Album: released as a single (1963)
Charted: 10
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Running a brisk 1:57, this doo-wop song is emblematic of the genre, complete with "dooby-doo"s and a super-innocent lyric about a girl this guy is crazy for. It was a #10 hit in the US in the summer of 1963; a year later The Beatles invaded and doo-wop suddenly sounded dated.
  • Randy & The Rainbows were from Queens, New York, a doo-wop hotspot. In this lineup, they were comprised of two sets of brothers: Randy and Frank Safuto, and Mike and Sal Zero, plus Ken Arcipowski. "Denise" was their first single.
  • The song was written by Neil Levenson, who wasn't a member of the group. According to his 2008 obituary in Billboard, Levenson wrote the song for Denise Lefrak, his childhood friend.

    Levenson also wrote the next Randy & The Rainbows single, "Why Do Kids Grow Up," which stalled at #97 - it was their last chart appearance. Levenson also shows up on the credits for "When It's All Over" by Jay & The Americans and "I Wanna Swim With Him" by The Daisies.
  • Songwriter Neil Levenson brought Randy & The Rainbows in contact with the Tokens ("The Lion Sleeps Tonight"). The Tokens producers worked on the track, and it became the last doo-wop hit for the Laurie label.
  • Blondie revived this song in 1977, changing the title to "Denis" but keeping the pronunciation as "Denise," thus making it about a French guy so their frontwoman Debbie Harry could sing it. This was early in Blondie's career, and the song was their breakthrough in Europe. They didn't have a hit in their home country of America until a year later with "Heart Of Glass."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

The Girl in That Song

The Girl in That SongFact or Fiction

Billie Jean, Delilah, Sara, Laura and Sharona - do you know who the girls in the songs really are?

00s Music Quiz 1

00s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

Do you know the girl singer on Eminem's "Stan"? If so, this quiz is for you.

Barry Dean ("Pontoon," "Diamond Rings And Old Barstools")

Barry Dean ("Pontoon," "Diamond Rings And Old Barstools")Songwriter Interviews

A top country songwriter, Barry talks about writing hits for Little Big Town, Tim McGraw and Jason Aldean.

Michael Bolton

Michael BoltonSongwriter Interviews

Into the vaults for this talk with Bolton from the '80s when he was a focused on writing songs for other artists.

How The Beatles Crafted Killer Choruses

How The Beatles Crafted Killer ChorusesSong Writing

The author of Help! 100 Songwriting, Recording And Career Tips Used By The Beatles, explains how the group crafted their choruses so effectively.

Tim Butler of The Psychedelic Furs

Tim Butler of The Psychedelic FursSongwriter Interviews

Tim and his brother Richard are the Furs' foundation; Tim explains how they write and tells the story of "Pretty In Pink."