So Much In Love

Album: So Much in Love (1963)
Charted: 21 1
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Songfacts®:

  • This doo-wop classic is about a guy who is so utterly smitten with a girl that he just can't wait to get married and be with her forever. It takes place in a very romantic setting, as the couple is strolling strolling by the sea below the twinkling stars.
  • To enhance the "stroll by the sea" theme, this song opens with sound effects of singing birds and waves of the ocean. The spare arrangement - finger snaps are the lead instrument - keeps it very intimate.
  • The Tymes were a vocal group from Philadelphia comprised of George Williams, George Hilliard, Al "Ceasar" Berry, Norman Burnett and Donald Banks. "So Much In Love" was the first song they ever recorded.

    The group was called The Latineers in 1963 when they entered a talent show that earned them an audition with Billy Jackson at Cameo-Parkway Records. Jackson liked what he heard and brought the group in to record a single. The Latineers had been working on a song they called "As We Strolled Along" - Jackson reworked it a bit and changed the title to "So Much In Love," and that was the song they recorded.

    Cameo founder Bernie Lowe suggested they become The Tymes, and in short order they went from singing "As We Strolled Along" on street corners as The Latineers to touring with Dick Clark's Cavalcade of Stars as The Tymes with their hit single "So Much In Love."

    The Tymes' specialized in lighthearted, buoyant songs; their second single was "Wonderful! Wonderful!," which made #7 in the US, and in 1974 they had a #1 UK hit with another uplifting song, "Ms. Grace."
  • The writing credits on this one go to Billy Jackson, group member George Williams, and Roy Straigis, how worked with Jackson on the arrangement and the lyrics. Other tracks Straigis and Jackson composed include "Groovy Baby" by Billy Abbott and "Here She Comes," another track for The Tymes.
  • Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles recorded this for the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. His version reached #59 in the US that same year. A version by Art Garfunkel reached #11 on the US Adult Contemporary chart in 1988.
  • This was not only the first hit for the Tymes but also the first hit for the R&B vocal group All-4-One, who released it in late 1993. All-4-One's cover peaked at #5 in the US and #12 in Australia, earning them an album deal that yielded their monster hit "I Swear."

    Their version of "So Much In Love" was released twice in the UK, first peaking at #60 in 1994, then reaching #49 later that year when it was rereleased after "I Swear" took off.
  • The Tymes' version also reached #1 in Ireland. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Jerro - New Alexandria, PA, for above 3
  • Billy Joel said this tune was the inspiration for his 1984 hit "The Longest Time."

Comments: 2

  • Rich from CaliforniaWho was the female voice on the record So Much In Love? A high voice like The Lion Sleeps Tonight backup.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn May 16th 1975, the Tymes performed "So Much In Love" on the NBC-TV program 'The Midnight Special'*...
    Just under twelve years earlier on May 16th, 1963 the song entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #86; nine weeks later on July 28th, 1963 it would peak at #1 {for 1 week} and it spent 15 weeks on the Top 100...
    And the same week it peaked at #1 on the Top 100 it reached #4 {for 2 weeks} on Billboard's R&B Singles chart...
    On July 1st, 1963 it peaked at #13 {for 1 week} on Canada's Toronto 'CHUM' Singles chart...
    Between 1963 and 1976 the Philadelphia quintet had ten Top 100 records; two made the Top 10, their other Top 10 record was a covered version of "Wonderful! Wonderful!", it peaked at #7, also in 1963...
    * The show's theme for this episode was a 'retro tribute' to pop acts of the late 1950s and early 1960s.
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