The Five Satins are an American doo wop group, best known for their song, "… Read Full Bio ↴The Five Satins are an American doo wop group, best known for their song, "In the Still of the Night".

The group, formed in New Haven, Connecticut, consisted of leader Fred Parris, Lou Peebles, Stanley Dortch, Ed Martin and Jim Freeman in 1954. With little success, the group reorganized, with Dortch and Peebles leaving, and new member Al Denby entering. The group then recorded "In the Still of the Night", which was originally released as the b-side to the single, "The Jones Girl". The single was released the following year, and "In the Still of the Night" ended up charting at number three on the R&B chart and number 25 on the pop charts. Parris entered the Army soon after, and the group reorganized again, with Martin, Freeman, Tommy Killebrew, Jessie Murphy and new lead Bill Baker. This lineup hit with another highly successful song, Billy Dawn Smith's "To The Aisle".

Upon Parris' return from the Army, a new lineup was assembled, consisting of Parris, Lou Peebles (who was in a previous incarnation of the Five Satins), Sylvester Hopkins, Richie Freeman and Wes Forbes. The group would be briefly known as "Fred Parris and the Scarlets", until the Baker-led group split up. At this point, they reverted to the Five Satins name, but had little success on the charts.

By the early 1970s the group was Parris, Peebles, Richie Freeman, Jimmy Curtis and Corky Rogers, and they continued recording into the 1980s, with Parris, Richie Freeman, Curtis and Nate Marshall. Meanwhile, Bill Baker started his own Five Satins group in 1981, with former Satin Sylvester Hopkins and Hopkins' brothers Carl and Frank. By the late 1980s, this group consisted of Baker, Harvey Potts, Jr., Anthony Hofler and Octavio DeLeon.

Fred Parris continues to perform. Bill Baker died in 1994.

Awards and recognition:
In 2003, the Five Satins were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

Present day:
One of the original members of the Five Satins now works in the cafeteria at the University of New Haven. Jim Freeman lives in Norwalk, Iowa and owns a pest control company. Wes Forbes is a psychologist in the State of California, currently employed with Alliant International University as a Training Director

Fred Parris passed away in January of 2022.

I'll Remember
The Five Satins Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(Shoo-doo, shooby-do)
(Shoo-doo, shooby-do)
(Shoo-doo, shooby Whoa

In the still of the night
I-I held you, held you tight
′Cause I love, love you so
Promise I'll never let you go

In the still of the night (in the still of the night)

I remember (I remember)
That night in May (I remember)
The stars (I remember)
Were bright a-a-bo-o-o-ove (I remember)
I′ll hope (I remember)
And I'll pray (I remember)
To keep your precious love

Well before the li-ight
Hold me again
With all of your might
In the still of the night
(In the still of the night)
So before the li-ight
Hold me again
With all of your might
In the still of the night

(In the still of the night)
In the still of the night

Overall Meaning

The Five Satins's song "I'll Remember" is a classic love ballad that expresses the singer's deep feelings for his lover. The song begins with repetitive, rhythmic vocalizations that set the mood for the romantic melody that follows. The lyrics describe a moment in time where the singer held his lover tight in the still of the night, professing his love and his promise never to let go. He remembers a night in May where the stars were bright and shining above, and he hopes and prays to keep his lover's precious love forever.

The lyrics of "I'll Remember" are a beautiful expression of love and devotion that transcends time. The still of the night is a symbol of the quiet, intimate moments shared between two lovers, and the promise never to let go is a declaration of eternal commitment. The memories of the stars shining above and the hope and prayer to keep the precious love are a reminder that love endures through all circumstances.

In summary, The Five Satins's song "I'll Remember" is a classic love song that expresses deep feelings of love and commitment. The lyrics and melody evoke a sense of intimacy and devotion between two lovers, and the song is a timeless expression of enduring love.

Line by Line Meaning

(Shoo-doo, shooby-do)
Background vocalization

(Shoo-doo, shooby Whoa
Background vocalization with a flourish at the end

In the still of the night
During the silence of the night

I-I held you, held you tight
I embraced you closely

′Cause I love, love you so
Because I have deep feelings of love for you

Promise I'll never let you go
I swear to never release my grip on you

In the still of the night (in the still of the night)
During the silence of the night

I remember (I remember)
I recall vividly

That night in May (I remember)
The specific evening in May I'm referring to

The stars (I remember)
The celestial bodies in the sky

Were bright a-a-bo-o-o-ove (I remember)
They shone with radiance