Black Pearl

by

Sonny Charles & The Checkmates, Ltd.

Album: Love Is All We Have To Give      Released: 1969

US Chart: 13     

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This was written by Toni Wine, Irwin Levine and Phil Spector. Wine and Levine were songwriters who were signed to Don Kirshner's publishing company when Wine was 14 and Levine was 16. They teamed up to write "Candida," which was the first hit for Tony Orlando & Dawn. Spector, who also produced this track, is famous for his "Wall Of Sound" recording technique, which he used as producer of classic songs like "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and "Be My Baby." They wrote the song in Wine's New York apartment.

Toni Wine explains the inspiration for this song: "The times. The very difficult times. It was disturbing, everything that was going on at that time period between people. All of our people. Just people. And segregation, differences. It was heartfelt. And that's how that song came about. We did that song and Phillip did an incredible record with The Checkmates. You know, Sonny Charles has a great lead. It was Sonny and Sweet Louie. It was a great record."

Toni Wine: "It was about a black woman. The male is singing to her, she is his sweetheart. She is his world, and she is his black pearl. They're dreaming of better times, better days, and he is saying, "Black pearl, pretty little girl, let me put you up where you belong. Black pearl, precious little girl, you've been in the background much too long." Which, at that time, with segregation, you had black students, white students, but older people, a lot of the black women, were depicted as being housekeepers, cooks, rather than having positions in companies, whether they were capable or not. It was a very difficult time period. They really weren't given the chances that their counterparts, the white women, may have been given. And it was time to have a song putting them on a pedestal. Because it shouldn't be "they" or "us" or anything. We are all capable of doing the same job, and should be given that chance. If we do a job well, we should be given the opportunity to do it, regardless of black or white. And in those days it wasn't as easy."

Speaking of her co-writers Levine and Spector, Wine says, "Irwin and I wrote together for a long time. He was just one of the greatest, most wonderful... he was hilarious. He passed away several years ago. He had a fabulous family, and I mean, he was wonderful. Always was. And Philip is incredibly talented, great sense of humor, and he's a musical genius, we all know that he's created some incredible memorable songs, as well as records.

I think 'Black Pearl' certainly speaks for the way the three of us feel. I love that song, it's very dear to me. And even though I've had success with other songs, but I think 'Black Pearl' has always been and will be my favorite. It's very dear to me." (Thanks to Toni for speaking with us about this song. Her full interview is available in the Songfacts Songwriter Interviews. Her website is toniwine.com)

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Comments:

This song is a magnificent ode to Black women,coming out at the height of the Black Power movement in early 1969. It almost seems ancient history now.Sadly,thats not how young Black men see their female counterparts today.Listen to most any rap song to tune into the current view. When this song was out,I was marching through campus buildings at Berkeley and SF State College with Black men and women who did not come to play.Whenever I hear Black Pearl,I think of this sister with a big afro and black leather coat at Berkeley trying to swack the crap out of this cop with her wicked umbrella!
- Doug, Oakland, CA

I love this song very much; you can find it on Phil Spector's cd-box "Back to Mono". If you are a Spector's fan, just buy it, it's GREAT.
- Teresa, Mechelen, Belgium

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