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Songwriter Spotlight Ellie Greenwhich

By: Betty Black

Ellie Greenwich

When you think about the Brill Building songwriters who crossed over to the singer-songwriter era, Carole King is the one that comes to mind. But Ellie Greenwich’s catalogue stands nearly as tall. Her 60s hits were as romantic (‘Chapel Of Love’), giddy (‘Da Doo Ron Ron’) street-tough (‘Leader of the Pack’) and glorious (‘River Deep – Mountain High’) as anything else in that era, and, like King, she had a regular co-writer, Jeff Barry. Greenwich didn’t record a game-changing songwriter album, but she should have. Her 1973 album, Let It Be Written, Let It Be Sung – which takes many of her 60s hits to sophisticated jazz territory – is a true lost treasure by one of the best female songwriters that deserves more recognition.

Songwriter, often paired with husband Jeff Barry, responsible for many of the 1960s' most enduring songs.

"When the Boy's Happy (the Girl's Happy Too)"The Four Pennies95--"Da Doo Ron Ron"The Crystals355Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector 1972: Ian Matthews, #96 US 1974: The Crystals, #15 UK (reissue) 1977: Shaun Cassidy, #1 US"What a Guy"The Raindrops4125-"Give Us Your Blessing"Ray Peterson70--1965: The Shangri-Las, "Give Us Your Blessings", #29 US"Not Too Young to Get Married"Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans63--Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector"Wait ‘Til My Bobby Gets Home"Darlene Love26--Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector"The Kind of Boy You Can't Forget"The Raindrops95--"Then He Kissed Me"The Crystals682Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector 1967: The Beach Boys, "Then I Kissed Her", #4 UK 1977: KISS, "Then She Kissed Me", #51 UK 1981: Gary Glitter, "And Then She Kissed Me", #39 UK"Be My Baby"The Ronettes244Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector 1970: Andy Kim, #17 US 1971: Cissy Houston, #92 US, #31 R&B 1986: Eddie Money, "Take Me Home Tonight", #4 US (Credited to Mike Leeson, Peter Vale, Barry, Greenwich and Spector. Contains extract from "Be My Baby") 2005: Glitzzi Girlz, #95 UK"A Fine Fine Boy"Darlene Love5329-Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector"I Have a Boyfriend"The Chiffons366-Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and The Tokens"That Boy John"The Raindrops64--"Hanky Panky"The Raindrops---1966: Tommy James & the Shondells, #1 US,#39 R&B, #38 UK"Baby, I Love You"The Ronettes24611Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector 1969: Andy Kim, #9 US 1973: Dave Edmunds, #8 UK 1980: The Ramones, #8 UK 1996: TSD, #64 UK"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"Darlene Love---Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector 1974: Darlene Love, #51 UK 2011: Michael Bublé, #47 UK1964"Do-Wah-Diddy"The Exciters7847-1964: Manfred Mann, "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", #1 US, #1 UK 1987: 2 Live Crew, #62 R&B 1996: The Blue Melons, "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", #70 UK 2001: DJ Ötzi, #9 UK"Little Boy"The Crystals9232-Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector"I Wonder"The Crystals--36Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector"Chapel of Love"The Dixie Cups1-22Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector 1973: Bette Midler, #40 US"I Wanna Love Him So Bad"The Jelly Beans97-"All Grown Up"The Crystals9827-Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector"The Kind of Boy You Can't Forget"The Raindrops95--"People Say"The Dixie Cups127-"Maybe I Know"Lesley Gore14-201972: The Seashells, #32 UK"Good Night Baby"The Butterflys51--Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Steve Venet"One More Tear"The Raindrops97--"Baby Be Mine"The Jelly Beans51--Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Steve Venet"Leader of the Pack"The Shangri-Las1811Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Shadow Morton 1972: The Shangri-Las, #3 UK (reissue) 1976: The Shangri-Las, #7 UK (reissue) 1985: Twisted Sister, #53 US, #47 UK"Don't Ever Leave Me"Connie Francis42--"You Should Have Seen the Way He Looked at Me"The Dixie Cups39--"Leader of the Laundromat"The Detergents19--Parody of "Leader of the Pack" originally credited to Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss. A court later awarded a co-writing credit to Barry, Greenwich and Morton"Little Bell"The Dixie Cups5121-"Look of Love"Lesley Gore27--1965"Out in the Streets"The Shangri-Las53--"He Ain't No Angel"The Ad Libs100--"Hold On Baby"Sam Hawkins-10-"I'll Take You Where the Music's Playing"The Drifters51--1966"River Deep - Mountain High"Ike & Tina Turner88-3Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector 1969: Deep Purple, #53 US 1969: Ike & Tina Turner, #33 UK (reissue) 1970: The Supremes and the Four Tops, #14 US, #7 R&B, #11 UK"I Can Hear Music"The Ronettes100--Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector 1969: The Beach Boys, #24 US, #10 UK1967"I'll Never Need More Than This"Ike & Tina Turner114-64Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil SpectorOther chart hits and notable songs written by Jeff Barry alone or with others[edit] YearSong[1]Original artist[1]U.S. Pop[2]U.S. R&B[3]UK Singles Chart[4]Other charting versions, and notes[1]1960"Teenage Sonata"Sam Cooke5022-Written by Jeff Barry"Tell Laura I Love Her"Ray Peterson7--Written by Jeff Barry and Ben Raleigh 1960: Ricky Valance, #1 UK 1974: Johnny T. Angel, #94 US"Tell Me What He Said"Ginny Arnell---Written by Jeff Barry 1962: Helen Shapiro, #2 UK1962"Chip Chip"Gene McDaniels10--Written by Jeff Barry, Clifford Crawford and Artie Resnick"I Left My Heart in the Balcony"Linda Scott74--Written by Jeff Barry and Artie Resnick1967"I Got to Go Back"The McCoys69--Written by Jeff Barry and Bert Russell"Am I Grooving You"Freddie Scott7125-Written by Jeff Barry and Bert Russell1968"How'd We Ever Get This Way?"Andy Kim21--Written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim"Shoot 'Em Up Baby"Andy Kim31--Written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim"Bang-Shang-A-Lang"The Archies22--Written by Jeff Barry"Seventeen Ain't Young"The Archies---Written by Jeff Barry"Rainbow Ride"Andy Kim49--Written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim"Feelin' So Good (S.K.O.O.B.Y.-D.O.O.)"The Archies53--Written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim1969"Did You See Her Eyes"The Illusion32--Written by Jeff Barry"Sugar, Sugar"The Archies1-1Written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim 1970: Wilson Pickett, #25 US, #4 R&B 1971: Sakkarin, #12 UK 1987: The Archies, #91 UK (reissue) 1994: Duke Baysee, #30 UK"So Good Together"Andy Kim36--Written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim"Jingle Jangle"The Archies10--Written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim1970"A Friend in the City"Andy Kim90--Written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim"Who's Your Baby"The Archies40--Written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim"Lay a Little Lovin' on Me"Robin McNamara11--Written by Jeff Barry, Robin McNamara, and Jim Cretecos"Oh My My"The Monkees98--Written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim"Sunshine"The Archies57--Written by Jeff Barry and Bobby Bloom"It's Your Life"Andy Kim85--Written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim"Montego Bay"Bobby Bloom8-3Written by Jeff Barry and Bobby Bloom 1970: Freddie Notes & the Rudies, # 45 UK 1978: Sugar Cane, #54 UK 1986: Amazulu, #16 UK1971"Heavy Makes You Happy"Bobby Bloom80-31Written by Jeff Barry and Bobby Bloom 1971: The Staple Singers: #27 US, #6 R&B"I Wish I Were"Andy Kim62--Written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim"We're All Goin' Home"Bobby Bloom93--Written by Jeff Barry, Bobby Bloom and Neil Goldberg"I Been Moved"Andy Kim97--Written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim1972"A Brand New Song"Cliff Richard--51Written by Jeff Barry and Paul Williams1973"Sister James"Nino Tempo & the 5th Avenue Sax53-78Written by Jeff Barry and Antonino Lotempio1974"I Really Got It Bad for You"The Persuasions-56-Written by Jeff Barry and Bobby Bloom"Out of Hand"Gary Stewart---Written by Jeff Barry and Tom Jans #4 Country"Wake Up and Love Me"April Stevens93--Written by Jeff Barry, April Stevens and Nino Tempo"I Honestly Love You"Olivia Newton-John1-22Written by Jeff Barry and Peter Allen 1977: Olivia Newton-John, #48 US (reissue) 1978: The Staples, #68 R&B 1983: Olivia Newton-John, #52 UK (reissue) 1998: Olivia Newton-John, #67 US (reissue)1976"Saying Hello, Saying I Love You, Saying Goodbye"Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius---Written by Jeff Barry, Dene Hofheinz and Brad Burg #2 Country1984"The Last Time I Made Love"Joyce Kennedy and Jeffrey Osborne402-Written by Jeff Barry, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil1985"Lie to You for Your Love"The Bellamy Brothers---Written by Jeff Barry and Frankie Miller #2 Country2002"Whoa Now"B Rich98--Written by Brian Rich, Ron Hall, Jeff Barry and Janet DuBois2004"Nasty Girl"Nitty8799-Written by Jeff Barry, Andy Kim and Frank RossOther chart hits and notable songs written by Ellie Greenwich alone or with others[edit] YearSong[5]Original artist[5]U.S. Pop[2]U.S. R&B[3]UK Singles Chart[4]Other charting versions, and notes[5]1963"Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Heart?"Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans38--Written by Ellie Greenwich, Phil Spector and Tony Powers 1980: Showaddywaddy, #22 UK"He's Got the Power"The Exciters57--Written by Ellie Greenwich and Tony Powers"One Boy Too Late"Mike Clifford96--Written by Ellie Greenwich and Tony Powers1968"Sunshine After the Rain"Ellie Greenwich---Written by Ellie Greenwich 1977: Elkie Brooks, #10 UK 1994: New Atlantic / U4EA, #26 UK 1995: Berri, #4 UK1983"Keep It Confidential"Nona Hendryx9122-Written by Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Kent and Ellen FoleyReferences[edit]

  2. ^ Jump up to:a b c Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955-2002 (1st ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.

  3. ^ Jump up to:a b c Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995. Record Research.

  4. ^ Jump up to:a b c Betts, Graham (2004). Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2004 (1st ed.). London: Collins. ISBN 0-00-717931-6.




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