| "To Know Him Is to Love Him" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Teddy Bears | ||||
| B-side | "Don't You Worry My Little Pet" | |||
| Released | September 1958[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1958 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:18 | |||
| Label | Doré | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Phil Spector[2] | |||
| The Teddy Bears singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"To Know Him Is to Love Him" is a song written by Phil Spector, inspired by the words on his father's gravestone, "To Know Him Was to Love Him".[3] It was first recorded by the only vocal group of which he was a member,[2] The Teddy Bears. The single spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1958,[4] while reaching No. 2 on the UK's New Musical Express chart.[5] Peter & Gordon and Bobby Vinton later each experienced chart success with the song (with its title and lyrics altered to the gender-neutral "To Know You Is to Love You"), in 1965 and 1968, respectively.
In 1987, the song was resurrected in a country style by the vocal group Trio—consisting of Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris—and featured on their album Trio (1987), topping the US Hot Country Songs chart and the Canadian country music chart.
The song is in 12/8 time, played at a thoughtful, steady pace.
- ^ Classic Tracks, Back To Back Singles; Thunder Bay Press, 2008.
- ^ a b "Show 14 – Big Rock Candy Mountain: Rock 'n' roll in the late fifties. [Part 4] : UNT Digital Library". Pop Chronicles. Digital.library.unt.edu. April 27, 1969. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ^ Charles Montaldo. "Profile of Phil Spector". About.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2013. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1987). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. Billboard Publications, Inc. p. 301.
- ^ Teddy Bears – Full Official Chart History, Official Charts Company. Accessed October 27, 2015