Will You Love Me Tomorrow

"Will You Love Me Tomorrow"
Single by The Shirelles
from the album Tonight's the Night
B-side "Boys"
Released
Format Vinyl record (7" 45 RPM)
Recorded 1960
Genre R&B
Length 2:43
Label Scepter
Songwriter(s)
The Shirelles singles chronology
"Tonight's the Night"
(1960)		 "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"
(1960)		 "Dedicated to the One I Love"
(1961)

"Tonight's the Night"
(1960)		 "'Will You Love Me Tomorrow'"
(1960)		 "Dedicated to the One I Love"
(1961)

"Will You Love Me Tomorrow", also known as "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It was originally recorded in 1960 by the Shirelles, who took their single to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song is also notable for being the first song by an all-girl group to reach number one in the United States. It has since been recorded by many artists over the years, including a 1971 version by co-writer Carole King.

The Shirelles' version

Background

In 1960, the American girl group the Shirelles released the first version of the song as Scepter single 1211, with "Boys" on the B-side. The single's first pressing was labelled simply "Tomorrow", then lengthened later. When first presented with the song, lead singer Shirley Owens (later known as Shirley Alston-Reeves) did not want to record it, because she thought it was "too country." She relented after a string arrangement was added. However, Owens recalled on Jim Parsons' syndicated oldies radio program, Shake Rattle Showtime, that some radio stations had banned the record because they had felt the lyrics were too sexually charged. The song is in AABA form.[1]

Reception

In 1961, the Shirelles took their single "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Their version of the song, with session musicians Paul Griffin on piano and Gary Chester on drums, is currently ranked as the 162nd greatest song of all time, as well as the best song of 1960, by Acclaimed Music.[2] The Shirelles version was ranked among Rolling Stone 's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at number 126. Billboard named the song #3 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.[3]

The song later appeared on the soundtrack of Michael Apted's Stardust.

Answer songs

Bertell Dache, a black demo singer for the Brill Building songwriters, recorded an answer song entitled "Not just Tomorrow, But Always".[4] It has been erroneously claimed by some historians that Dache was a pseudonym for Epic recording artist Tony Orlando, whose recording of the original song had not been released as Don Kirshner thought the lyric was convincing only as sung by a woman. However, an ad for United Artists Records which appeared in Billboard during 1961 featured a photo of the singer which conclusively proved that Dache was not Tony Orlando.

The Satintones, an early Motown group, also recorded an answer song called "Tomorrow and Always," which used the same melody as the original but initially neglected to credit King and Goffin. Following a threat of litigation, later pressings of the record included proper credit. The Satintones' versions are included in the box set The Complete Motown Singles, Volume 1: 1959–1961.

Carole King version

Background

In 1971 Carole King, the co-writer of the song, recorded a version of "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" for her landmark studio album Tapestry, with Joni Mitchell and James Taylor on background vocals. King's version of the song was taken at a considerably slower tempo and with a more contemplative, melancholy feel than in the Shirelles original recording. It gained considerable album-oriented rock airplay due to the large scale commercial success of the album.

The song became a feature of King's live shows. Taylor recreated his part during their joint arena-based Troubadour Reunion Tour of 2010.

In the 2013 Broadway Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, the song is featured in part four times: once during its writing, once during King recording a demo of it, then with the Shirelles performing it, and then King singing and playing it later during an especially bad time in her marriage with Goffin. No other song is featured as frequently in the musical.

Personnel

Additional musicians

Other versions

See also

References

  1. ↑ Covach, John (2005), "Form in Rock Music: A Primer", in Stein, Deborah, Engaging Music: Essays in Music Analysis, New York: Oxford University Press, p.70, ISBN 0-19-517010-5.
  2. ↑ "Acclaimed Music Top 3000 songs". Acclaimedmusic.net. 27 May 2009.
  3. ↑ "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Will You Love Me Tomorrow by The Shirelles Songfacts". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  5. ↑ Ramirez, Rauly (2012-10-16). "Leslie Grace Youngest Woman To Top Latin Airplay Chart". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2012-10-21.
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