BARRY LEVINE: Answer songs have poor track record

Editor’s note: This is the second of two columns on answer songs.

Virtually all of the songs that had answer tunes were major, Top 10 hits. It makes sense: Why answer a song that was not highly successful?

Here are some of the Top 10 hits that had answer songs. And, interestingly, none of the answers attained the success of the originals.

The 1950s had four answer songs that responded to Top 10 hits.

The Bobbettes, an all-girl R&B group from New York, had their only hit in 1957 when “Mr. Lee” reached No. 6. The following year, The Bobbettes answered with “I Shot Mr. Lee.” It failed to chart.

Brooklyn, N.Y.-born Neil Sedaka had the first of his 10 Top 10 hits when “Oh! Carol” rose to No. 9 in 1959. Sedaka and Howie Greenfield wrote the song. The most successful female songwriter during the second half of the 20th century, with 118 chart singles, Carole King responded to Sedaka’s hit “Oh! Carol” with “Oh! Neil” in 1959. The song failed to chart.

Known more for her Mouseketeer ears than her singing acumen, Annette Funicello had her biggest hit and first of two Top 10 songs when “Tall Paul” reached No. 7 in 1959. King, also born in Brooklyn, responded to “Tall Paul” with “Short Mort” in 1959. She even referred to Funicello’s song with the line, ”You can keep Tall Paul, I’ll take Short Mort.”

Texan Ray Peterson had the biggest hit of his career in 1960 when teen tragedy song “Tell Laura I Love Her” rose to No. 7. Marilyn Michaels, a singer, cabaret performer and actress, recorded the answer to Peterson’s hit with “Tell Tommy I Miss Him” in 1960. It failed to chart. Skeeter Davis and Laura Lee also had versions of the answer song.

With Ben E. King as the lead singer, The Drifters had their biggest hit when “Save the Last Dance for Me” rose to the top of the charts in 1960. Damita Jo answered with “I’ll Save the Last Dance for You,” which climbed to No. 22 later in the year. This was one of the more successful answer songs.

Jo also had the answer to King’s 1961 Top 10 hit “Stand By Me” with “I’ll Be There” later in 1961. It reached No. 12.

Written by Roy Turk and Lou Handman in 1926, “Are You Lonesome Tonight” was recorded multiple times without becoming a hit until Elvis Presley recorded it. His version was released in November 1960 and quickly became his 15th No. 1 hit, staying in the top spot for six weeks. Dodie Stevens, who had a Top 5 hit with “Pink Shoe Laces” in 1959, answered Presley’s million-seller with “Yes, I’m Lonesome Tonight” in 1961. The song peaked at No. 60.

The Miracles are one of the few acts that had a song that was answered and also answered a song.

The Miracles had Motown’s first major hit in 1960 when “Shop Around” climbed to No. 2 on the Pop chart. The tune also was Motown’s first million-seller. Debbie Dean recorded the answer to “Shop Around” in 1961 with Don’t Let Him Shop Around.” Dean’s answer peaked at No. 92 and was her only Top 100 tune. Berry Gordy, Motown’s founder, and Smokey Robinson, The Miracles’ lead singer, wrote both songs.

The Silhouettes had the No. 1 song in the nation for two weeks with “Get A Job” in 1958. Written by the four members of the Philadelphia quartet, the lyrics to “Get a Job” are notable for the depiction of a household in tension because of unemployment. The Miracles responded to “Get a Job” in 1958 with “I Got A Job.” The Miracles’ first release failed to chart.

Percy Sledge had his only Top 10 hit when “When a Man Loves a Woman” climbed to No. 1 in 1966. Sledge previously worked as a hospital orderly before becoming an R&B/soul singer. Ketty Lester responded to Sledge’s smash with “When a Woman Loves a Man” in 1966. The song failed to chart.

This week in rock history: The Beatles’ album “Rubber Soul” jumped to No. 1 on Feb. 26, 1966, becoming the group’s seventh album chart-topper. The album has sold more than 6 million copies. … Five months after topping the charts with “The Twist,” Chubby Checker did it again with “Pony Time” on Feb. 27, 1961. … “Bridge Over Troubled Water” became Simon & Garfunkel’s third No. 1 hit on Feb. 28, 1970. The song won five honors at the 13th annual Grammy Awards in 1971, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

On March 1, 1957, The Everly Brothers recorded “Bye Bye Love,” a teen love song that was written by Boudleaux Bryant, 37, and his wife, Felice, 31, of Shellman. Although 30 other artists rejected the song, the Everlys’ version climbed to No. 2. … The Del-Vikings saw their biggest hit, “Come Go With Me,” enter the Top 40 on March 2, 1957, where it peaked at No. 4 and has sold more than 1 million copies. … The Drifters, with new lead vocalist Ben E. King, recorded their breakthrough hit, “There Goes My Baby” on March 3, 1959. The song became the group’s first of 16 Top 40 hits.

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