Comments: 13

• Barry from Sauquoit, NyLen Barry, born Leonard Borisoff, the lead singer of doo-wop group The Dovells, passed away on November 5th, 2020 in Philadelphia, PA. He was 78 years old...
  Between 1961 and 1963 The Dovells had eight records on Billboard's Top 100 chart, two made the Top with "Bristol Stomp" being their biggest hit, it peaked at #2 {for 2 weeks} in October of 1961, for the two weeks it was at #2, the #1 record for both those weeks was "Runaround Sue" by Dion...
  Besides "Bristol Stomp", their other Top 10 record was "You Can't Sit Down", it reached #3 {for 1 week} in June of 1963...
  As a solo artist, Len Barry had six Top 100 records, with one making the Top 10, "1-2-3", it peaked at #2 {for 1 week} in November of 1965, for the week it was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "I Hear A Symphony" by The Supremes...
  May he R.I.P.
• Howard Luloff from St. Louis Park, MnThis was one of the first songs I remember hearing on the radio along with A Lover's Concerto by The Toys. I never get tired of hearing 1-2-3 by Len Barry. He also did a remake of a song from the Broadway show West Side Story Somewhere.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn this day in 1965 {November 14th} Len Barry's "1-2-3"* peaked at #2 {for 1 week} on Billboard's Top 100 chart, the week it was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "I Hear A Symphony" by The Supremes...
  "1-2-3" reached #3 on the United Kingdom's Singles chart...
  Between May 1965 and September 1966 the Philadelphia, PA native, as a solo artist, had six records on the Top 100 chart, with one reaching the Top 10, the above "1-2-3"...
  The Dovells, with Len Barry as lead singer, charted eight times on the Top 100, two made the Top 10, "Bristol Stomp" {#2 for 2 weeks in 1961} and "You Can't Sit Down" {#3 for 1 week in 1963}...
  Len Barry, born Leonard Borisoff, will celebrate his 78th birthday come next June 12th, 2020...
  * And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the rest of the Top 10 on November 14th, 1965:
  At #3. "Get Off of My Cloud" by The Rolling Stones
  #4. "Rescue Me" by Fontella Bass
  #5. "Let's Hang On" by The Four Seasons
  #6. "Turn! Turn! Turn (To Everything There Is a Season)" by The Byrds
  #7. "A Lover's Concerto" by The Toys
  #8. "Ain't That Peculiar" by Marvin Gaye
  #9. "A Taste of Honey" by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
  #10. "You're The One" by The Vogues
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyPer: http://www.oldiesmusic.com/news.htm {03-15-2018}...
  Pianist, arranger, songwriter and producer Jimmy Wisner passed away Tuesday (March 13th, 2018) at the age of 86...
  His version of Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor was a #8 record in 1961 as "Asia Minor" under the name Kokomo. He wrote "Don't Throw Your Love Away" by the Searchers. As a producer,he worked with Tommy James, Bobby Rydell, Neil Sedaka, Freddy Cannon, Len Barry*, Spanky & Our Gang and Carly Simon, among many others...
  May he R.I.P.
  * He recorded the chorus and accompaniment on Len Barry's #2 hit "1-2-3", it was #2 for one week and the #1 record for that week was "I Hear A Symphony" by the Supremes.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn September 19th 1965, "1-2-3" by Len Barry entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #93; and on November 14th, 1965 it peaked at #2 {for 1 week} and spent 15 weeks on the Top 100...
  It reached #7 on the Australian Kent Music Report chart...
  His next biggest hit was "Somewhere", it reached #26, and right behind it was "Like a Baby", at #27...
  The week "1-2-3-" was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "I Hear A Symphony" by the Supremes...
  Mr. Barry celebrated his 72nd birthday three months ago on June 12th {2014}.
• Rotunda from Tulsa, OkThis was my favorite 1965 hit by Len Barry. I remember that Len was with the great Philly group The Dovells that had lots of big hits for the Cameo-Parkway Records label before he went solo. My oldest brother was really into The Dovells back then. "1-2-3" was a great hit for Barry & it brings back good memories for me. It's a shame that he & his label had to put up with the legal idiocy of Barry Gordy just because the song sounded like a Motown production. I've always thought Gordy was a real jerk beginning with the rotten treatment he gave most of the stars at Motown who made his money for him. Anyway, I read that Len Barry had class in dealing with that clown, even though Gordy tried to soue over "1-2-3." Now, this song is a part of rock & roll history.
• Elmer H from Westville, OkMan, I loved Len Barry's performances solo and with The Dovells. His first big hit, "1-2-3" went Number One on the charts in my home area & me and my brother played the 45 single until the grooves wore out! I loved The Dovells' hits with Barry on lead vocals, such as their big hits like "The Bristol Stomp," "Hully Gully Baby," "Bristol Twistin' Annie," "You Can't Sit Down," and "Do The New Continental." I loved one of their fun-time hits, "Betty In Bermuda" that didn't quite get so high on the charts, but got lots of radio airplay & was on a lot of juke boxes in our local clubs and taverns. On the oldies radio, I still love it that they play "You Can't Sit Down" even yet! That was when American rock & pop were so so so special to me & my friends in high school. Rock on!
• Sal from Greasefalls, IdAn all-time favorite of mine and classic of the pre-Vietnam social message era. Music was hitting its stride then, mid-60's, then shifted gears to 'protest' music. Too bad because had the music been allowed to develop a lot of great American music was bound to emerge.
• Timothy from Worcester, MaIt is a catchy tune I remember hearing when I was 8 years old. It is also presented in the opening of "Mr. Holland's Opus" and fades out much too soon.
• Claude Chaney from Somerset, Nj I find this facinating because Holland-Dozier-Holland also wrote many of the hits from the Invictus/HotWax group, but they could not reveal their real names for fear of a lawsuit from Motown. These hits include "Give Me Just A Little More Time" by Chairman Of The Board (everyone thought that they were the Four Tops), Band Of Gold by Freda Payne and "Want Ads" by Honey Cone.
  I also believe that Holland-Dozier-Holland along with Sylvia Moy won a lawsuit against Curtis Mayfield because of the striking similarity between "Can't Satisfy" and "This Old Heart Of Mine (is weak for you)". -Claude, Somerset NJ
• Joe from Pittsburgh, PaLen Barry was indeed the lead singer for the Dovells, who were from a small town called Bristol (a little west of Philly). The Dovells, with Barry singing lead, had hits with "The Bristol Stomp" and "Bristol Twistin' Annie."
• Steve from Salt Lake City, UtHis absolute best performance is singing "Betty In Bermudas" with the Dovells in the late summer of 1963. Did not top the sacred charts but who gives a hoot !!!
• Dennis from Syracuse, NyNice tune, brings me back to my childhood. Len Barry was also the lead singer for the "The Dovells".-Dennis-Syracuse, NY.

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