Bye Bye Love

Album: The Everly Brothers (1957)
Charted: 6 2
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Songfacts®:

  • This toe-tapping tune carries the weight of heartbreak, with the Everly Brothers saying goodbye to love and happiness, and hello to loneliness now that their baby has found someone new. It's a rock classic, but it was rejected by about 30 other artists before the Everly Brothers recorded it. It became their first hit in both the UK and US.
  • The husband-and-wife songwriting team of Boudleaux and Felice Bryant wrote this song. Together, this talented couple penned many huge hits for the Everly Brothers and other artists, including "Wake Up Little Susie" and "All I Have To Do Is Dream." The Bryants are credited with being the first songwriters to come to Nashville and make a living only by writing songs.
  • This was a favorite of Simon & Garfunkel, who included it on their classic Bridge Over Troubled Water album. Paul Simon tells the story about how when he and Art Garfunkel were kids, they took a bus to the nearest record store so they could buy the single, and it became a staple of their shows when they started performing. It was always a fun song for them to play, especially when the audience would supply the backbeat. For their Bridge Over Troubled Water recording, they recorded audiences clapping from some of their shows to incorporate into the mix.
  • According to legend, the Everlys were nonplussed about the song but were appreciative of the $64 fee that both brothers received for the session.
  • In 1995, a movie called Bye Bye Love hit theaters. The film stars Paul Reiser, Matthew Modine and Randy Quaid as divorced men navigating a web of relationships. The song "Bye Bye Love" and a few other Everly Brothers tunes are featured in the film.
  • In a 1981 interview with Country Music People, Boudleaux recalled: "I wrote 'Bye Bye Love' while traveling home one night. Felice was driving down the highway and I got the first verse and chorus right down there. I always make sure I have a pen and paper in the car for these occasions."

    He added: "We really believed in the song and were disappointed when so many people turned it down. They said it was unsuitable, some even asked if we has anything better!"
  • Webb Pierce, a hugely popular country star of the '50s, recorded this six weeks after the Everly Brothers. When the duo got wind of Pierce's recording, they were worried his rendition would overshadow theirs. Don Everly put in a frantic call to producer Archie Bleyer. He recalled: "I said, 'Archie, we're really in trouble - Webb Pierce has covered 'Bye Bye Love.' He said, 'Who's Webb Pierce?' Then he said, 'Don't worry about it, we're hitting pop.'"

    Bleyer was right. While Pierce's version took the #7 spot on the Country chart, it barely made a showing on the Hot 100, peaking at #73.
  • This song was a big influence on The Hollies, whose founding member Graham Nash told Songfacts: "I'm always trying to make music, make you feel how I felt when I very first heard The Everly Brothers in 1957. When I first heard 'Bye Bye Love,' my life changed instantly. I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, and so did my friend, [Hollies co-founder] Allan Clarke."

Comments: 18

  • J. Kincaid from UsGeorge Harrison covered this song on his 1973 Living In The Material World album.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 1st 1957, Don Everly turned 20 years old; and to celebrate he, and his 18 year-old brother Phil, signed a recording contract with Cadence Records*...
    Just over three months later on May 9th their debut charted record, "Bye Bye Love", entered the Top 100 chart at position #64; it would peak at #2 {for 4 non-consecutive weeks} and stayed on the chart for over a half-year {27 weeks}...
    * The duo would have thirty-five Cadence Records on the Top 100 before jumping to Warner Brothers Records in 1960.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn September 6th 1957, Alan Freed's 'The Biggest Show Of Stars for 1957' road show appeared at the Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
    Four of the thirteen acts that appeared in the show had a record on Billboard's Top 10 chart at the time; Paul Anka's "Diana" was at #2, the Crickets' "That'll Be The Day" was at #3*, at #8 was the Bobettes' "Mr. Lee", and finally the Everly Brothers were at #9 with "Bye, Bye Love"...
    * According to Billboard "That'll Be The Day" was actually tied at #3 with "Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going On" by Jerry Lee Lewis.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn May 11th 1957, the Everly Brothers performed "Bye Bye Love" on the ‘Grand Ole Opry’ at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville; it also marked their debut on the Opry...
    Two days earlier on May 9th, 1957 the song entered Billboard's Top 100 chart at #64* {See 2nd post below}...
    * According to Billboard, "Bye Bye Love" was actually tied at #64 with "Start Movin'" by Sal Mineo; and the week "Bye Bye Love" peaked at #2, "Start Movin'" would peak at #10 {for 1 week} on the Top 100.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 15th 1958, the Everly Brothers made the British TV debut; they appeared on the American-produced 'The Perry Como Show' and performed "Bye Bye Love" and “Wake Up little Susie"...
    In the United Kingdom "Bye Bye Love" peaked at #6 while "Wake Up Little Susie" reached #2...
    Back in the U.S.A. "Wake Up Little Susie" was at #26 on Billboard's Top 100 chart and in its 18th week on said chart.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 30th 1957, the Everly Brothers performed "Bye, Bye Love" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
    One month earlier on May 9th, 1957 it entered Billboard's Hot 100 at position #64; and on July 28th, 1957 it peaked at #2 (for 4 weeks) and spent over a half-year on the Top 100 (27 weeks)...
    And on July 9th, 1957 it reached #1 (for 7 non-consecutive weeks) on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart...
    The record that prevented them from reaching #1 on the Top 100 was "Teddy Bear" by Elvis Presley...
    R.I.P. Phil (1939 - 2014), the King (1935 - 1977), and Don will celebrate his 78th birthday come next February 1st, 2015.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyPhil Everly passed away yesterday (January 3rd, 2014) at the age of 74.
  • Stefanie from Rock Hill, Sc@Pierre-Yves:

    Yes, Ray Charles did record this song. I wonder if it was to give the perverbial nod back to the Everly Brothers for recording his song "This Little Girl of Mine." I hope that last sentence made sense. Lol.
  • Kayla from Kaufman, TxMy grandfather wrote this song in prison as a poem. He sold it for commisarry money losing all rights to it, but he was the first to write the actual words.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyHonky Tonk vocalist Webb Pierce also released this song is 1957; it peaked at No. 73 on Billboard's Pop chart but reached No. 7 on the Country chart!!!
  • Mcgehee from Louisville, Kythey were born in a reallllly small town, in which i live.
  • Ken from Denver, CoThis song was produced at RCA records by Bill Porter, the legendary chief engineer who with Chet Atkins developed the Nashville Sound. Bill had a dozen number one hits and more than 600 chart records in his career at RCA. He recorded such artists as Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison, among many others and was the engineer that the big artists requested. After leaving RCA, Porter ran sound for Elvis on the road for six years, then began the teaching of recording arts at various universities.
  • Pierre-yves from Belfort, FranceDidn't Ray Charles cover that song ?
  • Alan from Chesterfield, MiSimon and Garfunkle's version was on the Bridge over Troubled LP.
  • Ed from London, CanadaDavid Lindley covered this song with a reggae-type feel to it on his album "El Rayo-X"
  • Teresa from Mechelen, Belgium"There goes my baby with someone new ..." I love the Everly Brothers and after all these years I still enjoy listen to their beautiful songs.
  • Terry from Willmar, MnThe Bryants wrote this song for Elvis, who turned it down. Talking to Chet Atkins about it, Chet said, "I've got a couple of young kids coming in to record. Why don't you offer it to them." The Bryants did and the boys liked it, but they struggled in the studio for hours. It just didn't click. Finally in frustration, Don started playing an intro he had thought up for another song. "What's that?" Chet asked. "Tack that onto the front of 'Bye Bye Love'. I think we've got something here." He was right. Don's guitar intro was the "hook" that got people's attention and sold the song...the Everly Brothers' first hit.
  • James from San Bernardino, CaThis song was used with slightly modified lyrics in the movie "All That Jazz." The Joe Gideon character (based on Bob Fosse) sings this song -- with a refrain of "Bye bye my life goodbye" with Ben Vereen.
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