"Book of Love": One of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 500 Songs that Shaped Rock & Roll (1958)
Single: The Monotones
Album: (Who) Wrote The Book of Love
B-side: You Never Loved Me
Released: February 1958
Genre: Rock and roll, pop, rhythm and blues, doo-wop,
Songwriters: Warren Davis, George Malone, Charles Patrick
In December 1957, Mascot Records released The Monotones' "Book of Love." The small label struggled to keep up with the song's sudden popularity, leading to its re-release by Chess Records' subsidiary Argo label in February 1958.
"Book of Love" remains The Monotones' only hit, reaching No. 5 on Billboard's Hot 100 and No. 3 on the R&B chart. It was also included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's list of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock & Roll.
Writing
The Monotones were formed in 1955 by 17-year-old Charles Patrick, his 16-year-old brother James, and five other teenage boys from the Baxter Terrace housing project in Newark, New Jersey. They initially practiced in the neighborhood recreation building and, by 1956, performed on Ted Mack's Amateur Hour, winning first prize.
Soon after, James Patrick left the group to join the Kodaks, another act from the same show. Charles Patrick began writing new material for The Monotones, and their first recorded song was "Book of Love."
Charles Patrick claimed the song was inspired while he was browsing for sheet music in a store. As he flipped through the racks, he heard the Pepsodent jingle "You'll wonder where the yellow went" on the radio.
He worked out the song with help from two bandmates. Another version of the story is that Pearl McKinnon, the 15-year-old leader of the Kodaks, wrote "Book of Love," and Charles Patrick, with his brother James' help, adapted it for The Monotones.
Recording
Though The Monotones initially saw the song as a joke, they were thrilled by the audience's strong reaction when they performed "Book of Love." Fearing a rival group might steal their song, they quickly recorded it and sent it to several labels.
The Kodaks were signed to Bobby Robinson's Fury label, and with James Patrick's assistance, The Monotones secured an audition with Bea Caslon of Hull Records. Caslon signed the group, and they recorded "Book of Love" in September 1957.
While rehearsing the song's intro in the studio, a kid threw a ball through a window just as they sang "mmbadoo-ooh, who." They liked the sound and added a solitary bass drum kick to enhance it.
Reuses
The Monotones' hit was later referenced in Don McLean's "American Pie" with the line, "Did you write the book of love?" The song was also performed by the rock 'n' roll revival group Sha Na Na at Woodstock in 1969, just before Jimi Hendrix took the stage.
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