BARRY LEVINE: Songs of love to go with the candy and flowers

One of my favorite days of the year is the one when the scent of roses and chocolates permeate the air as signs of love and affection.

To honor Valentine’s Day, a scant few hours away, here are the first two lines of nine songs. See how many you remember. (Here are two hints to help: All were major hits and all have the word love or a derivative of the word in the title.)

1 — “Wise men say, Only fools rush in.”

2 – “Does she love me, with all her heart? Should I worry, when we’re apart?”

3 — “You never close your eyes any more when I kiss your lips, And there’s no tenderness like before in your fingertips.”

4 – “As we stroll along together, Holding hands, walking all alone.”

5 – “Tonight you’re mine completely, You give your love so sweetly.”

6 – “Please lock me away, And don’t allow the day Here inside where I hide with my loneliness.”

7 – “They say for every boy and girl, There’s just one love in this whole world.”

8 – “On a day like today We pass the time away.”

9 – “When she kissed me I was born and she said goodbye, And I knew right away I was born to cry.”

AND THE ANSWERS ARE:

1— “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley. The song was featured in Presley’s 1961 film “Blue Hawaii” and was No. 1 for six weeks during that year. “Can’t Help Falling in Love” was one of Presley’s 18 No. 1 hits.

2 – “A Lover’s Question” by Clyde McPhatter. Brook Benton and Jimmy T. Williams wrote the 1958 pop/R&B hit that climbed to No. 6 on the charts. McPhatter began his career with Billy Ward & The Dominoes in 1950, but left the group to form The Drifters in 1953. He departed The Drifters in 1954 to begin a solo career. “A Lover’s Question” was his only Top 10 hit.

3 – “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” by the Righteous Brothers. The song, which was written by Phil Spector, Barry Mann and Cynthia Wall, topped the charts in 1965 and was the year’s fifth-best selling song. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” as No. 34 on the list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. This was the Righteous Brothers’ only No. 1 hit.

4 – “So Much in Love” by The Tymes. This 1963 smash was the quintet’s only No. 1 hit. They had one other Top 10 hit later in the year with a remake of Johnny Mathis’ “Wonderful, Wonderful.”

5 – “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” by The Shirelles. Gerry Goffin and Carole King wrote the song for The Shirelles, who took the tune to No. 1 in 1960. The song is important because it is the first by an all-girl group to reach the top of the charts. The quartet had one other No. 1 hit with “Soldier Boy” in 1961. They also had several other Top 10 hits.

6 – “A World Without Love” by Peter & Gordon. Penned by Beatle Paul McCartney for the British duo, it hit No. 1 in 1964 and was the duo’s first release. Peter was Peter Asher, brother of McCartney’s girlfriend, Jane Asher. McCartney gave the song to Peter and Gordon because he didn’t think it was suitable for The Beatles.

7 – “Young Love” by Sonny James. The country singer’s version charted in 1957 and eventually climbed to No. 1. It was No. 1 on the country charts for nine weeks, and remained the longest-reigning of James’ 23 chart-topping songs. It was ranked as the No. 8 song for 1957.

8 – “Love Letters in the Sand” by Pat Boone. The song was written in 1931 by J. Fred Coots, Nick Kenny and Charles Kenny, but it did not become a major hit until the summer of 1957. Boone’s version was No. 1 for five weeks and was the No. 2 song of the year. It was the fourth of his six chart-topping hits. The others were: “Ain’t That a Shame” in 1955, “I Almost Lost My Mind” in 1956, “Don’t Forbid Me” and “April Love” in 1957 and “Moody River” in 1961.

9 – “Lovers Who Wander” by Dion. Written by Dion and Ernie Maresca, the tune climbed to No. 3 in 1962. This was one of his nine Top 10 hits after he split with The Belmonts in 1960.

This week in rock history: The Miracles’ “Shop Around” became Motown Records’ first million-selling single on Feb. 12, 1961. It was the label’s first No. 1 hit on the R&B chart. … The Doors’ “Touch Me” and Sly & The Family Stone’s “Everyday People” were awarded Gold records on Feb. 13, 1969. … Actor Tab Hunter received more than 62,000 Valentines from a large following of female fans. One year later, he had his first hit with “Young Love.” … Jerry Lee Lewis performed “Great Balls of Fire” and his latest release, “Breathless,” on “American Bandstand” on Feb. 15, 1958. Later in the day, he appeared on Dick Clark’s “Saturday Night Beechnut Show,” with Pat Boone, Chuck Willis, Connie Francis, The Royal Teens and Johnnie Ray.

On Feb. 16, 1962, Bobby Vinton recorded “Roses Are Red,” which topped the charts in July and reached 1 million in sales. … Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass appeared in their first major concert in Los Angeles on Feb. 17, 1964. During the next three years, they became one of the most successful instrumental acts in history, achieving 12 Top 40 hits. … Although she was reluctant to record it, “Rock and Roll Waltz” by Kay Starr became the first No. 1 record by a female in the Rock era on Feb. 18, 1956.

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