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THEN HE KISSED ME

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“Then He Kissed Me”
Single by the Crystals
from the album Philles Records Presents Today’s Hits
B-side“Brother Julius”
ReleasedJuly 12, 1963
RecordedApril 1963
StudioGold Star, Los Angeles
GenreBrill Building[1]
Length2:35
LabelPhilles (US, Canada)
London (UK)
Songwriter(s)Phil SpectorEllie GreenwichJeff Barry
Producer(s)Phil Spector
The Crystals singles chronology
“Da Doo Ron Ron“
(1963)”Then He Kissed Me“
(1963)”Little Boy“
(1964)

“Then He Kissed Me” is a song written by Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry. The song, produced by Spector, was initially released as a single on Philles Records (#115) in July 1963 by the Crystals. The lyrics are a narrative of a young woman’s encounter, romance, and eventual engagement with a young man.

In 2004, this song was number 493 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[2] Pitchfork placed it at number 18 on its list of “The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s”.[3] Billboard named the song number 8 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.[4]

The song appears in the 1987 film Adventures in Babysitting and in the 1990 movie Goodfellas. It was also played in the opening scene of the 2020 film To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You.

The Crystals version

The single is one of the Crystals’ best-remembered songs. It was recorded at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles in April 1963. The lead vocal was sung by Dolores “LaLa” Brooks, the Wall of Sound arrangement was by Jack Nitzsche, featuring The Wrecking Crew, and Larry Levine was the engineer.[5] In the United States, the single peaked at number 6 and in the United Kingdom, it peaked at number 2. It was the Crystals’ third single to chart in the top ten in the United States, and their second to reach the top ten in the United Kingdom. The song was also a major hit in the Republic of Ireland, reaching number 3 in the charts there.

Cash Box described it as “a captivating, quick moving, full sounding romantic that sports a sensational arrangement by Jack ‘Specs’ Nitzsche.”[6]

Chart performance

Weekly chartsChart (1963)Peak
positionAustralia (Go-Set)[7]9Ireland (The Irish Times)[8]3New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)[9]5Norway (Verdens Gang)[10]8UK Singles Chart[11]2U.S. Billboard Hot 100[12]6U.S. Cash Box Top 100[13]6		Year-end chartsChart (1963)RankUS Billboard Hot 100[14]68US Cash Box[15]98

The Beach Boys version

“Then I Kissed Her”
1965 German single cover
Single by the Beach Boys
from the album Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
B-side“Mountain of Love“
ReleasedJuly 5, 1965 (UK Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) album)April 28, 1967 (UK single)
RecordedMay 3, 1965[16]
StudioWestern, Hollywood[16]
GenreRock[17]
Length2:15
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Phil SpectorEllie GreenwichJeff Barry
Producer(s)Brian Wilson
Licensed audio
“Then I Kissed Her” on YouTube

The song was retitled “Then I Kissed Her” and released by the Beach Boys on their 1965 album Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) with Al Jardine on lead vocals and production by Brian Wilson. Beyond title and gender changes, new lyrics were written retelling the story of the Crystals‘ song from the boyfriend’s point of view.

Two years after appearing on the album, in April 1967 the song was released as a single in the UK, appearing as a stop-gap release while work continued on the “Heroes and Villains” single. This was reportedly done against the band’s wishes; Beach Boys band member Mike Love commented on May 7, 1967, “The record company didn’t even have the decency to put out one of Brian’s own compositions. The reason for the hold up with a new single has simply been that we wanted to give our public the best and the best isn’t ready yet.”[18]

“Then I Kissed Her” charted at No. 4 in the UK. The B-side of the single was “Mountain of Love“, a song off the band’s 1965 Beach Boys’ Party! album.

Charts

Chart (1967)Peak
position
Finland (Soumen Virallinen)[19]16
Dutch Top 40[20]2
German Singles Chart[21]39
Irish Singles Chart[22]4
Norwegian Singles Chart[23]10
UK Singles Chart[24]4

According to contemporary national charts sourced and cited by Billboard in 1967, it reached No. 2 in Sweden and South Africa and No. 9 in Belgium. It was No. 12 in Australia’s Go Set chart and No. 6 in New Zealand.

Personnel

Personnel sourced from Craig Slowinski.[25]

The Beach Boys

Session musicians and production staff

  • Ron Swallow – tambourine

Other versions

References

  1.  “Brill Building Sound: Where Rock And Roll Began”. Audioacademy.in. 20 July 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  2.  “The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”. RollingStone.com. Archived from the original on December 27, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-21.
  3.  “Staff Lists: The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s | Features”. Pitchfork. August 18, 2006. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  4.  “100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics’ Picks”. Billboard. July 10, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  5.  Phil Spector: Back To Mono 1958 – 1969, 4 CD box set, All Mother Bertha Music, 1991, liner notes
  6.  “CashBox Record Reviews” (PDF). Cash Box. August 3, 1963. p. 12. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  7.  “Billboard Magazine, December 21, 1963”. Billboard. 21 December 1963.
  8.  “Billboard Magazine, November 16, 1963”. Billboard. 16 November 1963.
  9.  “Flavour of New Zealand, 31 October 1963”. Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  10.  “Billboard Magazine, November 23, 1963”. Billboard. 23 November 1963.
  11.  “Billboard Magazine, November 2, 1963”. Billboard. 2 November 1963.
  12.  Joel Whitburn’s Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 – ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  13.  “Cash Box Top 100 12/28/68”. 12 August 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-08-12. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  14.  “Top 100 Hits of 1963/Top 100 Songs of 1963”. Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  15.  “Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 28, 1963”. Archived from the original on July 13, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  16.  Doe, Andrew G. “GIGS65”. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
  17.  “The Beach Boys – Then I Kissed Her”. Discogs. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
  18.  New Musical Express, May 7, 1967
  19.  Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. p. 96. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  20.  “De Nederlandse Top 40, week 26, 1967”. Archived from the original on 2007-12-28. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
  21.  “Search results”. Charts-surfer.de. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
  22.  “Search results”. Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
  23.  “The Beach Boys – Then I Kissed Her”. Norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  24.  “The Official Charts Company – Beach Boys – Then I Kissed Her”. Official Charts. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
  25.  Slowinski, Craig (Summer 2009). Beard, David (ed.). “Summer Days”. Endless Summer Quarterly Magazine. Vol. 22, no. 84. Charlotte, North Carolina.
  26.  “Heat Wave”. Open.spotify.com. 1 January 1963. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  27.  Janjatović, Petar (2024). Ex YU rock enciklopedija 1960–2023. Belgrade: self-released / Makart. p. 61.
  28.  Hunt, James (September 17, 2021). “Every Song In Sex Education Season 3”. Screen Rant. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  29.  “1981 Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive – 18-24 October 1981”. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  30.  Discogs – Ebony (10) – Then He Kissed Me
  31.  “Bruce Springsteen – August 23, 2008 Scottrade Center, St. Louis”. Live.brucespringsteen.net.
  32.  “Asheghaneh”. Open.spotify.com. 2002-02-08. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
vteThe Crystals
vtePhil Spector



vteSummer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
vteThe Beach Boys singles
vteKiss singles
vteGary Glitter
Studio albumsGlitter (1972)Touch Me (1973)G. G. (1975)Silver Star (1977)Boys Will Be Boys (1984)Leader II (1991)On (2001)
Live albumsRemember Me This Way (1974)
CompilationsThe Ultimate Gary Glitter – 25 Years of Hits (1997)
Singles“Rock and Roll“”I Didn’t Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock and Roll)“”Do You Wanna Touch Me“”Hello, Hello, I’m Back Again“”I’m the Leader of the Gang (I Am)“”I Love You Love Me Love“”Remember Me This Way“”Always Yours“”Oh Yes! You’re Beautiful“”Love Like You and Me“”Doing Alright with the Boys“”Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow“”It Takes All Night Long“”A Little Boogie Woogie in the Back of My Mind“”And Then She Kissed Me“”Dance Me Up“”Another Rock and Roll Christmas“”House of the Rising Sun“”Gary In The Tardis“
RelatedDiscographyMike LeanderThe Glitter BandGlittermen“Doctorin’ the Tardis“Remember Me This WayThe Execution of Gary GlitterOperation Yewtree
Authority control databases MusicBrainz work

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