Two artists exist by this name:
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.
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.
-------
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.
On Broadway
The Crystals Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'On Broadway' by these artists:
Adrian Bailey They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Andy Ross & His Orchestra Come on along and listen to The lullaby of Broadway The hip…
Anita Dobson They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say the…
Ansel Collins They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Ben E. King & The Drifters They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway (on Broadwa…
Benson George They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway They say…
Billy Joe Royal They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Blossom Dearie They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Broadway's Theatre Original Cast They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Christie Tony They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Common Rider Everybody's going downtown tonight to take a big bath in th…
Cookies They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Cotton Club Singers Gábor: They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway…
D.B. Here we are in the room full of strangers, Standing…
Dave Ansel Collins They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
David T. Walker Come on along and listen to The lullaby of Broadway The hip…
Drifters They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway (on Broadwa…
Drifters The They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway (on Broadway…
Drifters [the] They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway (on Broadwa…
E. Clayton Cornelious I can see the way she moves Slow dancing under the…
Eddie Cano They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Eddie Cano & Nino Tempo They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Eric Carmen They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Frankie Valli They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway They say…
Frankie Valli feat. The Jersey Boys They say the neon lights are bright on broadway They say…
Freddie Scott They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Gary Numan They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
George Benson They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway They say…
George Benson and Clifford They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Illinois Jacquet & Kenny Burrell They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
James Taylor They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway They say…
Jazz At The Movies Band They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Jess Roden They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Johnny Mathis They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
King Curtis They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Kurt Elling They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway They say…
Leiber & Stoller They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Lou Rawls They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Mark Lowry They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say the…
Martini Lizards They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Michael Maguire & Cast Maria The most beautiful sound I ever heard Maria, Maria, M…
Mongo Santamaria They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Myron & E & The Soul Investigators I can see the way she moves Slow dancing under the…
Naim They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Nancy Wilson They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Neil Young They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway They say…
Neil Young & The Restless They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say the…
Nino Tempo w/Eddie Cano They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Original Broadway Cast Maria The most beautiful sound I ever heard Maria, Maria, M…
Percy Faith They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Percy Faith & His Orchestra They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Percy Faith and His Orchestra They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
R. Burns I'll tell you something you don't know I'll tell you everyth…
S.Q.E. I can see the way she moves Slow dancing under the…
Scott Jimmy They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Sly Stone They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
SMASH Cast They say the neon lights are bright on broadway They say…
Stacy Sullivan They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Steve Tyrell feat. Barry Mann They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Taylor Livingston They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
The Dave Clark Five They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway (on…
The Drifters They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway (on Broadway…
The Drifters & Ben E. King They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
The Drifters with Ben E. King They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
The Drifters° They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway (on Broadwa…
The Foundations BROADWAY Broadway Broadway Broadway Catch me on Broadway (x…
The Lost Souls They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
The Muppets They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
The Platters & The Drifters They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway (on Broadway…
The Reflections They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Tubeway Army They say that Neon lights are bright on Broadway They say …
U-Nam and Friends They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
Various Artists Here we are In a room full of strangers Standing in the…
Vince Gill and Kermit The Frog They say the neon lights are bright On Broadway They say…
George Benson They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway They say…
We have lyrics for these tracks by The Crystals:
11. I Love You Eddie (Hey hey hey, hey hey hey) I love you, Eddie, but…
All Grown Up When I'm all grown up, ain't no baby no more…
And Then He Kissed Me Well, he walked up to me and he asked me…
Another Country La la lalalala La la la la Oh he′s from another country Liv…
Another Country-Another World La la lalalala La la la la Oh he's from another country Liv…
Chapel of Love Going to the chapel and we're gonna to get married Going…
Come To Me Darling Did you come here to save me…
Da Do Ron Ron I met him on a Monday and my heart stood…
Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home) [Re-Recorded] (Phil Spector/Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich) I met him on a Mo…
Da Doo Ron Ron - I met him on a Monday and my heart stood…
Frankenstein Twist Come on, everybody, we're gonna do the very last dance…
Frankestein Twist Come on everybody, we're going to the very last stop (Come…
gee whiz Gee whiz, look at his eyes Gee whiz, how they…
Girls Can Tell Girls can tell if boys are true By the things they…
He Hit Me He hit me And it felt like a kiss He hit me But…
He Hit Me (and It Felt Like a Kiss) He hit me and it felt like a kiss He hit…
He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss) He hit me And it felt like a kiss. He hit me But…
He Hit Me It Felt Like A Kiss He hit me And it felt like a kiss He hit me But…
He S a Rebel See the way he walks down the street Watch the way…
He's Sure the Boy I Love I always dreamed the boy I loved would come along And…
Heartbreaker Heartbreaker, hip shaker, troublemaker Yeah, yeah, yeah, yea…
I Do Believe Though I can't see Your holy face And Your throne in…
I Got A Man Not gonna give up Not gonna slow down Not gonna play rough I…
I Love You Eddie (Hey hey hey, hey hey hey) I love you, Eddie, but…
I Wonder Mama said before I'm grown I'll find somebody I can call…
Little Boy Little boy, you probably don't know it But on the night…
Look in My Eyes Look in my eyes and tell me you love, love…
Love You So Love sent my savior to die in my stead; Why should…
My Heart's Desire Oh God protect me from myself My fearful, weary soul…
No One Ever Tells You When you're a little girl, the future looks so bright No…
No One Evers Tells You When you're a little girl, the future looks so bright No…
Oh Yeah Maybe Baby Oh yeah, maybe, baby Get the heebie jeebies Got the shakes A…
One Fine Day One fine day, you'll look at me And you will know…
One Fine Day (Re-Recorded) One fine day You'll look at me And you will know Our love…
Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers The toy shop door is locked up tight And everything is…
Please Hurt Me If you gotta hurt somebody, please hurt me And if you…
Revolution Rain - A million tears to the ground Wind - The…
Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer Had a very shiny nose And if…
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town Jimmy, I just came back from a lovely trip along…
The Crystals Don't patronize my pain It's not in vain That I suffered Tha…
The He Kissed Me Well, he walked up to me and he asked me…
The Twist Come on, everybody, we're gonna do the very last dance…
Then Well, he walked up to me and he asked me…
There There's a story I want you to know 'Bout my baby,…
There's No Other (Phil Spector/Leroy Bates) There's a story I want you to kn…
There's No Other Like My Baby There's a story I want you to know 'Bout my baby,…
Today I Met The Boy I'm Gonna Marry Today I met the boy I'm gonna marry He's all I…
Uptown He gets up each morning And he goes downtown Where everyone'…
Vampire His body hurts and he's not sleeping It's hard to breath,…
What A Nice Way To Turn 17 My birthday candles Have all gone out The party's through A…
Winter Wonderland Sleigh bells ring Are you listening In the lane Snow is glis…
Woman In Love It is not the critic who counts; It's not the woman…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Lex Wahl
Amazing piece of work for 1962!!
theboyfromxtown
My favourite version. Th e Philles album seems to sound the best too.
Tony Craddock
There are some wonderful versions of this song written in the brill building , The Cookies and The Drifters spring to mind and also this version.
VidHardt
I volunteered for a political campaign on an upper floor of the Brill Building in 1974. The cacophony of pianos while passing the middle floors was really something, and that was after most of the song shops had closed down.
krobigraubart
@Tony Craddock Thx for your comment!
belisario guerra
Original: First recording: The Cookies ( U.S. ) - On Broadway ( Cynthia Weil - Barry Mann ) ( 1962, released: 1/1963 ). First release: The Crystals ( U.S. ) - On Broadway ( released: 8/1962 ). Covers: The Drifters ( U.S. ) - On Broadway ( Cynthia Weil - Barry Mann - Jerry Leiber - Mike Stoller ) ( 3/1963 ). Dave Clark Five ( U.K. ) - On Broadway ( 1964 ). Los Shain's ( Perú ) - En Lima ( spanish version = versión en español: Gerardo Rojas ) ( 1967 ).
belisario guerra
¡ You are welcome "Dalibor Snajdr " !
krobigraubart
@***** You're welcome!
krobigraubart
@***** Thx for the info!
belisario guerra
@***** Thanks a lot !