Billy Ward (born Robert L. Williams, 19 September 1921, Savannah, Georgia—died 16 February 2002, Inglewood, California) grew up in Philadelphia, the second of three sons of Charles Williams and Cora Bates Williams, and was a child musical prodigy, winning an award for a piano composition at the age of 14. Following military service he studied music in Chicago, and at the Juilliard School of Music in New York. While working as a vocal coach and part-time arranger on Broadway, he met talent agent Rose Marks, who became his business and songwriting partner.
The pair set out to form a vocal group from the ranks of his students. The group was at first called the Ques, and comprised Clyde McPhatter (lead tenor), Charlie White (tenor), Joe Lamont (baritone), and Bill Brown (bass). Ward acted as their pianist and arranger. After the group made successful appearances on talent shows in the Apollo Theater and on the Arthur Godfrey show in 1950, Rene Hall recommended them to Ralph Bass of Federal Records, a subsidiary of King, where they were signed to a recording contract and renamed themselves the Dominoes. Their first single release, "Do Something For Me", with McPhatter’s lead vocal, reached the R&B charts in early 1951, climbing to #6.
After a less successful follow-up, the group released "Sixty Minute Man", on which Brown sang lead, and boasted of being able to satisfy his girls with fifteen minutes each of "kissin'" "teasin'" and "squeezin'", before "blowin'" his "top". It reached #1 on the R&B chart in May 1951 and stayed there for a 14 weeks. It was an important record in several respects—it crossed the boundaries between gospel singing and blues, its lyrics pushed the limits of what was deemed acceptable, and it appealed to many white as well as black listeners, peaking at #17 on the pop charts. In later years, it became a contender for the title of "the first rock and roll record".
The group toured widely, building up a reputation as one of the top R&B acts of the era, and an audience which crossed racial divides. However, Ward's strict disciplinarian approach, and failure to recompense the singers, caused internal problems. The name "The Dominoes" was owned by Ward and Marks, who had the power to hire and fire, and to pay the singers a salary. Clyde McPhatter was being paid barely enough to live on, and often found himself billed as "Clyde Ward" to fool fans into thinking he was Billy Ward's brother. White and Brown both left in 1951 to form The Checkers, and were replaced by James Van Loan and David McNeil (previously of The Larks).
In March 1952, the Dominoes were chosen to be the only vocal group at Alan Freed's "Moondog Coronation Ball". The hits continued, with "Have Mercy Baby" topping the R&B charts for 10 weeks in 1952. However, in early 1953, McPhatter also decided to leave, and soon formed a new group, The Drifters. His replacement in the Dominoes was Jackie Wilson, who had sung with the group on tour. Lamont and McNeil also left and were replaced by Milton Merle and Cliff Givens. With Wilson singing lead, singles such as "You Can't Keep A Good Man Down" continued to be successful.
In 1954, Ward moved the group to the Jubilee label and then to Decca, where they enjoyed a #27 pop hit with "St. Teresa of the Roses". However, the group were unable to follow that success in the charts, and there were a succession of personnel changes. They increasingly moved away from their R&B roots with appearances in Las Vegas and elsewhere. In late 1956, Wilson left for a solo career and was replaced by Gene Mumford of The Larks. The group then got a new contract with Liberty Records, and had a #13 pop hit with "Stardust". This proved to be their last major success, although various line-ups of the group continued recording and performing into the 1960s.
They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2006.
Former members
Billy Ward
Clyde McPhatter
Charlie White
Joe Lamont
Bill Brown
James Van Loan
David McNeil
Jackie Wilson
Milton Merle
Cliff Givens
LOVE LOVE LOVE
The Dominoes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Than what I feel for you
No greater love,
No heart so true
There is no greater thrill
Than what you bring to me
No sweeter song
You're the sweetest thing
I have ever known
And to think that
You are mine alone.
There is no greater love
In all the world, it's true
No greater love
Than what I feel for you
You're the sweetest thing
I have ever known,
And to think that
You are mine alone.
There is no greater love
In all the world, it's true
No greater love
Than what I feel for you
The Dominoes's song Love Love Love is a beautiful love ballad that speaks directly to the heart. The lyrics are simple yet profound, expressing the depth and sincerity of the singer's feelings for their loved one. The opening line, "There is no greater love than what I feel for you," sets the tone for the entire song, declaring the singer's love as unmatched and inexplicable by any measure.
The verses that follow reinforce this sentiment, painting a picture of an all-consuming love that is both exhilarating and comforting. The lines, "No greater thrill than what you bring to me, no sweeter song than what you sing to me," speak to the joy and happiness that the loved one brings to the singer's life. The chorus repeats the same message, driving home the idea that this love is truly one-of-a-kind and unmatched in the world.
What makes "Love Love Love" so moving is its simplicity. The lyrics are straightforward and honest, and the melody is hauntingly beautiful. The song captures a feeling that is universal and timeless - the feeling of falling deeply in love and feeling grateful for that love. It is a tribute to the power of love and its ability to transform and enrich our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
There is no greater love
The love felt towards the person being addressed is unmatched and incomparable
Than what I feel for you
The singer's love for the addressed person is the strongest, and cannot be surpassed
No greater love,
Again emphasizing that the love felt is the greatest
No heart so true
The love is genuine and sincere
There is no greater thrill
Being with the addressed person brings the greatest sense of excitement and joy
Than what you bring to me
The addressed person is the source of the excitement and joy mentioned in the previous line
No sweeter song
The addressed person's words and actions are like a beautiful melody or music
Than what you sing to me
The addressed person's words and actions bring a sense of happiness that cannot be compared to anything else
You're the sweetest thing
The addressed person is the most wonderful and endearing thing in the artist's life
I have ever known
Of all the people or things the artist has encountered, the addressed person is the best
And to think that
The singer is amazed and grateful that the addressed person is in their life
You are mine alone.
Emphasizing that the love is exclusive, and no one else compares to the addressed person.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ISHAM JONES, MARTY SYMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind