"Church Bells May Ring"
Single by The Willows
B-side"Baby Tell Me"
ReleasedFebruary 1956 (1956-02)
GenreDoo-wop
Length2:25
LabelMelba
Songwriter(s)The Willows, Morty Craft
The Willows singles chronology
"So Help Me"
(1954)		 "Church Bells May Ring"
(1956)		 "This Is the End"
(1956)

"Church Bells May Ring" is a song written by The Willows, with songwriting credits also given to Morty Craft; Craft, a veteran arranger and talent scout, owned Melba Records, the label the Willows recorded for, and as often happened in the 1950s, label executives would give themselves a songwriting credit. There is little evidence Craft wrote the song, and according to the band members, he only paid them $200, despite the fact that the song sold well.[1] The Willows were formed in New York City in 1952. Their original name was the Five Willows, and their song was originally called "Church Bells Are Ringing."[2] "Church Bells May Ring" reached number 11 on the U.S. R&B chart and number 67 on the U.S. pop chart in 1956.[3]

Neil Sedaka played chimes on the song.[4][5]

Other charting versions

  • The Diamonds released a version of the song as a single which reached number 14 on the U.S. pop chart in 1956.[6]
  • The Willows re-released a version of the song as a single which reached number 114 on the U.S. pop chart in 1961.[7]

Other versions

References

  1. ↑ Al Leichter. "The Willows Take Off, But Only Briefly." Staunton (VA) News-Leader, July 30, 1993, p. 27.
  2. ↑ Joel Whitburn. Top Pop Singles, 1955-1999. Record Research, Menomonee Falls WI, 2000, p. 706.
  3. ↑ "The Top 100 for the Survey Week Ending April 18, Billboard, April 28, 1956, p. 48". books.google.com. 28 April 1956. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "The Willows, "Church Bells May Ring" Single Release". Discogs.com. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Obituary: Ralph Martin, original member of the Willows". Goldminemag.com. 6 April 2010. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  6. ↑ "The Diamonds, "Church Bells May Ring" Chart Position". Musicvf.com. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  7. ↑ "The Willows, "Church Bells May Ring" Chart Position". Musicvf.com. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  8. ↑ "The Cadets, "Heartbreak Hotel" Single Release". Discogs.com. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Sunny Gale, "Church Bells May Ring" Single Release". Discogs.com. 1960. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  10. ↑ "The Four Seasons, Dawn (Go Away) and 11 Other Great Songs". Discogs.com. 1964. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  11. ↑ "The Shirelles, The Shirelles Sing the Golden Oldies". Discogs.com. 1964. Retrieved August 23, 2018.



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