1) The Crystals were one of the most… Read Full Bio ↴Two artists exist by this name:
1) The Crystals were one of the most successful girl groups of the early 60s, Known for their association with producer Phil Spector, they had several well-remembered hit singles such as "He's A Rebel", "Da Doo Ron Ron", and "Then He Kissed Me". They were also trailblazers for many later African-American pop artists.
2) The Crystals was also the name of an obscure doo-wop group organised by the enigmatic Sun Ra in the mid-50s. Little is known about them. However, their tune "Honey In The Bee Box" was featured in the compilation album 'Interplanetary Melodies' on Norton Records, an album which has received critical acclaim.
3). If you are here for the Italian progressive rock band Crystals, they are not "The Crystals". Refer to the Crystals band page for more information and please fix your tags.
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In the late 50s, Barbara Alston, Mary Thomas, Delores "Dee Dee" Kennibrew, Merna Girard and Patricia "Patsy" Wright formed a singing project called "The Crystals" in high school. Under the leadership of Alston's uncle, Benny Wells, they wanted to aim for the big time. Soon, the quintet signed with Phil Spector's label Philles Records. Spector then chose Alston to be the group's lead singer, which made her very uncomfortable since she had a fear of singing in front of audiences.
Their first hit was 1961's "There's No Other Like My Baby". This song's B-side "Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby" (featuring Wright on lead) and the following single "Uptown" were topical and socially-aware pieces about growing up in the ghetto. After the success of "Uptown", a pregnant Girard was replaced by Dolores "LaLa" Brooks. The next single was 1962's "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)", still widely remembered though only rarely played on the radio due to the touchy subject matter of spousal abuse. Sales were sluggish.
Soon after "He Hit Me" flopped, Phil Spector began recording singer Darlene Love and her backing group The Blossoms under the name "The Crystals". Legend has it that the real Crystals were not able to travel from New York to Los Angeles fast enough to suit the LA-based Spector, who wanted to quickly record and release "He's a Rebel" (written by Gene Pitney) before anyone else had a chance to cover it and have a hit with it. The Crystals were unavailable, but Love and the Blossoms were also based in LA, so Spector recorded them and put the record out under The Crystals' banner.
"He's A Rebel" is perhaps the Crystals' most well-remembered and beloved songs, and one of the most enduring of the girl group genre. It was also their only US #1 hit. The follow-up Crystals single, "He's Sure the Boy I Love", in actuality also featured Love and The Blossoms.
The next single credited to The Crystals is one of the rarest -- and also possibly the strangest -- in rock music history. Reports vary as to the actual motivation behind the recording, but most agree that Phil Spector was looking for a way to annoy former business partner Lester Sill. What he came up with was a nearly six-minute song called "Let's Dance The Screw - Part I", which would be unplayable on 1963 radio. The record featured simple instrumentation (very much unlike Spector's famous Wall of Sound production style), repetitive lyrics, and Spector himself intoning the lyric "Dance The Screw" numerous times in a deadpan monotone. (The B-side, Part II, was more of the same.) The Crystals sang the song's repetitive verses, though it is unclear if these singers were the 'real' Crystals or The Blossoms.
The single was never commercially released, and only a few copies are known to exist (all marked D.J. COPY - NOT FOR SALE). The record was apparently only created to be a bizarre sort of joke at Sill's expense, as a single copy was specially delivered to him in early 1963.
Though it's unclear as to the level of their participation in "Let's Dance The Screw", the 'real' Crystals definitely began recording again under their own name in 1963. However, Thomas had departed to get married which reduced them to a quartet, and Alston stepped down from the lead spot giving it to Brooks.
After "Let's Dance The Screw", the group's next release was the classic "Da Doo Ron Ron." According to Darlene Love, the track was originally recorded by The Blossoms, with Love on lead vocal. Prior to release, Spector erased Love's lead vocal and replaced it with a vocal by LaLa Brooks, although he kept the Blossoms' backing vocals in place. The song was a top 10 hit in both the US and the UK, as was the follow-up single "Then He Kissed Me" — the first Crystals single since "He Hit Me" to feature all members of the Crystals as a definite group.
Both "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Then He Kissed Me" were penned by Spector with Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich.
Despite the steady flow of hit singles, tensions between Spector and the Crystals mounted. Already unhappy with having been replaced by Love and company on two singles, The Crystals were even more upset when in 1964, Spector began focusing much of his time on rival girl group The Ronettes. Two failed Crystals singles followed, before the band left Spector's Philles Records for Imperial Records later in 1964. 1964 also saw the departure of Wright who was replaced by Frances Collins; toward the end of that year Alston departed leaving the group a trio. They disbanded in 1966. They reunited in 1971 and toured widely in varying incarnations on the oldies circuit; they still occasionally perform today. Kennibrew is the only original Crystal who remained active throughout their touring from the seventies to the present.
Lead singer Barbara Alston (September 28, 1943 – February 16, 2018) died at a Charlotte hospital in 2018.
He's A Rebel
The Crystals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watch the way he shuffles his feet
My, he holds his head up high
When he goes walking by, he's my guy
When he holds my hand, I'm so proud
'Cause he's not just one of the crowd
My baby's always the one to try the things they've never done
He's a rebel and he'll never ever be any good
He's a rebel 'cause he never ever does what he should
Just because he doesn't do what everybody else does
That's no reason why I can't give him all my love
He's always good to me, always treats me tenderly
'Cause he's not a rebel, no, no, no
He's not a rebel, no, no, no, to me
If they don't like him that way
They won't like me after today
I'll be standing right by his side when they say
He's a rebel and he'll never ever be any good
He's a rebel 'cause he never ever does what he should
Just because he doesn't do what everybody else does
That's no reason why we can't share a love
He's always good to me, good to him, I try to be
'Cause he's not a rebel, no, no, no
He's not a rebel, no, no, no, to me
He's not a rebel, no, no, no (no, no, no)
He's not a rebel, no, no, no (no, no, no)
He's not a rebel, no, no, no (no, no, no)
He's not a rebel, no, no, no (no, no, no)
He's not a rebel, no, no, no
He's not a rebel, no, no, no
He's not a rebel, no, no, no
The Crystals' "He's a Rebel" is a song about a rebel, but not in the traditional sense of the word. The lyrics describe a man who does not conform to society's expectations and chooses to go against the norm. The singer is proud of her partner's individuality and the fact that he is always willing to try new things, even if it means being labeled a rebel. The society, on the other hand, sees him as a troublemaker who will never amount to anything.
The song's chorus suggests that his behavior is unwelcome and that he will never be accepted by society. However, the singer disagrees and refuses to give up her relationship with him. She sees beyond his rebellious spirit and recognizes the positive qualities that make him unique. In her eyes, he may be a rebel, but he is also caring, romantic, and treats her with tenderness.
The song's message is about acceptance, the need to embrace individuality rather than conform, and not judging people based on societal norms. It's a reminder to look beyond what society deems acceptable and embrace the unique qualities that make people who they are.
Line by Line Meaning
See the way he walks down the street
Observing how he strides down the street
Watch the way he shuffles his feet
Paying close attention to how he moves his feet
My, he holds his head up high
He carries himself with confidence and pride
When he goes walking by, he's my guy
When he passes by, he's the guy I'm with
When he holds my hand, I'm so proud
I feel honored when he holds my hand
'Cause he's not just one of the crowd
Because he stands out from the rest
My baby's always the one to try the things they've never done
My sweetheart is always willing to try new things
Just because of that, they say
For that reason, people label him
He's a rebel and he'll never ever be any good
He's considered a troublemaker and will never turn out right in their eyes
He's a rebel 'cause he never ever does what he should
He doesn't conform to their expectations and norms
Just because he doesn't do what everybody else does
Simply because he chooses his own path
That's no reason why I can't give him all my love
But that doesn't stop me from loving him deeply
He's always good to me, always treats me tenderly
He is always caring and gentle with me
'Cause he's not a rebel, no, no, no
Because I know who he really is
If they don't like him that way
If they can't accept him for who he is
They won't like me after today
They won't like me once they see my loyalty and devotion to him
I'll be standing right by his side when they say
I'll stick by him when they criticize him
That's no reason why we can't share a love
That doesn't mean we can't have love together
Good to him, I try to be
I strive to be as kind to him as he is to me
He's not a rebel, no, no, no
He's not who they say he is
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gene Pitney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AdrianMei
"He's A Rebel"
See the way he walks down the street
Watch the way he shuffles his feet
My, he holds his head up high
When he goes walking by
He's my guy
When he holds my hand, I'm so proud
'Cause he's not just one of the crowd
My baby's always the one
To try the things they've never done
And just because of that, they say
He's a rebel and he'll never ever be any good
He's a rebel 'cause he never ever does what he should
But just because he doesn't do
What everybody else does
That's no reason why I can't give him all my love
He's always good to me
Always treats me tenderly
'Cause he's not a rebel, oh no no no
He's not a rebel, oh no no no, to me
If they don't like him that way
They won't like me after today
And I'll be standing right by his side
When they say
He's a rebel and he'll never ever be any good
He's a rebel 'cause he never ever does what he should
But just because he doesn't do
What everybody else does
That's no reason why we can't share a love
He's always good to me
Good to him, I try to be
'Cause he's not a rebel, oh no no no
He's not a rebel, oh no no no, to me
Oh! (He's not a rebel, oh no no no
He's not a rebel, oh no no no
He's not a rebel, oh no no no
No no no
@strickly60s45
I Love This Song!
"He's A Rebel"...This Song Stood Out For Me...I Cant Really Say Why...Guys For The Most Part, Usually Don't Gravitate To Female Sung Songs...Correct?
But, This One Got Me.
Yes "Gene Pitney" Wrote It...And Certainly, The Strange..But, Also Musical Genius Of "Phil Spector" Assisted To Making It Great. The "Crystals"...(With "Darlene Love" Of "The Blossoms" Who Actually Did These Vocals) Are Fine. I Found The Saxophone In The Middle To Be Wildly Addicting As Well.
Certainly Guys Can Admire Female Artists...I Do...Like "Dusty"
"Petula C."
"Lesley G."
"Linda R."
"Carol K."
"Grace S."
"Gayle M."
"Diana R."
Jackie D."
Just To Name A Few Femmes That I Enjoy.
Thank You
@janineluana5805
My dad used to sing this song to me saying she instead of he. I lost him a few years ago but his spirit feels alive when I hear this song.
@fernandomaron87
That's great. I've had a band and we covered it with 'she' instead of 'he' and 'gal' instead of 'guy'. May your dad rest in peace.
@janfromnycsavesmoney8723
Awww that's too cute--- love it
@lynnjones4291
HIS STILL SINGING IT 🌹🎵
@stevewillmore6696
My mom used say to me this is your song but I was a typical lad but I never bought any trouble to her door bless you mom no doubt you are looking down on me
@ginnybagwell1580
I know you were thankful for. Not everyone has parents like that.
@kathrynwilson3985
The 60's was a fantastic era for music...loving it !!
@hermioneziggeraut7617
Thumbs if no one sent you here and you simply have awesome taste.
@patricklanny7939
Thumbs up for your comment ;P
@nothanks5570
Translation: Thumbs up if you think your subjective views and in extension, your person is objectively better than other people.