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.
Shadows
The Five Satins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And tore them, tore them apart
Shadows for the first time
Came into my heart
Remember last september
Our love was bright and gay
It couldnt last
Forever and a day
Ooohhh
Moments seemed like hours
The days seemed like years
Happy moments i have known
Have drowned in my tears
I need someone to tell me
That you were not for me
Ill smile and say ill wait forever
Through the years
And never ever let the shadows
Fill my heart again
Again
The Five Satins' song Shadows is a heart-wrenching ballad that tells the story of a person whose dreams have been shattered by someone who stepped into their life and tears them apart. The song begins by describing how someone entered into their dreams and destroyed them, leaving the singer feeling torn apart. The person's shadow then comes into their heart for the first time, indicating that this is the first time they have experienced heartbreak.
The singer then reflects on their past love, which was bright and cheerful but could not last forever. The happy moments they once shared now seem like distant memories that are drowned in tears. They desperately need someone to tell them that their former love was not meant to be, and they try to hold on to the hope that someday they will find someone who is perfect for them.
The song's lyrics are emotional and express feelings of sorrow and despair. The Five Satins' vocal style is sleek and harmonious, providing a soothing and comforting atmosphere that contrasts with the painful emotions being conveyed in the lyrics. Overall, Shadows is a reminder that even when life gets tough, there is always a chance for hope and redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
Someone stepped way into my dreams
Someone came into my fantasies
And tore them, tore them apart
And destroyed them ruthlessly
Shadows for the first time
Feelings of gloom for the foremost time
Came into my heart
Entered my mind
Remember last september
Recall the month of September
Our love was bright and gay
Our affection was full of life and gaiety
Should have known
Ought to have known
It couldnt last
It couldn’t endure
Forever and a day
For an endless amount of time
Moments seemed like hours
Short times felt like long periods
The days seemed like years
The days felt incredibly elongated
Happy moments i have known
Positive instants I’ve experienced
Have drowned in my tears
Were overtaken by my sorrow
I need someone to tell me
I require someone to inform me
That you were not for me
That you weren’t meant for me
Ill smile and say ill wait forever
I will grin and claim that I’ll wait endlessly
Through the years
Over an extended period
And never ever let the shadows
And never once permit the gloom
Fill my heart again
To inundate my heart once more
Again
Once more
Writer(s): Anthony Paul Mccoy, Eric Weaver, Kevin W. Dorr, Aaron Joseph Gainer, Greg Trammell
Contributed by Amelia A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
peter .farias
1959....Someone stepped way into my dreams
And tore them,tore them apart
Shadows for the first time
Came into my heart
Remember the last September
Our love was bright and gay
Should have known it couldn't last
Forever and a day
Whoa moments seemed like hours
The day seemed like years
Happy moments I have known
Have drowned in my tears
I need someone to tell me
That you were not for me
I'd smile and say "I'll wait forever"
Through the years
And never,oh never,
Ever let the shadows
Fill my heart again......
Woo woo woo woowoo
Again ahh..........1959
Howard Rodgers
Hadn't heard or thought about this song for over 50 years. Today, for no apparent reason it popped into my head and I had to listen. Goosebumps!
James Boring
BEAUTIFUL SONG!
Carole Ann Davis
Love this song!!
Carole Ann Davis
What a great slow dance!!!!! Luv this song!!!!!!!!
Kevin Jones
My favorite do-wop song of all time.
Flip side of, 'There's a Moon out tonight'.
Joe Postove
'There's a Moon out tonight' was The Capris.
Fernando Gonzalez
Don't forget unchained melody
Patricia Trasatti
A beautiful song.
Bob Resner
I never heard this song before but I think it’s fantastic.Rock On
Charlene Taylor
I love Shadows. Five Satins. Great song of hurt love.