Guest post by Nathan Arizona
Three fine songs hit the charts about the same time just before the Beatles era. Listeners could hardly be blamed if they got them a little mixed up.
There was “So Fine” from R&B songwriting dynamo Johnny Otis. There was “You’re So Fine,” which some people consider the first soul record or at least one of them. And there was “He’s So Fine,” which had a lively pop-soul girl-group sound and was apparently a favorite of George Harrison.
Even the word “fine” might be a little confusing. When these songs were out it was popular slang for attractive — real attractive. “That girl Is sooo fine.” The word has pretty much always meant “very good.” But lately you hear it used ironically for something you don’t particularly like but you’ll put up with. “OK, fine,” said in a deadpan way.
The Fiestas, Falcons and Chiffons were not into irony. Their attraction to the opposite sex was straight-forward to say the least.
The Falcons’ “You’re So Fine” reached No. 17 on the Billboard pop chart in 1959. The Fiestas’ “So Fine” went up to 11 the same year. And just when it seemed there might be no more “fine” songs to keep track of, along came “He’s So Fine” to top the charts in 1963
There’s a bit of controversy around “So Fine,” though nothing like the plagiarism kerfuffle over “He’s So Fine”/”My Sweet Lord.” The manager of the Fiestas tried to take credit for the song, but the case went to court and well-respected songwriter Otis, unlike George Harrison, won.
Ike Turner started performing “So Fine” the year it came out. It was a hit for the duo Ike & Tina Turner in 1968. They covered “You’re So Fine” on the same album. Soul singer Howard Johnson had a huge dance club hit in 1982 with a song called ’”So Fine,” but it was not the one by the Fiestas.
The Falcons of “You’re So Fine” fame were led by Eddie Floyd, who later wrote and recorded “Knock on Wood.” The lead singer was Joe Stubbs, brother of Four Tops lead singer Levi Stubbs. A year later it would have been Wlison Pickett, who joined the group after “You’re So Fine.” Boz Scaggs recorded one of the many covers.
The writer of “He’s So Fine” first heard the girls singing in their high school cafeteria. The Chiffons’ girl-group sound was smoother than the sound of the other two, which retained the flavor of earlier rhythm & blues. It’s such an earworm that Harrison said he used the melody without realizing it. As for the lyrics, some say “doo-lang doo-lang doo-lang” rivals the work of Mr. Cole Porter. Harrison didn’t pick up that part.
Here are the Fiestas with “So Fine.” It shows manager Jim Gribble as the writer, but the court decided otherwise.
Ike & Tina Turner had a hit with “So Fine” in 1968. It’s actually the Ikettes singing lead with Tina on background vocals.
The Falcons swoop in with “You’re So Fine.”
“He’s So Fine” by the Chiffons. It took 10 tries before a record company picked it up.
