Why Do Fools Fall in Love (song)

In late 1955, The Teenagers (at that time calling themselves The Premiers) auditioned a song called "Why do Birds Sing So Gay?" for George Goldner, recording producer and owner of Gee Records. Herman Santiago, tenor of the group, had written the song based on a line from some love letters given to the guys by a tenant in bassist Sherman Garnes' apartment building. One of them featured the words "Why do birds sing so gay?," which fit in with lyrics of other songs that Herman had been writing based on a 1-6-2-5 chord pattern. Herman adjusted the harmony to take advantage of Frankie Lymon's high tenor/soprano. Along the way, at Goldner's suggestion, some of the lyrics were changed. During the audition, Frankie's voice stood out and Goldner recommended the lead in subsequent recording sessions be given to Frankie. Frankie did some improvising and recreated the melody to match his own style. According to Jimmy Merchant, what happened at the recording session was a combination of "Frankie's singing ability coupled with George Goldner's special ability to bring out the best in Frankie."[9]

Although early vinyl single releases of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" credit Frankie Lymon, Herman Santiago, and George Goldner as co-writers of the song, later releases and cover versions were attributed only to Lymon and record producer George Goldner. Goldner's name was later replaced by Morris Levy when Levy bought Goldner's interest in Gee Records, the Teenagers' record company.

After a lengthy court battle, songwriting credits were awarded to original Teenagers members Herman Santiago and Jimmy Merchant in December 1992.[10]

However, in 1996, this ruling was overturned by the Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit under the statute of limitations and authorship, because Santiago and Merchant did not bring the case to court soon enough. This gave the song rights back to Lymon and Levy.[10] The current publisher of the song is EMI Music Publishing, which still lists these two as the songwriters.

"Why Do Fools Fall in Love"
Single by Diana Ross
from the album Why Do Fools Fall in Love
B-side	"Think I'm in Love"
Released	September 25, 1981
Recorded	1980
Genre	R&B, soul
Length	2:51
Label	RCA Records
Songwriter(s)	Herman Santiago
Producer(s)	Diana Ross
Diana Ross singles chronology
"Endless Love" (1981) "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" (1981) "Mirror Mirror" (1981)
Music video
"Why Do Fools Fall in Love" on YouTube

Diana Ross released a cover version on the RCA label on September 25, 1981 as the first single from her album of the same name (1981). She also produced her rendition of the song. It was a hit, peaking at No. 2 on the US adult contemporary chart, No. 4 in the UK Singles Chart, No. 6 on the US R&B chart, and No. 7 on Billboard's Pop Singles Chart,[11] and earning her a British Phonographic Industry silver disc award for sales in excess of 250,000 copies. It also reached No.1 in Belgium and the Netherlands and climbed to the top 10 in Ireland, New Zealand and Switzerland as well as making the top 20 in Australia, Canada and Germany. Unlike the original, this version contains echoes of the soul of the 1960s. A reissue of Ross' cover peaked at No. 36 on the UK chart in July, 1994.[4]

"Why Do Fools Fall in Love"
Single by The Beach Boys
from the album Shut Down Volume 2
A-side	"Fun, Fun, Fun"
Released	February 3, 1964
Recorded	January 1, 1964
Length	2:07
Label	Capitol
Songwriter(s)	Frankie Lymon / Morris Levy
Producer(s)	Brian Wilson
The Beach Boys singles chronology
"Little Saint Nick" (1963) "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" (1964) "I Get Around" (1964)

The song was used as a B-side for The Beach Boys single "Fun, Fun, Fun", which reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964.[20] The Beach Boys' version of the song charted at #120.[21] It was included on the Beach Boys 1964 album Shut Down Volume 2 and had only appeared in mono since the release of the single back in 1964. The single mix of the song was later found and used on the 2007 The Warmth of the Sun compilation and on The Original US Singles Collection The Capitol Years 1962–1965. This box set, released in 2008, also used a recently found mono single edit mix. In 2009, a new stereo mix was created with a newly discovered intro, thanks to the discovery of the original multitrack masters by Jon Stebbins and is featured on the band's compilation Summer Love Songs. The song was also performed as part of the band's 50th Anniversary Tour, usually during the first half of the shows. One of the performances was later included on the live album from the tour.

• Gale Storm released a version of the song as a single in 1956 that reached #9 on the Billboard pop chart.[23]
• Gloria Mann released a version of the song as a single in 1956 that reached #59 on the Billboard pop chart.[24]
• Alma Cogan released a version of the song as a single in 1956 that reached #25 in the UK.[25]
• The Happenings released a version of the song as a single in 1967 that reached #41 on the Billboard pop chart.[26]
• Ponderosa Twins Plus One released a version of the song as a single in 1972 that reached #40 on the US R&B chart and #102 on the Billboard pop chart.[27]
• Joni Mitchell, backed by The Persuasions, released a live version of the song as a single in 1980 that reached #102 on the Billboard pop chart.[28]

• The Diamonds 1956
• Barry Frank
• Pat Carroll, 1965
• The Fourmost, as the B-side of their 1965 single "Girls! Girls! Girls!"[29]
• Eddie Holman, as the B-side of his 1967 single "Never Let Me Go".[30]
• Kenny Rankin
• Marion Ryan
• Voices of Theory
• Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
• Mud in 1979 as part of a medley with "The Book of Love"
• Tatyana Ali performed the song as a contestant on Star Search in 1987. She also performed it in an introductory skit in Eddie Murphy Raw where she played Eddie's sister.
• Gina Thompson and rapper Mocha covered the song with production by Timbaland and Missy Elliott for the 1998 original soundtrack of the film of the same name.
• The Overtones on their debut album Good Ol' Fashioned Love in November 2010.
• Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich

The recording by Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers features in the 1973 film American Graffiti in the scene where Charles Martin Smith's character first notices the mysterious blonde girl. The same recording was also featured on the in-game radio station "Empire Central Radio" in the 2010 video game Mafia II. It is featured in the final episode of the first series of the 2012 BBC drama Call the Midwife, when the character Chummy played by Miranda Hart marries PC Noakes. In 1998, the legacy of the song and its author was the theme of the movie of the same name.

• List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 1950s

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics