THE CHIFFONS "ONE FINE DAY" ORIGINAL LAURIE#2020 (1963) MONO RARE VG++/NM HEAR

$

31

REMARKS: RARE BUT GREAT ORIGINAL RECORDING!!

A "SMALL" BIO OF A GIANT GIRL GROUP....THE CHIFFONS!....SUCH MEMORIES BRING TO ME!!!

Throughout rock and roll history, vocal groups have spent entire careers in search of hit bound melodies and captivating lyrics. In the reverse of that equation, the Chiffons garnered their greatest success because a hit song was in search of a group.

In 1960, the Chiffons formed at James Monroe High School in the Bronx, New York. The lead singer was 14 year old Judy Craig (born August 6,1946), and she sang along with Patricia Bennett (born April 7, 1947) and Barbara Lee (born February 6, 1944). It was at the after school center that they met writer/manager/entrepreneur Ronnie Mack. Mack's claim to fame at that time was as a local Philadelphia hit by Little Jimmy and the Tops called "Puppy Love." Though partial to his own songs, Mack got wind of a new Luther Dixon-Shirley Owens composition in the summer of 1960. Owns was lead singer of the Shirelles, so it was only natural that they record the song "Tonight's the Night." Mack decided that the one way to get publicity would be have the unknown Chiffons cover "Tonight's the Night" and to fight it out on the charts with the more established Shirelles.

The girls than choose the name Chiffons out of the hat. Mack than signed the trio to Big Deal Records. They then recorded "Tonight's the Night," and both versions hit the charts on September 12th. The Shirelles, having a stronger lead vocalist and fuller harmonies climbed to #39 while the Chiffons' first release managed to reach #76.

It would be two and a half years before the Chiffons would again make the national charts. During this time Mack talked them into taking on c-lead singer, Sylvia Peterson (born September 30, 1946) She too was a student at James Monroe High and had sung with Little Jimmy and the Tops.

In the fall of 1962, Mack took some his songs to a new production team in New York City.  The company Bright Tunes and the producers were Phil and Mitch Margo, Jay Siegel, and Hank Medress a.k.a. The Tokens. They liked one of the songs called "He's So Fine" and asked if he had a group to sing it.   Fearing a negative response would end their interest he said that he had a terrific group. The Tokens said "Great. Bring them in tomorrow." Mack knew he had  no such group, but he also knew that the Chiffons had heard and even sung the song around school.

It was several months before the Chiffons were called in to record the single. The Tokens not only produced it, but played all the instruments too. Finally in December 1962, it was released on Laurie Records. By March 20th "He's So Fine" was the #1 record on both the Pop and R&B charts.

The next single. "Lucky Me" was as much a flop as "He's So Fine" was a hit. In order to not lose momentum, the Tokens immediately produced a third single "One Fine Day." "One Fine Day" proved to have the same simple appeal as "He's So Fine," and the Carole King-Gerry Goffin composition rocketed up the charts to #5 Pop in June and #6 R&B.

The Tokens then decided to create a dual personality for the group, so at the same time that: One Fine Day" was being released, they recorded the Chiffons on Laurie's Rust subsidiary as the Four Pennies. The Pennies' first single was "My Block" and it reached the charts three weeks after "One Fine Day. It was a cha-cha rhythmed song with a sound reminiscent of Phil Spector's productions.  However, it only went #67 Pop. In September the Chiffons had their third Top 40 hit in four tries with "A Love So Fine." Back as the Four Pennies their September release of "When the Boy's Happy" reached #95 Pop in November.

The Chiffons were now in great demand  and began appearing on TV's American Bandstand, Hullabaloo, Shindig, as well as Murray the K's Brooklyn Fox live show, and singing commercials for Great Shakes drinks.

Because of their age and sex, the Chiffons didn't tour much. They did the annual Brooklyn Paramount Theater week end shows around Labor Day and Christmas. In 1963, they joined Dion's rock and roll show at the Pittsburgh Civic Center that also featured the Shirelles, Freddy Cannon, Little Peggy March, the Impressions and Dione Warwick. In November, they were with James Brown at the Apollo theater in Harlem, New York.

In the fall of 1963 the Chiffons released "I Have a Boyfriend." considered to be their best recording. Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and the Tokens, the rhythm ballad was a Ronettes styled mix of the early '60s rhythm and blues and doo wop. It reached #36 on the Billboard's Best Seller list in November, but was gone ten weeks later.

After "One Fine Day," their sales dropped dramatically. One reason might have beenthe eight singles they recorded in their first year with Laurie. Not to mention the backing work they did with Andrea Carroll and their own two albums. (MY NOTE: ACTUALLY 3...HE'S SO FINE (1963), ONE FINE DAY (1963...MOST EXPENSIVE!) & SWEET TALKING GUY IN 1966!)

On February 11, 1964, the Chiffons were among the opening acts on the Beatles first U.S. concert at Washington Memorial Coliseum. In June, 1964 they opened for the Rolling Stones on their first U.S. tour.

Several strong Chiffons recordings followed ("Tonight I Met an Angel," "Sailor Boy," and "What Am I Gonna Do With You"), but the charts were now moving to the British sound. However, a good song is a good song, and in the spring of 1966 the Chiffons had a Top Ten Record in June with "Sweet Talkin' Guy."

In 1968 the Tokens moved the group from Laurie to its own label B.T Puppy for one single called "My Secret Love" which remained a secret to the public as it received little air play.

In 1969 Judy craig called it quits.

By 1970 the Chiffons were on the Buddah label singing the Tymes hit "So Much in Love, while George Harrison was unintentionally plagiarizing "He's So Fine" while he was writing his first solo hit "My Sweet Lord." In 1971, he was sued by Ronnie Mack's estate and Bright Tunes. Harrison lost the case in 1976 and was ordered to $587,000 in composer's royalties.

In 1975 To capitalize on the publicity of the lawsuit the Chiffons recorded their version of "My Sweet Lord."

In March 1972, six years after their last chart record, the British London Records issued the original recording of "Sweet Talkin Guy" on the U.K. label Stateside. The record went to #4 in the U.K. This was while the Chiffons were working small clubs and didn't even have a U.S. record deal.

In 1976, Laurie issued the last Chiffon single. "Dream, Dream, Dream." By the 1970s Judy Craig had left the act, Patricia Bennett and Barbara Lee had married. The Chiffons continue to perform today.

When Barbara Lee died in 1992, Judy Craig returned. Then Sylvia Peterson left to be replaced by Connie Harvey. In 1989, the Chiffons joined with the Belmonts, the Diamonds, the Flamingos and the Silhouettes for the Royalty of Doo Wop tour. Chiffons continue to make many personal appearances, mostly along the East Coast.

1- I WONDER WHY
2- FOOLISH LITLE GIRL
3- I'M GOING TO DRY MY EYES
4- DID YOU EVER GO STEADY
5- WHEN SUMMER'S THROUGH
6- LOVE IS LIKE A MERRY GO ROUND

PRODUCED BY THE TOKENS,
ARRANGED & CONDUCTED BY SAMMY LOWE

WEB & BLOG REMARKS:

1- “I always considered this the finest song of its genre. It's pretty indestructable; both Carole King and the Carpenters have covered it, and both of these renditions are excellent as well.”

2- “This was written by songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin. It was intended for Little Eva, who was the babysitter for King and Goffin and had a hit the year earlier with their song "Locomotion." Her voice did not sound right when they recorded it, so this went to The Chiffons. Carole King finally released her "official" version two decades later; her version reached #12 in the US.That's the Chiffons' voices on the instrumental track of the demo recording. They erased King's voice and added percussion. (thanks, Brad Wind - Miami, FL, for above 2)”

Goffin and King were inspired by the title of the aria Un bel di from the Puccini opera Madama Butterfly. Intended for Little Eva, "One Fine Day" was prepped as a demo by Goffin and King with King providing a guide vocal but - despite a propulsive piano riff courtesy of King - Goffin and King were unable to construct a viable arrangement and eventually gave up, passing the song to the Tokens who had recently produced the #1 hit "He's So Fine" by the Chiffons for whom it was thought another "fine" song had hit potential. The piano work by King (whose vocal was erased) was retained for the Chiffons' recording and King attended the session at which the Chiffons recorded their vocals. However the Tokens radically re-worked the Goffin/King demo of "One Fine Day" for the Chiffons' version; Gerry Goffin commented that the Tokens "really earned their production credit".

"One Fine Day" by the Chiffons reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100: its R&B chart peak was #6. The single was an international hit charting in the UK (#29), France (#18), and New Zealand.

The Chiffons' placing two "fine" songs in the Top Ten motivated the Tokens to especially prep the group's next single "A Love So Fine" which only managed a #40 peak.

The Chiffons' "One Fine Day" was ranked #460 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

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Record Grading: Standard guidelines for grading records comes down to a subjective judgment that may vary from person to person. We grade records and LP covers visually AND (when possible) play-tested. We make every effort to give full disclosure (remember that the LP has at least 12 tracks and the grading may vary between each other)  and your satisfaction is guaranteed. Don't assume that our vinyl determination of "Very Good+" is the same as yours!

RECORD OR COVER GRADED VG or LESS WILL BE "SOLD AS IS"

MINT: Unplayed, still sealed.
 

NM RECORDS: are shiny, with no visible defects, they might have one or 2 minor superficial scuff and they should play without any noise. Writing, stickers or other markings cannot appear on the label, nor can any “spindle marks” from someone trying to blindly put the record on the turntable. Major factory defects also must not be present; a record and label obviously pressed off center is not Near Mint. If played, it will do so with no surface noise. (NM records don’t have to be “never played”; a record used on an excellent turntable can remain NM after many plays if the disc is properly cared for.)

NM COVERS:

have no creases, ring wear or seam splits of any kind.

Picture Sleeves: should look as if they never housed a record. This is a great reason to remove your 45s from their picture sleeves and keep them separate. Just keeping the 45 inside the sleeve will cause damage than can reduce the grade of the sleeve.  

VG++ (Excellent) RECORDS: 
Barely noticeable play wear and background noise. May have surface scuffs and/or superficial marks, which will be inaudible or indiscernible from the background, no scratches. Very nice, flaws noted.
VG++ COVERS:
Artwork is still as close to perfect as can be. Some impression to the cover (minor outer ring wear) but no ink wear! Some slight creases to the corners, but not wrinkled and obtrusive to the eye. The corners can show white (where the artwork pasted slick was) meaning, slight wear. No seam splits or writing on the cover or taped repairs can make this grade.  

VG+ RECORDS:

may show some slight signs of wear, including light scuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK. Minor signs of handling are OK, too, such as telltale marks around the center hole, but repeated playing has not misshapen the hole. There may be some very light ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable.

VG+ COVERS:
should have only minor wear. A VG+ cover might have some very minor seam wear or a split (less than one inch long) at the bottom, the most vulnerable location. Also, a VG+ cover may have some defacing, such as a cut-out marking. Covers with cut-out markings can never be considered Near Mint.

VG+ PICTURE SLEEVES:
might show some very light creasing where it is obvious that a record once resided (or still does reside). A VG+ picture sleeve might have some very minor seam wear or a split (less than one inch long) at the bottom, the sleeve’s most vulnerable location. 

VG RECORDS:

They have more obvious flaws than their counterparts in better shape. They lack most of the original gloss found on factory-fresh records. Groove wear is evident on sight, as are light scratches deep enough to feel with a fingernail. When played, a VG record has surface noise, and some scratches  may be audible, especially in soft passages and during a song’s intro and ending. But the noise will not overpower the music otherwise. Minor writing, tape, or a sticker can detract from the label. Many collectors who have jukeboxes   will use VG records in them and not think twice. They remain a fine listening experience, just not the same as if it were in better shape.

VG COVERS and PICTURE SLEEVES:
will have many signs of human handling. Ring wear  in the middle or along the edges of the cover where the edge of a record would  reside, is obvious, though not overwhelming. Some more creases might be  visible. Seam splitting will be more obvious; it may appear on all three sides,  though it won’t be obvious upon looking. Someone might have written or stamped  a price tag on it, too.

RECORDS GRADED VG OR BELOW WILL BE "SOLD AS IS"

Items are to be paid within 7 days (if not paid by that time it will be subject for relisting) of auction close and will be shipped within 48 hours of receipt of payment. Paypal is the preferred method of payment.
 
Carlos A. Flores 25830 Crippen Dr. Land O' Lakes, FL  34639