Doo Wop Music

Well, here’s one of the golden oldies that’s really an oldie. “Heart and Soul” is a pop and jazz standard that was written by Hoagy Carmichael and Frank Loesser; it was published in 1938. The first recording was by Larry Clinton & His Orchestra with Bea Wain. The R&B version of “Heart and Soul” by The Cleftones went to #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #10 on the R&B Chart in 1961, and it became one of their biggest successes. The song was featured in the movies American Graffiti (1973) and Mischief (1985). There have been many, many covers, as there often are with great songs, including ones by Jan and Dean, The Four Aces, Glenn Miller, The Spaniels, and Mel Tormé.

The Cleftones were from Queens, New York, and formed in the mid 1950s. They had some early success with the songs “Little Girl of Mine” and “Can’t We Be Sweethearts.” The group had a number of personnel changes over the years. For “Heart and Soul,” but group members were Herb Cox, Charlie James, Warren Corbin, Gene Pearson and Pat Spann. Panama Francis was on drums, and a 16-year-old Duane Hitchings, who later became a famous jazz and pop musician, was on keyboards.

Here are the lyrics to “Heart and Soul” by The Cleftones:

“Heart and soul
I fell in love with you
Heart and soul
The way a fool would do

Madly Yeah
Because you held me tight (Held me tight), held me tight (Held me tight)
Held me tight (Held me tight), held me tight (Held me tight)
And stole a kiss there in the night

Heart and soul
I beg to be adored
Yes, and I lost control
And tumbled overboard

Gladly Yeah
That magic night we kissed (That we kissed), oh, we kissed (That we kissed)
Oh, we kissed (That we kissed), oh, we kissed (That we kissed)
There in the moon mist

Oh, but your lips were thrilling
Much too much too thrilling
Never before were mine so
Strangely willing
Darling, and now I see
What one embrace can do
Come on and look at me
You’ve got me loving you

Madly Yeah
That little kiss you stole (You stole), oh, you stole (You stole)
Oh, you stole (You stole), oh, you stole (Yes, you stole)
All my heart (You stole) and soul (Yes, you stole)
All my heart (You stole) and soul (Yes, you stole)
Oh, you stole (You stole) oh, my heart (Yes, you stole) Oh, you stole”

For More Golden Oldies Music

The Daily Doo Wop Rec Room has daily featured doo wop, rock and roll, R&B, or rockabilly songs that were hits during the first era of rock and roll (that is, from about 1952 until the British invasion in 1964). After a song is featured, it then goes into the juke box. You are welcome to listen to any of the 40+ selections there. Every weekend, there is a  Golden Oldies Juke Box Saturday Night, and the juke box is full of song requests from the 1950s and 1960s.

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