Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)

Album

Da Doo Ron Ron: More from the Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry Songbook

Label

Philles Records

Genre

Rock & Roll

Composer(s)

Jeff Barry;Ellie Greenwich;Phil Spector

Entered Chart

Apr 27, 1963

Peak Date

Jun 8, 1963

Released

April 1963

Recorded

March 1963

Catalog #

Philles 112

Phil Spector produced this song, marking his first real "Wall of Sound" production. He had a massive hit a few years earlier with To Know Him Is To Love Him by The Teddy Bears, but "Da Doo Ron Ron" provided the template for his unique studio sound that he would replicate on classic songs like "Be My Baby." He recorded it at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, packing all the musicians into a room that measured just 19 x 24 feet. Spector was meticulous about microphone placement, especially when it came to the drums (played on this track and many other Spector productions by Hal Blaine). He recorded the song in mono, which meant that every instrument was coming out of both speakers at full force, eschewing the nuance of stereo for the power of a single track. Spector wasn't big on editing or post-production, so he spent a lot of his studio time having the musicians run through the track before he would roll tape. Typically, he would have the guitarists play for a while while he worked out the song, then bring in pianos, bass, and drums. Vocals were recorded in an echo chamber located behind the control room at Gold Star. Among the background singers was one of Spector's favorites: Cher. Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich wrote this song. The refrain of "da doo ron ron" came from nonsense syllables they stuck in as filler, but it was exactly what Phil Spector was looking for, since he didn't want a cerebral lyric getting in the way of his massive production and the tidy boy-meets-girl story line. Sonny Bono, who was also a record producer at the time and was hanging out at the sessions, recalls Spector asking if the song was "dumb enough," meaning is was accessible to the teenagers who were the target audience. Spector knew he had a hit with this one, telling Bono on playback, "That's solid gold coming out of that speaker." The song was gold for Spector, who was not just the producer of the track, but also got credit as a songwriter along with Barry and Greenwich, which is a testament to his influence in the studio. There is a great deal of dispute over who sang lead on this track. Darlene Love, who was featured in the 2013 documentary 20 Feet From Stardom, has said that she was the lead singer on this song, which was recorded at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles. Love sang lead on The Crystals' previous hits "He's A Rebel" and "He's Sure the Boy I Love" because Phil Spector called in her group The Blossoms to record those songs when The Crystals couldn't make it to Los Angeles. The songs were still credited to The Crystals, and Love claims that she expected her own single release to follow. Love has given various accounts of her side of the story, telling Katie Couric that she sang lead on "Da Doo Ron Ron," but backing off that claim in later interviews, saying that her lead vocals were wiped out and replaced by Crystals lead singer Dolores "La La" Brooks in retaliation by Spector when she asked him for an artist's contract. When the movie 20 Feet From Stardom - which featured Love - was released in 2013, The New York Times ran a story about the film that claimed Love sang lead on the song. Two weeks later, they ran a correction, stating: "While she did sing, it was as backup, not as the lead." Whether she appeared on the song at all is in dispute. The person who can best answer that question is Phil Spector, but since he was in jail when 20 Feet From Stardom was released, journalists couldn't use him to fact check Love's claims. La La Brooks, however, has her own account, which includes a phone call Spector made to his wife, Rachelle, who married him while his trial was going on. Brooks' friend, Roger L. Chemel, provided us with this photo of Brooks, Rachelle Spector, and Art Cohen (Brooks' manager), taken where this conversation took place. Here's the account: On August 27, 2012, La La Brooks and Art Cohen, La La's manager, met with Rachelle Spector after an attendance at the David Letterman Show in New York City. As the three of them joined to have dinner together at a local restaurant, Phil Spector called his wife Rachelle from the prison where he is incarcerated. La La recalls telling Rachelle to say "hi" to Phil. After the conclusion of this telephone call, La La Brooks explained the situation with Darlene Love claiming to have sung the original track of "Da Doo Ron Ron." Rachelle Spector tells La La Brooks and Art Cohen that she was flying back to California on August 28, 2012; and that she would explain the situation to Phil Spector. Rachelle Spector flies back to California for her allowed once a month visit on that date, and Rachelle explains to Phil what Darlene Love is saying. Phil Spector tells his wife that Darlene Love did not record a track of DDRR; that Darlene Love never sang background; and that Darlene Love was never a Crystal. Phil told Rachelle that he thought Darlene Love's voice was too mature and gospely for DDRR and never considered Darlene at all for the song. Rachelle called La La Brooks that day and told her what she found out from Phil Spector. interview with La La Brooks, she talked about recording this song: "When I went to the studio to do 'Da Doo Ron Ron,' Phil had taught me the song. When I walked in the studio, all the musicians were there, and after they finished putting down the track, I sat there for hours. Me and Cher went out to get something to eat. We come back, they're still putting down the track. All of the sudden, when the track is finished, Phil says, 'La La, go in the booth and put down the song now.' I went in there, put down the song. I had trouble with (singing) 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.' I had trouble with that because he liked my ending, because it was my ending in my head, and he said, 'I want that again.' I had to double it, and it was hard for me to double it, because I couldn't get together with the 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,' and then (in lower voice), 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.' It was confusing. He said, 'La La, try it again.' And that's how we recorded it." A version by Shaun Cassidy reached US #1 in 1977 (switching gender for the lyrics so "Bill" becomes "Jill").Cassidy, who was 18 years old at the time and better known as the half-brother of The Partridge Family star David Cassidy, claimed that he wanted to record it because it was the first record he ever bought. His version was his first hit, and it introduced the song to a new generation. Other artists who have covered this song include the Carpenters, Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas, Jack Nitzsche, The Raindrops, and The Searchers. During the same year of this song's release, a French version by Frank Alamo was released in France and a German version by Ted Herold was released in Germany. >> Report an ad When Shaun Cassidy reached #1 with his version, he and Shirley Jones became the first mother and son to have separate #1 hits on the American singles chart. Shirley Jones previously reached peak position, when she sang on the Partridge Family's "I Think I Love You" in November 1970. This became one of the most popular American Pop songs of the period in England. It was never a chart hit for any British group, but it was covered by all manner of acts on-stage and on-record. A 1974 reissue of the original single went to #15 in the UK. La La Brooks of The Crystals recalled the recording of the song to Mojo magazine November 2011: "I sang Da Do Ron Ron over and over. Phil was sort of a perfectionist with that one. And I remember being pooped in the studio (laughs). I wanted to run out that door so fast but he kept going over and over. Thirty, 40 takes. I would say, 'When are you gonna get it, you know?'" Some of the movie appearances of this song include The Flamingo Kid (1984), The Pick-up Artist (1987), Coupe de Ville (1990) and Flipped (2010). Musicians on this track include Barney Kessel and Tommy Tedesco on guitar, Larry Knechtel and Leon Russell on piano, and Steve Douglas on saxophone. Douglas was also the contractor for the session, meaning he assembled the musicians. According to Douglas, his sax solo on this song was one of his favorites, but Phil Spector was going to put vocals over it. Douglas convinced him to leave it alone, and it became one of the most famous saxophone solos of the era. According to the song's co-writer Jeff Barry, there was a great deal of debate over what day of the week the singer meets "Bill." Barry says that "met him on a Sunday and my heart stood still" would have made more sense, but "Monday" sings better. "Monday" won out, even though it's an unlikely day of the week to fall in love. Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich set out to replicate their nonsense title success, and came up with "Do-Wah-Diddy," which was recorded by the female group The Exciters later in 1963. Their version made #78, but a cover by Manfred Mann was a transatlantic #1.

I met him on a Monday and my heart stood still
Da do ron-ron-ron, da do ron-ron
Somebody told me that his name was Bill
Da do ron-ron-ron, da do ron-ron

Yeah, my heart stood still
Yes, his name was Bill
And when he walked me home
Da do ron-ron-ron, da do ron-ron

I knew what he was doing when he caught my eye
Da do ron-ron-ron, da do ron-ron
He looked so quiet but my oh my
Da do ron-ron-ron, da do ron-ron

Yeah, he caught my eye
Yes, oh my, oh my
And when he walked me home
Da do ron-ron-ron, da do ron-ron

Da do ron-ron-ron, da do ron-ron
Da do ron-ron-ron, da do ron-ron

He picked me up at seven and he looked so fine
Da do ron-ron-ron, da do ron-ron
Someday soon I'm gonna make him mine
Da do ron-ron-ron, da do ron-ron

Yeah, he looked so fine,
Yes, I'll make him mine
And when he walked me home
Da do ron-ron-ron, da do ron-ron

Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah
Da-do-ron-ron
Da do ron-ron-ron, da do ron-ron
Da do ron-ron-ron, da do ron-ron
Da do ron-ron-ron, da do ron-ron
Da do ron-ron-ron, da do ron-ron
Da do ron-ron-ron, da do ron-ron
Da do ron-ron-ron, da do ron-ron
Da do ron-ron-ron, da do ron-ron
Da do ron-ron-ron, da do ron-ron
Da do ron-ron-ron, da do ron-ron