Tag The Crystals

“He’s a Rebel” (The Crystals/The Blossoms)

He's a Rebel, Crystals

Today’s classic song of the day was recorded by one group but released under another group’s name. The song is that Wall of Sound classic, “He’s a Rebel,” and there’s an interesting story behind it. To start out, “He’s a Rebel” was written by Gene Pitney for the Shirelles, but that group, which was really hot at the time, turned…

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“Santa Claus is Coming to Town” (The Crystals/The Jackson 5/Bruce Springsteen)

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Today’s classic Christmas song of the day is “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” It was written in 1934 by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie. The song was first recorded by banjo player Harry Reser and His Orchestra in 1934, but became a huge hit when recorded by Eddie Cantor later that year. Tons of artists have recorded “Santa…

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“Uptown” (The Crystals)

Uptown, the Crystals

Continuing our appreciation of the late Cynthia Weil, today’s classic song of the day is “Uptown,” by the Crystals. It’s one of the earliest Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil collaborations, released in 1962. It was a hit for Phil Spector’s Philles Records, hitting #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #10 on the Cash Box Top 100. “Uptown” is a ostensibly a…

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