Sheppard and Bassett, both from Queens County, New York, and Baskerville, originally from Virginia, organized a group in Queens in 1960. This was billed initially as Shane Sheppard And The Limelites, but quickly became Shep and the Limelites. All three had previous experience in other groups: Shep with The Heartbeats (notable for "A Thousand Miles Away"); Bassett with The Five Sharps and then, with Baskerville, in The Videos.
Shep & The Limelites' recording sessions for Hull Records started in August 1960. They recorded the original version of "Daddys Home" on February 1, 1961. "Daddy's Home" reached no. 2 on the Billboard popular music chart in May, and was covered by P J Proby (1970) Jermaine Jackson (1972), Toots and the Maytals (Funky Kingston 1973), Junior English, and Cliff Richard (1981). Later songs were not as successful as "Daddy's Home", but still sold well; among these were "What Did Daddy Do", "Ready For Your Love" and "Our Anniversary".
Kahl Music, publisher of "A Thousand Miles Away", an earlier song written by Sheppard, sued Keel Music, publisher of "Daddy's Home", for copyright violation. Keel eventually lost, and this resulted in the end of the Limelites and Hull Records in 1966. Bassett joined The Flamingos and Baskerville joined The Players and then The Drifters. Sheppard re-formed the Limelites in the late 1960s, but was murdered on January 24, 1970. He died in his car on the Long Island Expressway as a result of injuries sustained in a robbery. Baskerville died, at age 58 on January 18, 1995 in New York. Bassett died on January 25, 2005, at age 68 from the complications of emphysema, at his home in Richmond, Virginia.
James Sheppard's legacy includes the composing of rock 'n' roll's first song cycle. Writing songs for both the Heartbeats and Shep and the Limelites, he tells the story of going home to his girl, with twists along the way, getting married, and celebrating their anniversary. The songs that told this story were "A Thousand Miles Away", "500 Miles to Go", both with the Heartbeats; and then "Daddy's Home", "Three Steps from the Altar," "Our Anniversary", and "What Did Daddy Do?" for Shep and the Limelites.
Discography
Singles
"Too Young to Wed" / "Two Lovin' Hearts" Apt 25039 1960
"I'm So Lonely" / "One Week from Today" Apt 25046 1961
"Daddy's Home" / "This I Know" Hull 45-H-740 Mar 1961
"Ready for Your Love" / "You'll Be Sorry" Hull 45-H-742 May 1961 [7] charted at #42
"Three Steps From The Alter"/"Oh, What a Feeling" Hull 45-H-747 1961
"Our Anniversary" / "Who Told the Sandman" Hull 45-H-748 Feb 1962
Our Anniversary
Shep & The Limelites Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tomorrow will be our anniversary
I′m so glad, So happy
To know that you're still mine
(Congratulations) congratulations
Together we shared
All the heartaches and the tears
For a very long time
One, two, three years ago
That′s when I fell for you
Four, five, six years will go by
And I promise to keep on loving you
Tomorrow will be our anniversary
I'm so glad, so happy
To know that you're still mine
(Congratulations) congratulations
I... love... you
In Shep & The Limelites' song "Our Anniversary", the singer is expressing his joy and gratitude that he is still in a committed and loving relationship with his partner. Tomorrow marks their anniversary, and the singer is thrilled to celebrate the occasion. He expresses his love and appreciation for his partner, congratulating them on another year together. The song takes the listener through a journey of the past and present, highlighting the ups and downs that the couple has faced but emphasizing their continued love and devotion.
Throughout the song, the singer describes his commitment to his partner, promising to continue loving them in the years to come. He reminisces on how he fell for his partner one, two, three years ago, and he promises that he will keep loving them for four, five, six years, and beyond. The singer acknowledges the challenges they have faced together, sharing their heartaches and their tears. However, he remains optimistic that their love will continue to prosper and last a very long time.
The song "Our Anniversary" is a heartfelt tribute to love and commitment, expressing the ups and downs that come with a long-term relationship. The lyrics are sweet, and the melody is catchy, making it the perfect song for celebrating anniversaries or any special occasion with a loved one.
Line by Line Meaning
Anniversary, anniversary
Acknowledging the celebration of the anniversary at the beginning of the song.
Tomorrow will be our anniversary
Mentioning that the anniversary is coming up and it's something to look forward to.
I'm so glad, So happy
Expressing joy and excitement about the upcoming anniversary.
To know that you're still mine
Emphasizing the importance of the relationship and how happy they are that it's still going strong.
(Congratulations) congratulations
Offering congratulations to each other on the anniversary.
Together we shared
Reflecting on the fact that they're sharing this anniversary celebration and everything that led up to it.
All the heartaches and the tears
Acknowledging the ups and downs of their relationship and the difficult times they've gone through together.
And I hope it will last
Expressing hope that their relationship will continue to thrive and be successful long into the future.
For a very long time
Adding emphasis to the previous line and how important their relationship is to them.
One, two, three years ago
Reflecting on when they first fell in love and how it's been a few years now.
That's when I fell for you
Reminiscing about falling in love and how significant it was in their relationship.
Four, five, six years will go by
Looking into the future and how they'll continue to love each other for many years to come.
And I promise to keep on loving you
Making a heartfelt promise to each other to always love and cherish one another.
I... love... you
Ending the song with a simple declaration of love for each other.
Writer(s): Murphy, Freeman
Contributed by Charlotte Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
33818ual
58 years ago me and my girl Marie took our vows, what a great marriage still going strong.Happy Anniversary Babe love ya! Eddie.
Elsa Lopez
Oh, what a voice!! I'll always love this guy!! Such a great talented singer and composer!! I'd like to say that I'm his biggest fan, but I know I'm not!! Ill always love Shep and the Limelites!!❤️ 🎶🎵🎶
thebigfist
One of the great songs by Shep and the boys.This should be aired on every station that plays Pop, Soft-Rock, soul or Doo wop.
robshannon
Shep and the limelights, yeah. They didn't have to many recordings but what they did was great. This has to be one of the finest doo wops ever. I know there is a lot of great competition, but this really grabs me.
raleigh bryant
I Remember we use to sing this song in the locker room at school and on the street corner back in the early 60"s. Matter of fact, Shep and the Limelights were probably the number group that everyone sang their songs on the corner. Harmany personified!!
nicky0016dd
❤ this song!
So beautiful! Shep and Limelights great group!
Michael Hughes
I agree! But it's too bad James Shepperd died so tragically!
bethwistful
Surely this great, great song deserves more than 22 comments. True love, nor songs like this never grow old. Thank you for the memory and the posting. Beth Wishes!
Creole Lady
Always put this on my wedding anniversary and we dance cheek to cheek and my baby tells me he would marry me all over again 31 years strong.
Sue DeFiore
43 years for us this Friday!