BARRY LEVINE: Crystals didn’t sing one of their biggest hits

The Crystals were one of the premier girl groups of the early 1960s, producing six Top 20 hits. One of their tunes, “He’s a Rebel,” topped the charts in November 1962 and was the year’s 12th-biggest hit.

Despite what’s imprinted on the record, The Crystals did not sing “He’s a Rebel.”

Recorded on Phil Spector’s Phillies label, “He’s a Rebel” was done by the Darlene Love-led girl group The Blossoms and not The Crystals.

The incredible situation surfaced again recently following the death of Barbara Ann Alston, 74, a founding member of the Crystals and the group’s original lead singer. Alston died in Charlotte, N.C., on Feb. 16 after losing a two-week battle with the flu.

Love enjoyed her own successes with two Top 40 hits in 1963: “Today I Met the Boy I’m Gonna Marry” and “Wait ’Til My Bobby Gets Home.” Love also served as the lead singer for Bob E. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, who had Top 40 hits with “Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah” in 1962 and “Why Do Lovers Break Each Other’s Heart” in 1963.

When Spector opted to record “He’s a Rebel” in 1962, The Crystals were touring on the East Coast and were unavailable for the recording session in Los Angeles. Spector decided to use Darlene Love & The Blossoms as replacements for The Crystals. Spector, however, decided to release “He’s A Rebel” under The Crystals’ name.

“He’s a Rebel” was Spector’s first No. 1 hit since The Teddy Bears’ “To Know Him is to Love Him” in 1958.

Singer/songwriter Gene Pitney wrote “He’s a Rebel.” The tune originally was planned for The Shirelles, but the group rejected the song because of its anti-establishment lyrics.

While “He’s a Rebel” was No. 1, Pitney’s “Only Love Can Break a Heart” was No. 2 giving him the two top-selling singles at the time. Pitney, ironically, never had a No. 1 hit as a singer.

Spector had discovered that Vicki Carr was going to record “He’s a Rebel” for Liberty Records for her debut release, and Spector was determined to get his version on sale first. That’s why Love recorded the song.

Spector, however, credited The Crystals on the record.

The Crystals were shocked when they heard a DJ announce “the new Crystals’ song.” The quintet was then obliged to add “He’s a Rebel” to their live repertoire, even though Alston, the lead singer, could not duplicate the Darlene Love sound.

Dolores “LaLa” Brooks, 15, became the Crystals’ lead singer the following year with their follow-up “Then He Kissed Me.”

The Crystals were known for early ’60s songs including “There’s No Other Like My Baby” and “Da Doo Ron Ron.”

The Crystals helped Spector create his “Wall of Sound” studio production technique. The technique allowed producers to gain a full sound on recordings, making two or three instrumentalists play the same parts to generate a fuller tone on songs.

Despite the steady flow of hit singles, The Crystals and Spector had a rocky relationship. Irked by having been replaced by Love and the Blossoms on two singles, the Crystals were even more upset when Spector began focusing much of his attention on The Ronettes, his other girl group.

The Ronettes quickly become Phillies Records’ priority act as the Crystals began to lose some of their luster. There also were disputes regarding royalties, with the Crystals feeling that Spector was withholding money that was owed to them.

Spector had a special, non-musical interest in the Ronettes. In 1968, he married the group’s lead singer Veronica Bennett, who became better known as Ronnie Spector. They were divorced six years later.

The Crystals’ Top 20 Hits

1961 — “There’s No Other (Like My Baby)”

1962 — “Uptown”

1962 — “He’s a Rebel”

1962 — “He’s Sure the Boy I Love”

1963 — “Da Doo Ron Ron”

1963 — “Then He Kissed Me”

This week in rock history: The Beatles enjoyed their 13th No. 1 single with “Penny Lane” on March 18, 1967. The song’s title refers to the busy shopping area around Allerton Road and Smithdown Road in Liverpool where John Lennon and Paul McCartney would meet to catch a bus to the center of the city. … The duo Tom & Jerry released their first single, “Our Song” on March 19, 1958. The record failed to crack the charts, but the pair would eventually find success recording under their real names, Simon & Garfunkel. … Ricky Nelson recorded “Hello Mary Lou” on March 20, 1961. It rose to No. 9. … The Beatles replaced one chart topper with another when “She Loves You” took over from “I Want To Hold Your Hand” on March 21, 1964. … “Our Day Will Come” by Ruby & The Romantics topped the charts on March 22, 1963. On the day the song was recorded, it was the first time Ruby had been in a recording studio. … The Four Preps, a teenage quartet from Hollywood, Calif., saw their first big hit, “Twenty-Six Miles,” peak at No. 2 on March 23, 1958. They placed six more songs in the Top 40 during the next four years, including “Big Man” (No. 3) and “Down By The Station” (No. 13). … Elvis Presley, 23, was sworn in as Private 53310761 for a two-year hitch in the army on March 24, 1958, where he would earn $78 per month. Accompanied by his parents and newspaper reporters from all over the world, Elvis answered an onslaught of nonsensical questions before summing up his feelings: “I simply want to be treated like all the other fellows.”

Barry Levine is an entertainment writer for The Albany Herald. He can be reached at [email protected].