(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please refer to the "Poor Little Fool" post.)
The Shirelles - "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"
Hit Number 1: January 30, 1961
Stay at Number 1: 2 Weeks
Despite the way it sounds, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" has a more deeper meaning to it. It's very easy to hear the song and think of it as just another ordinary love song. Well, it technically IS, but instead the song implies one night stands, which is something you don't usually see in songs. Especially in the early 60s, where some of the corniest love songs ever were becoming hits. Another thing about the early 60s was that it was a time where girl groups were becoming big in the music business. "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" was the first #1 song on the Hot 100 by one of these girl groups, The Shirelles.
The Shirelles first got together for a talent show at their high school, at the suggestion of a teacher. They sang a song called "I Met Him On a Sunday", as the Poquellos, and impressed one of their classmates so much that they wanted them to meet with their mother who was the owner of Tiara Records. They, however, were reluctant to do so, and didn't want to sing professionally. They eventually gave in though, and signed to Tiara. They then switched their name to the Shirelles, a combination of the first syllable of member Shirley Owens, and the -el being reminiscent of the Chantels, who were another popular music act in their day. After some local success with "I Met Him On a Sunday", the song was licensed to Decca Records and the song charted as high as #50. Tiara Records, and the Shirelles for that matter, were later sold to Decca Records in 1959.
Their success with Decca dwindled, however, and Decca eventually dropped the group, and considered them a one-hit act. (FUN FACT: Decca Records were also the ones who declined the Beatles after they auditioned for them. So they were clearly a bunch of idiots.) They then signed to Scepter Records, and had moderate success, but were still relatively unknown. Greenberg, who stuck with the Shirelles this whole time as their manager, asked Luther Dixon, who had worked with artists such as Nat King Cole and Pat Boone (Boone will appear in this blog very soon), and also co-wrote the hit "16 Candles" (a 7) to help write and produce their songs. He agreed, and it wasn't long after that, the Shirelles were becoming more successful, with their song "Tonight's the Night" making it to #39. The Shirelles were becoming more well-known and were even starting to perform with artists such as Etta James and Little Richard. (Neither of which will appear in this blog, but James is known for her song "At Last" which is a 9. My favorite Little Richard song is "Tutti Frutti" and that is also a 9.) But then, they leaped all the way up the charts with today's entry "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", in early 1961.
"Will You Love Me Tomorrow" was written by the husband-wife songwriting team of Gerry Goffin and Carole King. (King, as you may have guessed, will in fact appear in this blog eventually. Goffin will not. King actually recorded her own version of the song in 1971.) When the song was first brought up to Owens, she didn't think it was right for her, labeling it as "too country". A string arrangement was added, which seemed to make it better for Owens, and the Shirelles then recorded it. There is a lot to like about this song, with the added string arrangement being a part of it. But the way the Shirelles voices blend together is very nicely done, and just the overall happiness of the song would make you think that this song wasn't at all about a one night stand. But alas, that is exactly what the song is about. With lyrics like "Is this a lasting treasure, or just a moment's pleasure" and "You say I'm the only one, but will my heart be broken when the night meets the morning sun", it's obviously what's going on here. The girl and this guy are in love tonight, but she questions if he will stick around longer than just the one night.
But I'll say it again, I really like this song. They made all the right calls with the arrangement of the song, and Owens even sounds like some innocent girl who couldn't possibly bare the heartbreak that this guy would give her if he left her tomorrow. The song has aged very well too, despite the lyrics, and has been covered a million times by a million different artists. But none were able to make it a bigger hit than the Shirelles, which is good, because they did a hell of a job with the song. It's just such a happy sounding tune, and is really hard to not sing a long with, or at least let it lighten up your day a little.
GRADE: 8/10
One of my favorites from that era. They nailed it. Never get tired of listening to that song.