Song of the Week #67 – “Stand By Me”
Written by admin on August 15, 2011 – 9:41 am -| Ben E. King’s signature hit “Stand By Me” is Song of the Week on Classic Pop Icons.
“Stand By Me” was released on single in May 1961, backed with “On The Horizon,” and also appeared on King’s 1962 album “Don’t Play That Song!” |
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“Not a bad song, we don’t need it” was reportedly how the Drifters’ manager, George Treadwell, declined Ben E. King’s offer for the group to record “Stand By Me.” King was no longer a member of the Drifters, but pitched the song to them because he thought they would suit the material. Treadwell’s decision was bad news for the group, but a stroke of luck for King who would have a career-defining hit with the song.
This was a period of uncertainty for King, who had left the Drifters over a contract dispute several months earlier. He’d sang with the group for one year, under the name Benjamin Nelson, and featured on ten tracks, including classics such as “Save the Last Dance for Me” and “There Goes My Baby.” Now it was time for the newly named Ben E. King to make a bid for solo success. It wouldn’t take him long.
“Stand By Me” re-interprets the gospel standard “Lord, Stand By Me,” with secular lyrics and a stronger pop melody. In 2005, King told the BBC:
| “I was listening to Sam Cooke and I found an old record of his (with the Soul Stirrers) called, ‘Lord, Stand By Me.’ I took that “Stand By Me” out of that title. I was home one night alone and I was in my room and I had a little cheap guitar and I started strumming on it and all of a sudden I said, “When the night has come and the land is dark” and the song just wrote itself right through, no sweat. That’s how easy it was to write the song.” |
Perhaps the most important component of “Stand By Me” – that which elevates it from a good record to a classic record – is the bass line that introduces the song and runs throughout. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most effective and this is a good example of that. The bass line is so catchy and memorable that it is hard to imagine a time when it didn’t exist.
The brilliant use of strings must also be mentioned. Stan Applebaum’s lush string arrangement borrows from his own work on the 1959 Drifters’ single “There Goes My Baby,” which was another song co-written by King. Both also share Ben E. King’s confident, distinctive vocals of course.
“Stand By Me” was recorded at the same session that produced the classic single “Spanish Harlem.” The precise circumstances surrounding the recording are difficult to pin down. King suggests that the whole thing was very spontaneous, with the arrangement worked out quickly at the end of the session in order to make use of spare studio time. In the book “Hound Dog: The Leiber & Stoller Autobiography,” producer Mike Stoller has a different recollection. He remembers that the three had already worked on the composition in their office and that he had come up with the classic bass line on piano at this stage. Whatever version is closest to the truth, a combination of great production and fine musicianship culminated in one of the most accomplished pop recordings of the decade.
The song was given a new lease of life in 1986 when it was re-released on single after feauturing as the title track of the hit movie of the same name. Here’s the official music video for the single.
Ben E. King – “Stand By Me”
“Stand by Me” is one of four songs featuring Ben E. King to receive a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. The others were “There Goes My Baby,” “Spanish Harlem” and “Save The Last Dance For Me.”
Authorship
Ben E. King shared songwriting credits on “Stand By Me” with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who played a huge role in transforming his original idea into a great hit.
Recording date/location
“Stand By Me” was recorded on October 27, 1960 at Atlantic Studios, New York City.
Musicians
The following musicians appeared on “Stand By Me”:
- Ben E. King – vocals
- Ernie Hayes – piano
- Al Caiola – guitar
- Charles McCracken – guitar
- Lloyd Trotman – bass
- Gary Chester – drums
- Phil Kraus – percussion (guiro)
- Elise Bretton, Lillian Clark, Myriam Workman – backing vocals
- Romeo Penque – reeds.
The anonymous string players were arranged by Stan Applebaum.
It is Phil Kraus’ guiro that produces the unusual scraping sound heard during the introduction.
Chart performance
“Stand By Me” reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and number one on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart.
The song peaked at number 27 in the UK, but topped the charts when re-released in 1987 following its appearance in a Levis commercial and as the title track of the “Stand By Me” movie.
Covers
John Lennon – “Stand By Me”
John Lennon included “Stand By Me” on his 1975 album “Rock ‘n’ Roll.” This has a heavier arrangement than the original, which works well, with appealing acoustic rhythm guitar work and a great slide guitar break replacing the familiar strings.
Aaron Neville – “Stand By Me”
Aaron Neville recorded a very mellow version of the track for his 2006 album “Bring It on Home: The Soul Classics.” The cover is notable for Neville’s rich vibrato and some great keyboard work.
Lady Gaga – “Stand By Me”
The timeless appeal of “Stand By Me” is highlighted by its recent inclusion in the live set of Lady Gaga. She performed the song with Sting at the Almay Concert at Carnegie Hall in May 2010 and then featured it in several shows in the second leg of The Monster Ball Tour. This is a coventional, piano-led interpretation of the song, with no theatrics.
There will be a new Song of the Week on August 22.
Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” is available on a number of CD compilations, including “The Very Best of Ben E. King.”
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The Very Best of Ben E. King (CD) |
Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now |
Tags: Aaron Neville, Ben E King, Jerry Leiber, John Lennon, Lagy Gaga, Leiber and Stoller, Mike Stoller, Stand By Me
Posted in 60s pop, Song of the Week, Soul |
