If you’re old enough, you probably know this as the first record by British invaders Herman’s Hermits, one that reached No. 1 in the UK (and No. 13 in the U.S.). But the first to record this Gerry Goffin-Carole King tune was Earl-Jean Reavis, lead singer of the second incarnation of the Cookies (the original group, led by Reavis’ sister Darlene McCrae, became Ray Charles’ Raelettes). Her rendition reached No. 38 two months before the Hermits’ version was released. Earl-Jean released only one more record, in large part because she bore Gerry Goffin’s daughter later that year, which did nothing good for Goffin and King’s marriage. The couple financially supported Reavis, who eventually became an early childhood educator and opened a day-care center.
Fun fact: Peter Noone, a child soap-opera actor, was just 15 years old in 1963 when he was installed as frontman of a Manchester band that evolved into Herman and His Hermits.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSAob1TnAvc
If this sounds like a Brian Wilson tune, it’s no accident. “I make no bones about it, that song was influenced by Brian’s music,” Carole King said about the time the two of them recorded this version in 2008.
Marianne Faithfull gave the song an interesting reading on her 2002 LP “Kissin Time.”
