Okay, one last classic song of the day that heavily features an organ part: “Hello Stranger,” a hit for Barbara Lewis in 1963 and again for Yvonne Elliman in 1977.
“Hello Stranger” was written by Barbara Lewis and released by her as a single on the Atlantic label in March of 1963. The song was recorded in Chicago’s Chess Studios with the Dells singing backup; the signature Hammond B3 organ riff was played by session musician John Young. Lewis’ version was a stone cold hit, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on Billboard’s R&B chart.
Singer Yvonne Elliman released her version of “Hello Stranger” in March of 1977. Her version closely followed Ms. Lewis’ original, partly because Ms. Elliman was such a big fan of the classic tune:
“‘Hello Stranger’ has been my favorite song since I was ten years old…. When [producer] Freddie [Perrin] asked me what I wanted to sing, ‘Hello Stranger’ was the first thing that came out of my mouth…. He said: ‘Oh God, yeah. I love that song.'”
Ms. Elliman’s version, also featuring a prominent organ part, hit #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and rose to #1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart.
“Hello Stranger” was Barbara Lewis’ first big hit but it wasn’t her last. She also had chart success with “Baby I’m Yours” (#11 in 1965) and “Make Me Your Baby” (also #11 in 1965). She kept singing for decades, finally retiring in 2017, due to health issues. She’s 81 years old today.
Yvonne Elliman first came to public attention playing Mary Magdalene in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar and had her first big hit in 1971 with her recording of “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” from that show. She had later success with “Love Me” (#14 in 1976) and “If I Can’t Have You” (#1 in 1977). She’s continued performing and recording over the years; she’s 72 years old today.
