno Dei Tanti,” (English: “One of Many”), which King had heard in Italy. King’s producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller translated the lyrics into English.

As far as I can tell, the Tom Jones version hit #16 in the UK, but I could not verify that, so if anybody is aware of anything different, please feel free to correct me.  This wasn’t his most successful song, but since it was stuck in my head this evening, I decided it must be the song of the day!

I shall offer up both Tom Jones’ and Ben E. King’s versions …

I Who Have Nothing
Tom Jones

I, I who have nothing
I, I who have no one
Adore you and want you so
I’m just a no one with nothing to give you but, oh
I love you

He, he buys you diamonds
Bright, sparkling diamonds
But, believe me, dear, when I say
That he can give you the world, but he’ll never love you the way
I love you

He can take you any place he wants
To fancy clubs and restaurants
But I can only watch you with
My nose pressed up against the window pane

I, I who have nothing
I, I who have no one
Must watch you go dancing by
Wrapped in the arms of somebody else when, darling, it’s I
Who loves you

I love you
I love you
I love you

Songwriters: Giulio Mogol Rapetti / Carlo Donida / Mike Stoller / Jerry Leiber
I Who Have Nothing lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave

♫ I Keep Forgettin’ ♫

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Tonight I am tired and was just settling down after washing a mountain of dishes to decide on the song for the day, but my mind wasn’t cooperating.  Then all of a sudden, as if dropped onto my dashboard by karma, came a comment from friend Patty with a suggestion …

“How about,  I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near) by Michael McDonald? I love that one!!!!”, said she, and so it shall be!

Michael McDonald recorded this with his sister Maureen McDonald providing background vocals. It was featured on If That’s What It Takes, his first solo album away from The Doobie Brothers.  Greg Phillinganes, Steve Lukather and Jeff Porcaro of the band Toto played the clavinet, guitar and drums respectively. Noted bassist Louis Johnson laid down the song’s pronounced bassline.

This song was written by the legendary songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, and was originally recorded by R&B singer Chuck Jackson in 1962. The song was also recorded by The Checkmates Ltd. and The Hi-Fi’s before Michael McDonald put together a new version of the song with Ed Sanford of Sanford And Townsend. It was the first solo hit for McDonald.

And without further ado … here you go, Patty!

I Keep Fogettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)
Michael McDonald

I keep forgettin’ we’re not in love anymore
I keep forgettin’ things will never be the same again
I keep forgettin’ how you made that so clear
I keep forgettin’

Everytime you’re near
Everytime I see you smile
Hear your “hello”
Saying you can only stay a while

Hey, I know that it’s hard for you
To say the things that we both know are true
But tell me how come

I keep forgettin’ we’re not in love anymore
I keep forgettin’ things will never be the same again
I keep forgettin’ how you made that so clear
I keep forgettin’

Everytime I hear
How you never want to live a lie
How it’s gone too far
And you don’t have to tell me why

Why you’re gone and the game is through
If this is what’s real, if this is what’s true
Tell me how come

I keep forgettin’ we’re not in love anymore (baby)
I keep forgettin’ things will never be the same again
I keep forgettin’ how you made that so clear (yeah, baby)
I keep forgettin’

Don’t say that, don’t say that, don’t say that
I know you’re not mine anymore, anyway, anytime
But tell me how come

I keep forgettin’ we’re not in love anymore (How come I)
I keep forgettin’ things will never be the same again
I keep forgettin’ how you made that so clear
I keep forgettin’ (baby)

Everytime you’re near (I keep forgettin’ we’re not in love anymore)
Everytime you’re near (I keep forgettin’ things will never be the same again)
Oh Baby (I keep forgettin’ how you made that so clear)
Everytime you’re near (I keep forgettin’)

Songwriters: Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
I Keep Fogettin’ (Every Time You’re Near) lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

♫ Stand By Me ♫

Posted on by under music

There have been over 400 recorded versions of this song, performed by many artists, including John Lennon and Muhammad Ali — yes, that Muhammad Ali — “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee …”

My favourite, however, remains the original sung by Ben E. King and written by King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller.  It was featured in the 1986 film of the same name, based on a Stephen King novella and directed by Rob Reiner.

In 2015 King’s original version was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress, as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”, just under five weeks before his death. Later in the year, the 2015 line up of the Drifters recorded it, in tribute to him.

Released in 1961, Stand By Me hit #1 on the US R&B charts, but only made it to #27 in the UK.  Anyway … have a listen, see what you think …

Stand By Me
Ben E. King

When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we see
No I won’t be afraid
No I won’t be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

And darling, darling stand by me
Oh, now, now, stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me

If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
And the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won’t cry, I won’t cry
No I won’t shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

And darling, darling stand by me
Oh, stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me

Whenever you’re in trouble won’t you stand by me
Oh, now, now, stand by me
Oh, stand by me, stand by me, stand by me

Darling, darling stand by me
Stand by me
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me

Songwriters: Ben King / Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
Stand By Me lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Raleigh Music Publishing