Song of the Day 7/10: The “5” Royales, “Dedicated to the One I Love”
A lot of people think the Shirelles version of this song is the original, but it was merely the first version to hit the charts. Written by Lowman Pauling of the “5” Royales (so billed because another band was also using the name Royales), it was released in 1957.
The Shirelles covered it in 1959 and it scraped the bottom of the charts, but it reached No. 3 when it was re-released in 1961.
The song reached its zenith in 1967, when John Phillips re-arranged it as a folk-rock tune for the four voices in the Mamas and the Papas. That version, the first song in the group’s repertoire to feature Michelle Phillips instead of Cass Elliott on lead vocals, reached No. 2.
You’ve hit my sweet spot–The Five Royales. Essential in the creation of soul music. I think Lowman Pauling was an eccentric genius. I love his skitterish guitar playing. Here are two more great songs that were subsequently covered by others:
This one by James Brown:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HPLvUfrONY
This one by Ray Charles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdZ1VptZsfg
And here’s Otis Redding, my all-time fave soul singer, doing ‘Tell The Truth’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ACNL6WUzqA
He was doing this stuff as early as 1952. He’s like the Kit Carson of rock ‘n’ roll.
Also, that Mamas and Papas video is pricelessly hippie-dippy.