Larry Brown (AKA “L. Russell Brown”) and I were called into Bob Crewe’s Office one afternoon in the mid 1960’s.
Being the major songwriters on staff at Saturday Music at that time, we were the ones who were given the first opportunity to write songs for those special artists which Bob Crewe was contracted to produce. Such artists as, “Frankie Valli”, “The Four Seasons”, “Leslie Gore”, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels” were just some of the artists, for which Larry were given opportunities to write songs.
This was a meeting to introduce us to “Tina Turner”, who had hit records with the producer, “Phil Spector”, a most talented, but misguided man who later found himself in legal trouble! I always remember her first hit, “A Fool In Love” which was one of my all time favorite R & B recordings.
Crewe played us the last US song by “Ike & Tina Turner” called, “River Deep, Mountain High”. Personally, I cannot understand how this single didn’t become a hit in the USA! It did, in fact, become a big hit in England!
Not only was this incredible recording a sound which we both felt was “Unbeatable” but the “Wall of Sound”, created by Spector and his recording studio engineer(s) was totally unique at that time. This recording was played to us on “Big Red Speakers”! These speakers were four feet tall by three feet wide. Bob, of course, blasted the sound of this recording to embellish the effect. When this recording ended, Larry and I looked at each other, totally SPEECHLESS!
I replied, “You would have to write Everything Under the Sun to beat what we just heard!”
Bob replied, “SO WRITE IT” … Ironically, that very title was written by Crewe and myself and was released in the United Kingdom where it hit the charts, big time. Everything under the sun was recorded by “Ike & Tina Turner” and released via an album throughout Europe. This same song continues to be played throughout the world (Except, of course, the USA!)
Phil dug his own grave when, on an interview, he called all US Disc Jockeys a greedy bunch of WH****S for playing his records only by demanding “Payola” or drugs as a payoff. The fact is this incredible record failed to sell in the USA! To this day, I cannot understand why this monster recording did NOT sell!
The fact is these recordings didn’t become successful by payoffs, they became monster hits because of legitimate sales and air play and an avalanche of enormous demand by the fans of Rock & Roll throughout the country and also throughout the world. American Bandstand was the launching pad for many of the hits just spoken of.
The artists were terrific …. “Bobby Sox & the Blue Jeans”, “Darlene Love”, the “Crystals” and his wife, Ronnie Bennett and her sister and a friend, as The Ronettes then sang Spector’s super smash song called, “Be My Baby” as well as all the others which captured the R & B marketplace at that time.
Phil’s other huge artists, “The Righteous Brothers” made history with “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'”. These were the first of the so-called, “Blue-Eyed Soul” artists in the World!
Spector’s foolish and unnecessary interview made no sense, especially when his new label, “Phillies” reached a record, seven consecutive #1 hits to hit the top 100 in the USA! This record run for a brand new label will probably never happen again in the history of popular music.
Our song was recorded by”The Ronettes”, Spector’s wife, Walter Jackson, a soulful vocalist on the “Okeh” label and the Walker Brothers on the “Philips” Record label in Asia and as well as other artists throughout Europe & the United Kingdom.
There may be more “cover records” of “Everything Under the Sun” which were both recorded and released throughout the world. It is almost impossible to get an actual count of how many other versions are available in other countries. All I know is that my royalty statements always contain this title in every one. This is one inspirational title which seemed to come to me out of my honest reaction to a most amazing recording!
The link of this song is on YouTube: