Under the Boardwalk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Under the Boardwalk" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Single by The Drifters | ||
| Released | June 1964 | |
| Format | 7" single | |
| Genre | Soul/Pop | |
| Length | 2:45 | |
| Label | Atlantic 8099 |
|
| Writer(s) | Kenny Young, Arthur Resnick | |
| Producer(s) | Bert Berns | |
| Chart positions | ||
|
||
"Under the Boardwalk" is a hit pop song written by Kenny Young and Arthur Resnick and recorded by The Drifters in 1964. The single, released on Atlantic Records, went to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. It has since been covered many times, including by The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, John Mellencamp, The Undertones, Bette Midler, and Tom Tom Club. Versions by Billy Joe Royal, Bruce Willis, and Lynn Anderson all reached the Billboard charts.
The song was set to be recorded on May 21, 1964, but the band's lead singer, Rudy Lewis, died unexpectedly the night before. Lewis had sung lead on all of their hits since the 1960 departure of Ben E. King, including "Up on the Roof". Rather than reschedule the studio session to find a new frontman, former Drifters backup singer Johnny Moore was brought back to perform lead vocals for the recording.[1]
"Under the Boardwalk" describes a tryst between a man and his beloved in a seaside town, who plan to privately meet "out of the sun" and out of sight from everyone else under a boardwalk. The instrumentation includes güiro, triangle and violins. The song's chorus is unusual in that it switches from a major to minor key.[2]
The song occasionally quotes the chorus of the Drifters' prior hit "Up on the Roof".
In 1988, Country Music singer Lynn Anderson (best known for her 1970 Country crossover hit "Rose Garden"), recorded a cover version of the song, that reached #24 on the Billboard Country charts.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Gammond, Peter (1991). The Oxford Companion to Popular Music. Oxford University Press, New York. p. 165.
- ^ All Music Guide entry by Richie Unterberger
