Gary Lewis and the Playboys were a pop/rock group fronted by musician Gary … Read Full Bio ↴Gary Lewis and the Playboys were a pop/rock group fronted by musician Gary Lewis, son of comedian Jerry Lewis, which earned its most success as a 'swinging sixties' band. Releasing four gold albums as well as many hits, songs "Count Me In" and "This Diamond Ring" in particular continue to receive significant airplay. The group initially auditioned for a job at Disneyland, supposedly without telling Disneyland employees about Lewis' celebrity father.

They were hired on the spot, audiences at Disneyland quickly accepting them and loving their good-time image, and the Playboys were soon playing to a full house every night. Band leader Les Brown had known Jerry Lewis for years, and he told record producer Snuff Garrett that the younger Lewis was playing at Disneyland. After listening to the band, Garrett liked their sound and thought using Gary's famous name might sell tons of records. Garrett took them into a recording studio with the song "This Diamond Ring" in a session financed by Jerry Lewis' wife Patti. However, according to Lewis, the Playboys weren’t allowed to play their instruments except on the backing tracks.

Garrett wanted to maximize the chances for a hit, so he insisted on using experienced studio musicians for the overdubs, which included guitar and keyboard solos, additional bass and drum overdubs, and timpani. These musicians included Tommy Allsup on guitar, Leon Russell on keyboards, Joe Osborn on bass, and Hal Blaine on drums. Session singer Ron Hicklin did the basic vocal track. Garrett then added Gary’s voice twice, added some of the Playboys and more of Hicklin. "When I got through, he sounded like Mario Lanza," Garrett commented.

Regarding the musicians who performed on "This Diamond Ring" and other tracks by the band, Gary Lewis told Songfacts, "The Playboys played on every track we ever did, the Wrecking Crew did solos and overdubs. I sang every song myself and had a backup singer that sang only harmonies with me. My producer Snuff Garrett can back up everything I've told you, and so can Leon Russell, who was the arranger of everything I did."

Garrett got airplay in New York City for "This Diamond Ring" by making a deal with WINS disc jockey Murray the K Kaufman, who ran a series of all-star concerts at theaters around the New York area, promising that if he played Lewis’ record, the Playboys would do his shows. Garrett then had Jerry Lewis use his contacts to get his son onto 'The Ed Sullivan Show', which often 'made' an artist. However, Sullivan had a general policy that all acts appearing on his show were to perform live (although one of his frequent guests, The Dave Clark Five, had lip-synched from their second appearance on, in early 1964). Since so many studio tricks had been used on the record, the Playboys could not re-create its sound. In compromise, Lewis sang along with pre-recorded tracks as the Playboys pretended to play their instruments. The January 1965 broadcast made Gary Lewis and the Playboys instant stars.

"This Diamond Ring" went all the way to #1, and pressing plants reportedly could not keep up with initial demand for the record. Successful touring and persistent airplay has made the tune a part of 60s music history, appearing in many multi-artist collections. However, only West and Lewis remained in the band by the end of 1965. Other members later included Tommy Tripplehorn (father of actress Jeanne Tripplehorn), Carl Radle, Jimmy Karstein, Dave Gonzalez, and "Myke".

In 1965, Gary Lewis was deemed 'Cash Box' magazine's "Male Vocalist of the Year," winning against nominees Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. As a testament to his group's success, his was also the only 60s artist to have its seven single releases reach Billboard magazine's Top 10 on the Hot 100 chart (with "Count Me In" (#2), "Save Your Heart for Me" (#2), "Everybody Loves a Clown" (#4), "She's Just My Style" (#3), "Sure Gonna Miss Her" (#9), and "Green Grass" (#8) all hitting the upper reaches of the chart). Lewis was drafted into the U.S. Army in January 1967 and discharged in 1968. He immediately returned to recording but was unable to regain his group's earlier momentum. Lewis continued touring, eventually marketing the band as a nostalgia act.

In total, Gary Lewis and his band has had eight gold singles, 17 top 40 hits, and four gold albums. In addition to playing on 'The Ed Sullivan Show', he appeared on 'American Bandstand', 'Shindig!', 'Hullabaloo', 'The Sally Jessy Raphaël Show', 'The Tonight Show', 'The Mike Douglas Show', 'Nashville Now', and Wolfman Jack's famous program. Gary Lewis has also appeared and performed on many of his father's Labor Day telethons for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Needles & pins
Gary Lewis & The Playboys Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I saw her today, I saw her face, it was a face I loved, and I knew
I had to run away, and get down on my knees and pray that they'd go away
But still they'd begin (uh), needles and pins (uh)
Because of all my pride, the tears I gotta hide

Hey I thought I was smart, I'd won her heart
Didn't think I'd do, but now I see
She's worse to him than me, let her go ahead

Take his love instead, and one day she will see
Just how to say please, and get down on her knees
Hey that's how it begins (uh), she'll feel those needles and pins
A-hurtin' her, a-hurtin' her

Why can't I stop and tell myself I'm wrong, I'm wrong, so wrong
Why can't I stand up and tell myself I'm strong

Because I saw her today, I saw her face, it was a face I loved, and I knew
I had to run away, and get down on my knees and pray that they'd go away
But still they'd begin (uh), needles and pins (uh)
Because of all my pride, the tears I gotta hide

Oh needles and pins (uh), needles and pins (uh), needles and pins (uh)

Overall Meaning

The song "Needles and Pins" by Gary Lewis & The Playboys is a heart-wrenching ballad that speaks to the pain of a lost love. The song opens with the singer confessing that he has seen his former lover, and despite his attempts to distance himself from her, he is reminded of the love he once held for her. He tries to escape the pain that she has brought him by praying that his feelings will go away, but he knows that they won't. The chorus of the song expresses the physical pain that he feels, comparing it to the sensation of "needles and pins." He is overwhelmed with emotion and cannot hide his tears, despite his pride.

As the song progresses, the singer reflects on his failed relationship. He had won her heart at one point, but his arrogance led to their undoing. Now, he sees that she is treating another man just as poorly as she had treated him. He wishes her well, knowing that one day she will see the error of her ways and suffer the same pain that he is experiencing. The song closes with the chorus once again, emphasizing the enduring pain that the singer feels.

Line by Line Meaning

I saw her today, I saw her face, it was a face I loved, and I knew
I ran into her and her beauty struck me, reminding me of how much I loved her.

I had to run away, and get down on my knees and pray that they'd go away
I knew I had to distance myself from her because being close was unbearable, so I prayed for my feelings to fade away.

But still they'd begin (uh), needles and pins (uh)
Despite my efforts to forget about her, the pain of my unrequited love kept returning, causing emotional distress.

Because of all my pride, the tears I gotta hide
My pride won't let me show her how much she affects me, so I have to hide my tears and emotions away.

Hey I thought I was smart, I'd won her heart
I believed I had won her over and had her love in my grasp.

Didn't think I'd do, but now I see
I didn't think I could mess up our relationship, but now I realize my mistake.

She's worse to him than me, let her go ahead
She treats him worse than she treated me, so I should let him have her.

Take his love instead, and one day she will see
She should take his love instead of mine because one day she will understand what it feels like to be in love with someone who doesn't love you back.

Just how to say please, and get down on her knees
She will learn how to be humble and show her love by asking for forgiveness and showing her devotion.

Hey that's how it begins (uh), she'll feel those needles and pins
That's how love starts - with vulnerability and humility - and she'll experience the emotional pain I feel now.

A-hurtin' her, a-hurtin' her
Love is painful, and it will hurt her just like it hurts me.

Why can't I stop and tell myself I'm wrong, I'm wrong, so wrong
I know I'm making a mistake by holding onto my unrequited love for her, but I can't seem to convince myself to let go.

Why can't I stand up and tell myself I'm strong
I wish I had the strength to stand up to my emotions and let go of my love for her.

Oh needles and pins (uh), needles and pins (uh), needles and pins (uh)
Love can feel like a painful sensation, like needles and pins pricking at your heart.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JACK NITZSCHE, SONNY BONO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS