The Teddy Bears
| Company type | Vocal group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1958 |
| Founder | Phil Spector |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Products | Music recordings |
The Teddy Bears were an American pop music ensemble and the inaugural vocal group produced by Phil Spector.
History
Phil Spector, after completing his education at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, concentrated on the song "To Know Him Is to Love Him", which he composed specifically for the Teddy Bears. The group—consisting of Spector, Marshall Leib, Harvey Goldstein (who departed early), lead vocalist Annette Kleinbard, and drummer Sandy Nelson, who joined at the last moment—secured a swift audition at Era Records. This led to funding for a recording session at Gold Star Studios, costing $75. Their track was released in August 1958 on Era's Doré label, but it took two months before it received significant radio play. The song's title was later engraved on Spector’s father's gravestone as "To Know Him Was To Love Him."
Achieving worldwide success, the single spent 23 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, including 11 weeks within the Top Ten and three weeks at number one. It peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, sold more than 2.5 million copies, and earned a gold disc from the RIAA. At just 19 years old, Spector wrote, arranged, performed on, and produced what became the best-selling record in the nation. Although later releases by the Teddy Bears on Imperial featured well-crafted soft pop tunes, they did not achieve commercial success; consequently, Spector dissolved the group within a year. The disbandment was hastened by Kleinbard’s severe automobile accident in 1960.
Following the group's dissolution, several members pursued continued careers in music. Annette Kleinbard adopted the stage name Carol Connors and penned hits such as the Rip Chords' "Hey Little Cobra" and co-wrote the Academy Award-nominated theme for Rocky, titled "Gonna Fly Now". Marshall Leib became part of the Hollywood Argyles, contributed guitar work to some Duane Eddy sessions, and produced records for acts including the Everly Brothers.
Studio album
- The Teddy Bears Sing! (1959)
Singles
| Title | Year | Label | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot |
US CB |
US RW |
US R&B |
UK | ||||
| "To Know Him Is to Love Him" b/w "Don't You Worry My Little Pet" |
1958 | Doré | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 2 | Template:Non-album single |
| "Oh, Why?" b/w "I Don't Need You Anymore" |
1959 | Imperial | 91 98 |
53 | 50 | — | — | The Teddy Bears Sing! |
| "If You Only Knew (The Love I Have For You)" b/w "You Said Goodbye" |
— | — | — | — | — | rowspan="2" Template:Non-album singles | ||
| "Wonderful, Lovable You" b/w "Till You'll Be Mine" |
Doré | — | — | 108 | — | — | ||
| "Don't Go Away" b/w "Seven Lonely Days" |
Imperial | — | — | — | — | — | The Teddy Bears Sing! | |
| "—" indicates the release did not chart. | ||||||||