American brothers Don (1937–2021) and Phil (1939–2014) Everly, were born to country-western musical couple, and began playing on country radio in primary school. In Tennessee the brothers recorded 15 Top Ten hits from 1957-62, producing a blend of Appalachian harmonies and rock & roll that influenced many rockers.
The Everly Brothers
Late 1950s, Wiki
Husband-wife team Felice and Boudleaux Bryant were the writers for most of The Everly Brothers songs in the 1950s. A labour of love for the song-writing duo, Boudleaux recalled persevering with Wake Up Little Susiefor many hours. He started writing one night, kept trying to get his ideas down, but failed. Finally he woke Felice, who listened to what he had achieved and gave the final touches. In the studio the next day, the couple got it down first take.
The Everly’s first #1 song described an innocent teenage couple attending a film, fell asleep, woke up at 4 AM and start panicking about what to tell her parents. Realising they were out past her 10 PM curfew, they made up a story to tell, expecting bad reactions from her parents and friends who may have assumed that the couple had sex! The recording blew away Felice Bryant, who said “Coming out of their mouths, it was pure honey.”
We've both been sound asleep
Wake up, little Susie and weep
The movie's over, it's four o'clock
And we're in trouble deep
Well, what are we gonna tell your mama?
What are we gonna tell your pa'?
What are we gonna tell our friends when they say
"Ooh, la, la"?
Well, I told your mama that we'd be in by ten
Well, Susie, baby, looks like we goofed again
Wake up, little Susie
We gotta go home
The song was banned from Boston radio stations by the powerful Boston Catholic archbishop in 1957 because the lyrics were too suggestive. The young, dating couple were not married! But as with the case of other banned songs, it only made it more appealing to teens
The song reached #1 on the Billboard Pop chart and Country chart, #2 in the UK Singles Chart in 1957 and the Cash Box Best Selling Records chart. Susie achieved #318 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Felice Bryant searched for a hidden meaning in Little Susie. In thinking about some of the ideology that she and her husband may have had in mind, Felice said “The Everly Brothers had a session coming up, and it was a job we had to get done. They needed a song to sing, so we had to write one. Wake Up Little Susie was it!”
For The Everly Brothers, this was one of five US #1 hits, so impressive that in 2022 I still remember every word and every note.
Bye Bye Love(1957) had been rejected by 30 acts when songwriter Boudleaux Bryant played it for the Everlys, who had recently signed to Cadence Records in Nashville. Their recording was soon a #2 pop hit and #1 country hit. Archie Bleyer, owner of the brothers’ label Cadence, arrived from New York as soon as he could.
Phil Everly called Felice and Boudleaux Bryant’s gorgeously haunting ballad one of the most important songs they ever recorded: All I Have to Do Is Dream (1958). The band played quietly, and their refrain was almost mystical. Dream, dream dream slipped in and out of unison and harmony with much bluegrass. The song had a long life, hitting the charts in 1963, 1970 and 1981 by other stars.
Take a Message to Mary (1959), an underrated minor hit, was a sad ballad about a man separated from his lover after a careless gunshot gaoled him for life. Even if you don’t believe in perfection, this record was the closest that anyone ever came to singing in perfect, miraculous harmony.
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After a contract dispute, the band left Cadence Records and signed to Warner Bros. The first single was the self-written breakup anthem Cathy’s Clown (1961). It sold 8 million copies, spent 5 weeks at #1 and became their best-selling song ever. A live clip showed them performing the song on U.K television, backed by the Crickets. These songs were also recorded by Bob Dylan, Elvis and Buddy Holly.
Long-simmering disputes broke out in 1961 with Wesley Rose, CEO of Acuff-Rose Music, the music publishing house that next managed the brothers. But it was their enlistments in the U.S Marine Corps Reserve in Oct 1961 that made their musical fame disappear. One of their few performances that year was on The Ed Sullivan Show in Feb 1962, when they performed Crying in the Rain in Marine uniforms.There was growing drug usage in the 1960s, as well as changing tastes in popular music, apparently leading to the group's decline in American popularity. But note that the brothers continued to release hit singles in the U.K and Canada and had many highly successful tours through the 1960s. In the early 1970s, the brothers began releasing solo recordings, and in 1973 they broke up.
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Their steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing had became iconic and had influenced the Beatles, Beach Boys, Bee Gees and Simon & Garfunkel. And me!
The Everly’s first #1 song described an innocent teenage couple attending a film, fell asleep, woke up at 4 AM and start panicking about what to tell her parents. Realising they were out past her 10 PM curfew, they made up a story to tell, expecting bad reactions from her parents and friends who may have assumed that the couple had sex! The recording blew away Felice Bryant, who said “Coming out of their mouths, it was pure honey.”
We've both been sound asleep
Wake up, little Susie and weep
The movie's over, it's four o'clock
And we're in trouble deep
Well, what are we gonna tell your mama?
What are we gonna tell your pa'?
What are we gonna tell our friends when they say
"Ooh, la, la"?
Well, I told your mama that we'd be in by ten
Well, Susie, baby, looks like we goofed again
Wake up, little Susie
We gotta go home
The song was banned from Boston radio stations by the powerful Boston Catholic archbishop in 1957 because the lyrics were too suggestive. The young, dating couple were not married! But as with the case of other banned songs, it only made it more appealing to teens
The song reached #1 on the Billboard Pop chart and Country chart, #2 in the UK Singles Chart in 1957 and the Cash Box Best Selling Records chart. Susie achieved #318 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Felice Bryant searched for a hidden meaning in Little Susie. In thinking about some of the ideology that she and her husband may have had in mind, Felice said “The Everly Brothers had a session coming up, and it was a job we had to get done. They needed a song to sing, so we had to write one. Wake Up Little Susie was it!”
For The Everly Brothers, this was one of five US #1 hits, so impressive that in 2022 I still remember every word and every note.
Bye Bye Love(1957) had been rejected by 30 acts when songwriter Boudleaux Bryant played it for the Everlys, who had recently signed to Cadence Records in Nashville. Their recording was soon a #2 pop hit and #1 country hit. Archie Bleyer, owner of the brothers’ label Cadence, arrived from New York as soon as he could.
Phil Everly called Felice and Boudleaux Bryant’s gorgeously haunting ballad one of the most important songs they ever recorded: All I Have to Do Is Dream (1958). The band played quietly, and their refrain was almost mystical. Dream, dream dream slipped in and out of unison and harmony with much bluegrass. The song had a long life, hitting the charts in 1963, 1970 and 1981 by other stars.
Take a Message to Mary (1959), an underrated minor hit, was a sad ballad about a man separated from his lover after a careless gunshot gaoled him for life. Even if you don’t believe in perfection, this record was the closest that anyone ever came to singing in perfect, miraculous harmony.
Singing "Crying in the Rain" in Marine uniforms.
The Ed Sullivan Show
Feb 1962
After a contract dispute, the band left Cadence Records and signed to Warner Bros. The first single was the self-written breakup anthem Cathy’s Clown (1961). It sold 8 million copies, spent 5 weeks at #1 and became their best-selling song ever. A live clip showed them performing the song on U.K television, backed by the Crickets. These songs were also recorded by Bob Dylan, Elvis and Buddy Holly.
Long-simmering disputes broke out in 1961 with Wesley Rose, CEO of Acuff-Rose Music, the music publishing house that next managed the brothers. But it was their enlistments in the U.S Marine Corps Reserve in Oct 1961 that made their musical fame disappear. One of their few performances that year was on The Ed Sullivan Show in Feb 1962, when they performed Crying in the Rain in Marine uniforms.There was growing drug usage in the 1960s, as well as changing tastes in popular music, apparently leading to the group's decline in American popularity. But note that the brothers continued to release hit singles in the U.K and Canada and had many highly successful tours through the 1960s. In the early 1970s, the brothers began releasing solo recordings, and in 1973 they broke up.
Beatles and Everly Brothers,
date? Twitter
Their steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing had became iconic and had influenced the Beatles, Beach Boys, Bee Gees and Simon & Garfunkel. And me!