"
Stand by Me" is the title of a song originally performed by
Ben E. KingBen E. King is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me," a U.S...
and written by Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
According to the documentary
History of Rock 'n' Roll, King had no intention of recording the song himself when he wrote it. King had written the song for
The DriftersThe Drifters are a long-lived African-American doo wop/R&B vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1962, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed by Clyde McPhatter in 1953...
, who passed on the chance to record it. It was not until after the "
Spanish Harlem"Spanish Harlem" is a song released by Ben E. King in 1961 on Atco Records, written by Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector. The song was King's first hit away from The Drifters, a group he had led for several years. With Spanish guitar, marimba, and drum-beats, the song climbed the Billboard charts,...
" recording session that he had some studio time left over.
"
Stand by Me" is the title of a song originally performed by
Ben E. KingBen E. King is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me," a U.S...
and written by Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
Song information
According to the documentary
History of Rock 'n' Roll, King had no intention of recording the song himself when he wrote it. King had written the song for
The DriftersThe Drifters are a long-lived African-American doo wop/R&B vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1962, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed by Clyde McPhatter in 1953...
, who passed on the chance to record it. It was not until after the "
Spanish Harlem"Spanish Harlem" is a song released by Ben E. King in 1961 on Atco Records, written by Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector. The song was King's first hit away from The Drifters, a group he had led for several years. With Spanish guitar, marimba, and drum-beats, the song climbed the Billboard charts,...
" recording session that he had some studio time left over. The session's producers, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, asked if he had any more songs and King played "Stand by Me" on the piano for them. They liked it and called all the studio musicians back in to record it. If King hadn't finished recording his other songs early, "Stand by Me" might never have been recorded.
The song was not released on an album until it had been out as a single for two years. After those two years the song appeared as
trackOn an optical disc, a track or title is a subdivision of its content. Specifically, it is a consecutive set of sectors on the disc containing a block of data. One session may contain one or more tracks of the same or different types...
seven on King's
Don't Play That SongDon't Play That Song! is the third studio album by Ben E. King. The album was released by Atlantic Records as an LP in 1962 and was home to five notable singles: "Stand by Me", "Ecstasy", "First Taste of Love", "Here Comes the Night", and the title track, "Don't Play That Song ".-Track...
.
King's version went to number one on the R&B charts,. and was a Top Ten hit on the U.S. charts twice—in its original release in 1961, when it peaked at #4, and a 1986 rerelease coinciding with its use as the theme song for the
movie of the same nameStand by Me is a 1986 coming of age, adventure-drama film directed by Rob Reiner. The title comes from a song with the same title by Ben E...
following its appearance in the film, when it peaked at #9, and also in an advertisement for
Levi JeansLevi Strauss, born Löb Strauss was a German-Jewish immigrant to the United States who founded the first company to manufacture blue jeans...
. It also reached #1 on the
UK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The full chart contains the top 200 singles based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 of this list...
in 1987 after its re-release, mostly due to the jeans spot, originally reaching #27 on its first release.
"Stand by Me" was ranked number 121 on
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.The magazine was named after the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same...
's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 1999,
BMIBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
named it as the fourth most-performed song of the 20th century, with about 7 million performances.
Structure
The song uses a version of the common
chord progressionA chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord...
now called the
50s progressionThe 50s progression is a chord progression used in Western popular music. As the name implies, it was common in the 1950s and early 1960s and is particularly associated with doo-wop...
, which have been called the "'Stand by Me' changes" after the song.
Notable covers, remixes and samples
- Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer. Often called the "King of Soul", he is renowned for an ability to convey strong emotion through his voice...
recorded a version for his album Pain in My HeartPain in My Heart is the debut album of soul singer-songwriter Otis Redding. Redding recorded for Volt Records, a subsidiary of Memphis, Tennessee based Stax Records; Volt releases were issued on Atco, which also released this album...
.
- John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE was an English rock musician, singer-songwriter, author, and peace activist who gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles...
recorded his version of the song for his 1975 album Rock 'n' RollRock 'n' Roll is a 1975 album of late 1950s and early 1960s-era rock songs covered by John Lennon. The recording of the album spanned a year and its dramatic sessions have since entered into rock music folklore. Rock 'n' Roll became another hit for Lennon, reaching #6 in both the UK and US, where...
. Lennon's cover of "Stand by Me" was his last hit prior to his five-year retirement from the music industry. This version of the song had a more rock sound than R&B. The acoustic introduction of this version is reminiscent of Ringo StarrRichard Starkey, MBE , better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer-songwriter, and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for the rock group The Beatles. When The Beatles formed in 1960, Starr belonged to another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes....
's "Only You (And You Alone)"Only You " is a pop song composed by Buck Ram and Ande Rand. It was recorded most successfully by The Platters in 1955....
" from 1974. Lennon suggested Starr cover that song, and Lennon plays guitar on both songs. The B-side of the single was "Move Over Ms. L", a rare and raucous track also covered by The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They became known for energetic live performances including the pioneering spectacle of instrument destruction...
drummerA drummer is a person who plays drums, particularly a drum kit , marching percussion or hand drums. The term percussionist applies to a musician performing on any percussion instrument, but usually refers to one who plays classical or Latin percussion. Most bands for Rock, Pop, Jazz, R&B etc...
Keith MoonKeith John Moon was an English drummer of the rock group The Who. He gained notoriety for exuberant drumming and his destructive lifestyle that earned him the nickname, "Moon the Loon." Moon joined The Who in 1964...
.
- Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller have a version which was featured in the hit musical Smokey Joe's Cafe
Smokey Joe's Cafe is a musical revue showcasing 39 pop standards, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues songs written by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller...
.
- Playing for Change
Playing for Change is a multimedia music project created by producers Mark Johnson and Enzo Buono with their Timeless Media Group, that seeks to bring together musicians from around the world...
made a music video rendition of "Stand By Me" which features over 35 street performers and musicians collaborating from all over the world.
- Maurice White
Maurice White is a Grammy Award winning African-American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger. He is the older brother of Verdine White and the leader and founder of the band Earth, Wind & Fire Maurice has won seven Grammys and he has been Grammy nominated 21 times.He has been...
of Earth, Wind & FireEarth, Wind & Fire is an African American R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 and led by founder Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the Elements or the Elements of the Universe, the band has won ten Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock...
recorded his version of the song on his 1985 album Maurice WhiteMaurice White is a 1985 album by Maurice White released on Columbia Records. The album went to number 12 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Charts. The single "Stand by Me" a cover of the Ben E...
. White's remake of "Stand by Me" peaked at number 6, 11 and 50 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, Adult Contemporary and Billboard Hot 100 charts respectively.
- Mickey Gilley
Mickey Leroy Gilley is an American country music singer and musician. Although he started out singing straight-up country and western material in the 1970s, he moved towards a more pop-friendly sound in the 1980s, bringing him further success on not just the country charts, but the pop charts as...
performed a version which was featured in the hit 1980 film Urban CowboyUrban Cowboy is a 1980 American romantic drama film about the love-hate relationship between cowboy Bud Davis and cowgirl Sissy .- Storyline :...
. It was a #1 country hit for him in August of that year, also reaching #22 on the Pop charts and #3 at Adult Contemporary.
- Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss", is an American singer-songwriter. He records and tours with the E Street Band...
and U2U2 are a rock band that formed in Dublin, Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr...
once covered the song live together.
- Pennywise
Pennywise could refer to one of the following:*Pennywise, a monster that took on the disguise of a clown from Stephen King's novel It*Pennywise , a punk band named after the above-mentioned character...
recorded a punk cover which was originally released on the EP 'Wildcard' in 1989.
- Country music
Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains...
legend Ronnie MilsapRonnie Lee Milsap is an American country music singer and musician. He was one of country’s most popular and influential artists in the 1970s and 1980s. He became country music’s first blind superstar. He was also one of the most successful country crossover singers of his time, appealing to both...
recorded a gospel-altered version on his recent album, Then Sings My Soul"Then Sings My Soul" is a 2009 inspirational double CD album recorded by country music singer Ronnie Milsap. To date, it is his first and only gospel recording ever. It features several traditional hymns along with Christian-altered hit singles, including Milsap's "What a Difference You've Made in...
.
- Gigi D'Agostino
Luigino Celestino di Agostino , better known by his stage name Gigi D'Agostino, is an Italian DJ, remixer and record producer...
released a dance version of this song.
- Seal
Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel is an English soul singer and songwriter. His name Olusegun means "God is victorious"...
covered the song on his album SoulSoul is the sixth studio album by British singer Seal and was released on 10 November 2008. The album was produced by David Foster, and co-produced, engineered and mixed by Jochem van der Saag . It is made up of cover versions of eleven soul music classics...
- Lemmy Kilminster performed the song with DJ Baron for the soundtrack of the Flip Skateboards video "Extremely Sorry."
- Boxer Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is a retired American boxer and three-time World Heavyweight Champion, who is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweight champions. As an amateur, he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome...
, released a version of the song in 1963.
Mickey Gilley
| Chart (1980) |
Peak
position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 |
22 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks |
3 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks |
3 |
Maurice White
| Chart (1985) |
Peak
position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, formerly the Black Singles Chart, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues...
|
6 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary |
11 |
| U.S. Billboard The Billboard Hot 100 |
50 |
External links