Record #0882: Nobody Knows What's Goin' On (In My Mind But Me) / Did You Ever Go Steady? – THE CHIFFONS

Laurie LR 3301 (original, 2^nd version), USA, May 1965
Words & Music by:  Side A – Brute Force (Stephen Friedland); Side B – The Tokens (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel)
Musicians: Sylvia Peterson (lead vocals on side A, backing vocals on side B), Judy Craig (backing vocals on side A, lead vocals on side B), Patricia Bennett (backing vocals), Barbara Lee (backing vocals), the Tokens probably played some of the instruments, the rest was played by unknown session musicians
Recording sessions: Produced by the Tokens (as Bright Tunes Productions Inc.) and engineered by Bob Arnold probably at Allegro Sound Studios or Mira Sound Studios, New York, NY, in 1965
Highest chart positions:  Side A – US #49; Side B – none

While most 1960s girl group songs focused on standard teenage romance, side A stands out for its unusually dark, anxious, and introspective lyrics. Combined with its driving rhythm and intense horn arrangements, music historians and collectors often consider it a unique bridge between classic 1960s pop-soul and early proto-psychedelic pop.

The song was written by the eccentric songwriter Stephen Friedland (better known by his stage name Brute Force). A few years after this record, his avant-garde solo work caught the attention of The Beatles, specifically George Harrison and John Lennon, who loved his humour and signed him to Apple Records to release his infamous cult single "King of Fuh", a song about the Fuh King. 😊

The single exists in two distinct versions. The very first pressings featured the soul track "The Real Thing" as the B-side (with Sylvia Peterson singing lead). However, Laurie Records quickly changed the B-side in subsequent pressings to the song "Did You Ever Go Steady?" (with Judy Craig on lead).

List price: VG+ is $6, NM $12. 45cat.com price guide shows €4. I found five copies sold in eBay for €18-€34.

 

Record #0881: He’s So Fine / Oh My Lover – THE CHIFFONS

Laurie 3152 (original), USA, January 1963
Words & Music by:  Side A – Ronnie Mack; Side B – Ronnie Mack
Musicians: Judy Craig (lead vocals), Patricia Bennett (backing vocals), Barbara Lee (backing vocals), Gary Chester (drums), the Tokens (all other instruments)
Recording sessions: Produced by the Tokens and engineered by Johnny Cue at Capitol Recording Studios, New York, NY, in December 1962
Highest chart positions:  Side A – US #1, US R&B #1, Canada #1, New Zealand #1, UK #16; Side B – none

This was the Chiffons' debut single - and a huge success. 

The vocal group The Tokens (famous for "The Lion Sleeps Tonight") produced the session. Because they were operating on a shoestring budget and couldn't afford a full unionized New York session band, the four members of The Tokens picked up the instruments and played the backing track themselves. They only hired one professional outsider: legendary session drummer Gary Chester. For a group known purely for their vocal harmonies, they accidentally laid down a Billboard #1 rhythm track.

The song's iconic background vocal line "Doo-lang doo-lang doo-lang" was audio engineer Johnny Cue's idea during the session.

“He’s So Fine” is central to a landmark legal battle involving former Beatle George Harrison. In 1971, Bright Tunes Music Corp. sued Harrison, claiming his 1970 solo hit "My Sweet Lord" plagiarized the musical hook of "He's So Fine." The judge ultimately ruled that Harrison had committed "unconscious plagiarism," as the two songs shared virtually identical melodic sequences. Harrison was ordered to pay a substantial portion of his song's royalties.

List price: VG+ is $10, NM $20. 45cat.com price guide shows €13. I found three copies sold in eBay for €24-€26.