Leiber and Stoller

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'''Jerry Leiber''' (born April 25, 1933) and '''Mike Stoller''' (born March 13, 1933) were first successful as the writers of such [[crossover]] hit songs as "Hound Dog" and "Kansas City." Later in the 1950s, particularly through their work with [[The Coasters]], they created a string of ground-breaking hits that are some of the most entertaining in rock and roll, by using the humorous vernacular of the white teenager sung by a black group in a style that was openly theatrical rather than personal, songs that include [["Young Blood"]], [["Searchin'"]], and [["Yakety Yak"]].
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{{epname|Leiber and Stoller}}
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'''Jerry Leiber''' (April 25, 1933 - August 22, 2011) and '''Mike Stoller''' (March 13, 1933 - ) were a songwriting team that created some of the defining sounds of [[rock and roll]]. They are best known for their work with [[The Coasters]], [[Elvis Presley]], and [[The Drifters]].
  
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They were the first to surround black music with elaborate production values, enhancing its emotional power with [[The Drifters]] in [["There Goes My Baby"]] and influencing [[Phil Spector]], who worked with them on recordings of The Drifters and [[Ben E. King]] and went on to form his own company and create his famous "[[Wall of Sound]]." Leiber and Stoller went into the record business and, focusing on the "girl group" sound, released some of the greated classics of the [[Brill Building]] period.
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In the mid 1950s, Leiber and Stoller created a string of ground-breaking, humorous hits for The Coasters, including "[[Young Blood]]," "[[Searchin']]," "Charlie Brown," and "[[Yakety Yak]]." Earlier, they had written the [[blues]] song "Hound Dog" for [[Big Mama Thornton]], which went on to become the signature hit for Elvis Presley in his early career, as well as "Kansas City," which became a major hit for [[Wilbert Harrison]]. Among their other iconic hits for Presley were "[[Loving You]]," "[[Don't]]," and "[[Jailhouse Rock (song)|Jailhouse Rock]]."
  
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They wrote successful and iconic hits, including "[[Hound Dog (song)|Hound Dog]]," "[[Love Me]]," "[[Loving You]]," "[[Don't]]," and "[[Jailhouse Rock (song)|Jailhouse Rock]]," among others for the "King," [[Elvis Presley]]. They were inducted into the [[Songwriters Hall of Fame]] in 1985 and [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1987.
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As producers, Leiber and Stoller were the first to surround black [[R & B]] music with elaborate production values, enhancing its emotional power with [[The Drifters]] in such songs as [["There Goes My Baby"]] and "On Broadway." The song "Stand By Me," co-written by [[Ben E. King]], is considered a classic R & B ballad. [[The Clovers]]' "[[Love Potion #9]] was another humorous hit in their earlier Coasters' vein.
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{{toc}}
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Leiber and Stoller were also a major influence on producer [[Phil Spector]], who worked with them on recordings of The Drifters and [[Ben E. King]] and went on to create the famous "[[Wall of Sound]]" as an independent producer. Leiber and Stoller later owned their own record company and, focusing on the "girl-group" sound, released classic hits such as "Leader of the Pack" by the [[Shangri-Las]] and "Chapel of Love" by the [[Dixie Cups]]. They also wrote the [[Peggy Lee]] hits "I'm a Woman" and "Is That All There Is?" (1969), the latter of which won her a [[Grammy Award]] for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and was later named to the [[Grammy Hall of Fame]].
 +
 
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Leiber and Stoller were inducted into the [[Songwriters Hall of Fame]] in 1985 and [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1987.
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
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Leiber came from [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]], Stoller from [[Long Island, New York|Long Island]], but they met in Los Angeles in the 1950s, where Stoller was a freshman at [[Los Angeles City College]] while Leiber was a senior at Fairfax High. After school, Stoller played piano and Leiber worked in a record store and, when they met, they found they shared a love of [[blues]] and [[rhythm and blues]]. In 1950, Jimmy Witherspoon recorded and performed their first commercial song, "Real Ugly Woman." Their first hit composition was "Hard Times", recorded by [[Charles Brown (musician)|Charles Brown]], which was a rhythm and blues hit in 1952. "[[Kansas City (R&B song)|Kansas City]]," which was also recorded in 1952 (as "KC Loving") by Little Willie Littlefield, became a No. 1 hit in 1959 for [[Wilbert Harrison]]. In 1952, they wrote "[[Hound Dog (song)|Hound Dog]]" for [[Big Mama Thornton]], which became a hit for her in 1953; It became a major hit for [[Elvis Presley]] in 1956, although in a [[Thomas Bowdler|bowdlerized]] version. Their later songs often had lyrics more appropriate for [[pop music]], and their combination of rhythm and blues with pop lyrics revolutionized pop and [[rock and roll]].  
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===Early years===
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Jerry Leiber originally came from [[Baltimore, Maryland]], and Mike Stoller was from [[Long Island, New York]]. However, they met in [[Los Angeles]] in the 1950s, where Stoller was a freshman at [[Los Angeles City College]], while Leiber was a senior at Fairfax High School. When not in school, Stoller played [[piano]] and Leiber worked in a record store. After they met, they found that they shared a love of [[blues]] and [[rhythm and blues]].
  
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During this period they produced a recording of their song "Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots" on the white vocal group The Cheers. Soon after, the song was recorded by [[Edith Piaf]] in a French translation titled "L'homme A La Moto."
+
In 1950, [[Jimmy Witherspoon]] recorded and performed the team's first commercial song, "Real Ugly Woman." Their first hit composition was "Hard Times," recorded by [[Charles Brown (musician)|Charles Brown]], which was a rhythm and blues hit in 1952. "[[Kansas City (R&B song)|Kansas City]]," recorded in 1952 (as "KC Loving") by Little Willie Littlefield, would become a number-one hit in 1959 for [[Wilbert Harrison]]. In 1952, they wrote "[[Hound Dog (song)|Hound Dog]]" for [[Big Mama Thornton]], which became a hit for her in 1953. It also became a world-famous hit for [[Elvis Presley]] in 1956, although in a [[Thomas Bowdler|bowdlerized]] version. Their later songs often had lyrics more appropriate for [[pop music]], and their combination of rhythm and blues styles with pop lyrics revolutionized [[rock and roll]].
  
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They formed [[Spark Records]] in 1953. Their songs from this period include "Smokey Joe's Cafe," "[[Riot in Cell Block #9]]".  
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The duo formed [[Spark Records]] in 1953. Their hits during this time included "Smokey Joe's Cafe," "[[Riot in Cell Block #9]]," both for the [[The Coasters]]. The label was later bought by [[Atlantic Records]], which hired Leiber and Stoller as independent producers.
  
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The label was later bought by [[Atlantic Records]], which hired Leiber and Stoller as independent producers. At Atlantic they revitalized the careers of the [[Drifters]] and continued to turn out hits for [[The Coasters]]. Their songs from this period include "Charlie Brown,", "[[Searchin']]", "[[Yakety Yak]]", [[Stand by Me (song)|Stand By Me]]," and "[[On Broadway]]," among numerous other hits (for the Coasters alone they wrote twenty-four songs which appeared in the national charts).
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"Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots" was a popular Lieber and Stoller song that became a hit for The Cheers in the fall of 1955. It went to number six on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts. Soon after, the song was recorded by [[Edith Piaf]] in a French translation titled "L'homme A La Moto."
  
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In the middle '50's the team signed to produce records for RCA Victor, in an innovative deal that allowed them to produce for other labels.  This, in effect, made them the first independent record producers.
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===Heyday===
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In 1956, Stoller survived the sinking of the [[SS Andrea Doria]]. After his rescue, Leiber greeted him at the dock with the news that "[[Hound Dog (song)|Hound Dog]]" had become a hit for Elvis.  His reply was "Elvis who?"
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[[Image:Elvis presley.jpg|thumb|[[Elvis Presley]]'s version of Leiber and Stoller's "Jailhouse Rock" held the number one spot for seven weeks in the fall of 1957.]]
  
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It does not diminish the enormous cultural contribution made by Leiber and Stoller to note that Elvis Presley's version of "Hound Dog" was a near exact copy of a version by [[Freddie Bell and the Bellboys]] that was recorded in early 1955.  The melody and much of the lyric of the song as sung by Big Mama Thornton was substantially changed in this version, by parties unknown.  However, the Bell/Presley version of the song owes much to the Leiber and Stoller version. Elvis Presley went on to record several dozen Leiber - Stoller songs, many written specifically for him, many of which are among the finest songs in the Presley catalog.
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At Atlantic, Leiber and Stoller revitalized the career of the [[The Drifters]] and continued to turn out hits for [[The Coasters]]. Their songs from this period include "Charlie Brown," "[[Searchin']]," "[[Yakety Yak]]," "[[Stand by Me (song)|Stand By Me]]," and "[[On Broadway]]," among numerous other hits. For The Coasters alone, they wrote 24 songs that appeared in the national charts.
  
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==Post 1950s==
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In the mid-50s, the team signed to produce records for [[RCA Victor]] in an innovative deal that allowed them to produce for other labels. This, in effect, made them the first independent record-producers. In 1956, Stoller survived the sinking of the [[SS ''Andrea Doria'']]. After his rescue, Leiber greeted him at the dock with the news that "[[Hound Dog (song)|Hound Dog]]" had become a hit for Elvis. His reply was reportedly "Elvis who?" The song went on to become Presley's signature song in his early years.  
−
In the early 1960s, [[Phil Spector]] served an "apprenticeship" of sorts with Leiber and Stoller in [[New York City]], developing his [[record producer]]'s craft while assisting and playing guitar on their sessions, including "[[On Broadway]]".
 
  
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After leaving the employ of Atlantic Records, where they produced, and often wrote, many classic recordings by [[The Drifters]] and [[Ben E. King]], they produced a remarkable series of records for [[United Artists]]' record wing.  They produced hugely influential hits by [[Jay and the Americans]] ("She Cried"), [[The Exciters]] ("Tell Him") and [[The Clovers]] ("[[Love Potion #9]]", also written by L&S).
+
Presley's version of "Hound Dog" was a near exact copy of a version by [[Freddie Bell and the Bellboys]] that was recorded in early 1955. The melody and much of the lyrics of the song as originally sung by [[Big Mama Thornton]] were substantially changed in this version, by parties unknown. However, the Bell/Presley version of the song owes much to that of Leiber and Stoller. Presley went on to record several dozen Leiber-Stoller songs, many written specifically for him, including "Jailhouse Rock," "Don't," "Treat Me Nice," and "You’re So Square."
  
−
In the 1960s, Leiber and Stoller founded and briefly owned [[Red Bird Records]], which issued [[the Shangri-Las]]' "Leader of the Pack" and [[the Dixie Cups]]' "Chapel of Love." After selling Red Bird they worked as independent producers, and continued to write songs. Their best known song from this period is "Is That All There Is?" recorded by [[Peggy Lee]] in 1969. Their last major hit production was "Stuck In the Middle With You" by [[Stealers Wheel]] in 1972. In 1975, they recorded an album of art songs with Peggy Lee, entitled ''Mirrors''. A remixed and expanded version of this album was released in 2005 as ''Peggy Lee Sings Leiber & Stoller''.
+
"Ruby Baby" was originally recorded by The Drifters and was a major R & B hit for them in 1956. It later became a number two Billboard Hot 100 hit when [[Dion]] released his remake as a single in 1962.
  
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They won [[Grammy Awards|Grammy awards]] for "Is That All There Is?" and for the cast album of ''[[Smokey Joe's Cafe]]'', a 1995 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] [[musical theatre|musical]] based on their work. The musical revue was also nominated for seven [[Tony award]]s. They had previously written a musical version of [[The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz]] (with a book by [[Mordecai Richler]], adapting his own novel), which failed in Canada.
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===Post 1950s===
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In the early 1960s, [[Phil Spector]] served an apprenticeship of sorts under Leiber and Stoller in [[New York City]], developing his [[record producer]]'s craft while assisting and playing [[guitar]] on their sessions, including "[[On Broadway]]" for The Drifters. Leiber and Stoller also produced a remarkable series of records for [[United Artists]]' record division, including influential hits by [[Jay and the Americans]] ("She Cried"), [[The Exciters]] ("Tell Him"), and [[The Clovers]] ("[[Love Potion #9]]").  
  
−
[[Mezzo-soprano]] [[Joan Morris]] and her [[pianist]]-[[composer]] husband [[William Bolcom]] have recorded an album of "other songs by Leiber and Stoller," featuring a number of their more unusual (and satiric) works (including "Let's Bring Back World War I", written specifically for them, and "[[Humphrey Bogart]]", a tongue-in-cheek song about obsession with the actor).
+
In 1964, Leiber and Stoller founded and briefly owned [[Red Bird Records]], which focused on popular "girl groups" and issued such number-one hits as the [[Shangri-Las]]' "Leader of the Pack" and the [[Dixie Cups]]' "Chapel of Love." Of the label's first 30 singles released, 11 reached the Top 40. After selling Red Bird, the team worked as independent producers and continued to write songs. Their best known song from this period is "Is That All There Is?" recorded by [[Peggy Lee]] in 1969, which would go on to win a [[Grammy Award]]. Their last major hit production was "Stuck In the Middle With You" by [[Stealers Wheel]] in 1972. In 1975, they recorded an album of art songs with Peggy Lee, entitled ''Mirrors''. A remixed and expanded version of this album was released in 2005 as ''Peggy Lee Sings Leiber & Stoller''.
  
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In 1982, [[Donald Fagen]] covered their song "Ruby Baby" on his acclaimed album ''[[The Nightfly]]''.
+
[[Mezzo-soprano]] [[Joan Morris]] and her [[pianist]]-[[composer]] husband [[William Bolcom]] have recorded an album of "other songs by Leiber and Stoller," featuring a number of their more unusual (and satiric) works (including "Let's Bring Back World War I," written specifically for them, and "[[Humphrey Bogart]]," a tongue-in-cheek song about obsession with the actor).
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Leiber and Stoller also have a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]].
 
  
 
==Legacy==
 
==Legacy==
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In the 1950's the music scene  was in a time of change. Black music, the authentic [[rhythm and blues]] of the black entertainment world, up to now restricted to black clubs,  was increasing its audience-share is areas previously reserved for popular music, and the phenomenon now known as [[crossover]] became apparent.<ref name="songwriter">{{cite web
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Leiber and Stoller's catalog of classic [[rock and roll]] and [[R & B hits]] is unmatched by any other individual or songwriting team. Their, meticulous craft and the high level of creativity which they brought to rock-and-roll songwriting was a major influence on the rock songwriters of the 1960s, from [[Gerry Goffin]] and [[Carole King]] to the great writers of the [[Motown]] era. [[John Lennon]] and [[Paul McCartney]] also both paid tribute to the great influence Leiber and Stoller's songs had on the development of their own craft.
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|url=http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/award_recipient_detail.asp?ceremonyId=12&awardRecipientId=88
 
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|title=Johnny Mercer Award - Songwriters Hall of Fame
 
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|publisher=
 
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|accessdate=2006-12-05
 
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}}</ref>
 
  
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Leiber and Stoller affected the course of modern popular music in 1957 when they wrote and produced the crossover double-sided hit by The Coasters, "[[Young Blood]]"/"[[Searchin']]". They released "[[Yakety Yak]]" which was a huge mainstream hit, as was the follow-up "Charlie Brown".  This was followed by "Along Came Jones", "[[Poison Ivy]]", "Shoppin' for Clothes" and "Little Egypt (Ying-Yang)".<ref name="gillett">{{cite book
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Besides the singers of their most famous hits, the artists that have recorded their songs include [[Buddy Holly]], [[Fats Domino]], [[The Everly Brothers]], [[Bill Haley and the Comets]], [[James Brown]], [[Little Richard]], [[Jerry Lee Lewis]], [[Aretha Franklin]], [[Luther Vandross]], [[B.B. King]], [[The Beatles]], [[The Rolling Stones]], [[The Beach Boys]], [[Bobby Darin]], [[Chet Atkins]], [[Otis Redding]], [[Barbra Streisand]], [[Jimi Hendrix]], [[Muddy Waters]], [[Johnny Mathis]], [[Joe Williams]], [[Count Basie]], [[Lou Rawls]], [[Tom Jones]], [[Edith Piaf]], and scores of others.
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| first=Charlie
 
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| last=Gillett 
 
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| year= 1996
 
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| title= The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll
 
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| edition= (2nd Ed.)
 
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| publisher= Da Capo Press
 
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| location=New York, N.Y.
 
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| pages= p. 72-75
 
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| id= ISBN 0-306-80683-5}}</ref>
 
  
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They wrote  and produced [[There Goes My Baby (song)|There Goes My Baby]], a hit for [[The Drifters]] in 1959 which introduced the use of [[String instrument|strings]] for    [[saxophone]]-like [[riffs]] and lavish production values into the already powerful black sound, and laying the ground work for the [[soul music]] that would follow.<ref name="stone">{{cite book
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Leiber and Stoller were inducted into the [[Songwriters Hall of Fame]] in 1985 and [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1987. In 1991, Leiber and Stoller were honored with the [[ASCAP]] Founders' Award. They won [[Grammy Awards|Grammy awards]] for "Is That All There Is?" and for the cast album of ''[[Smokey Joe's Cafe]],'' a 1995 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] [[musical theatre|musical]] based on their work. The musical revue was also nominated for seven [[Tony award]]s. Leiber and Stoller also have a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]. In early 1988, the [[Elvis Presley]] version of "Hound Dog" entered the [[Grammy]] Hall of Fame. In 2000, the British Academy of Songwriters presented them the Ivor Novella Award.
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| first= Anthony Decurtis (Eds.)
 
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| last= Holly George-Warren &
 
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| authorlink=
 
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| coauthors=
 
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| year= 1976
 
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| title= The RollingStone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll
 
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| edition= 3rd Edition
 
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| publisher= Random House
 
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| location=New York
 
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| pages= p. 148-152
 
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| id= ISBN 0-679-73728-6 }}</ref>
 
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They continued their impact on rock and roll by producing  successful and iconic hits, "[[Hound Dog (song)|Hound Dog]]" "[[Love Me]]" "[[Loving You]]" "[[Don't]]" and "[[Jailhouse Rock (song)|Jailhouse Rock]]" among others,  for [[Elvis Presley]].<ref name="songwriter"/>
 
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Few, if any, other songs credited to Leiber and Stoller bear the stamp of any other writers. In fact, the meticulous craft and high creativity they brought to rock and roll songwriting was the key influence on the rock and roll songwriters of the '60s, from the Aldon Music songwriters, such as [[Gerry Goffin]] and [[Carole King]], to the great [[Motown]] writers. [[John Lennon]] and [[Paul McCartney]] both paid tribute to the great influence Leiber and Stoller's songs had on the development of their own craft.
 
  
 
==Defining Songs==
 
==Defining Songs==
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*"Ruby Baby"
 
*"Ruby Baby"
 
*"[[Stand by Me (song)|Stand By Me]]"
 
*"[[Stand by Me (song)|Stand By Me]]"
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*Is That All There Is?
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*"Is That All There Is?"
 
*"[[Jailhouse Rock (song)|Jailhouse Rock]]"
 
*"[[Jailhouse Rock (song)|Jailhouse Rock]]"
 
*"[[Love Potion No. 9 (song)|Love Potion No. 9]]"
 
*"[[Love Potion No. 9 (song)|Love Potion No. 9]]"
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==Notes==
 
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<references/>
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
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*Gillett, Charlie. ''The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll''. New York, N.Y.:Da Capo Press, 1996. ISBN 0-306-80683
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* Gillett, Charlie. ''The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll''. Da Capo Press, 1996. ISBN 9780306806834.
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*Leiber, Jerry; Stoller, Mike; and Zaks, Jerry. ''Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller''. Blacksburg, Va.: Virginia Tech, 1999.
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* Leiber, Jerry, Mike Stoller and Jerry Zaks. ''Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller''. Blacksburg, Va.: Virginia Tech, 1999. {{OCLC|44001401}}
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OCLC: 44001401  
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* Leiber, Jerry, Mike Stoller, and David Ritz. ''Hound Dog: The Leiber & Stoller Autobiography''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2009. ISBN 9781416559382.
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*Leiber, Jerry; Stoller, Mike; and Ritz, David. ''Hound Dog: The Leiber & Stoller Autobiography''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2009. ISBN 978-1416559382
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* Palmer, Robert, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller. ''Baby, That Was Rock & Roll: The Legendary Leiber & Stoller''. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1978. ISBN 9780156101554.
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*Palmer, Robert; Leiber, Jerry; and Stoller, Mike. ''Baby, That Was Rock & Roll: The Legendary Leiber & Stoller''. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1978. ISBN 978-0156101554
 
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==External links==
 
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* [http://www.geocities.com/shakin_stacks/mikestoller.txt Mike Stoller]
 
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* [http://www.geocities.com/spectropop/hleiberstoller.html Leiber & Stoller]
 
  
 
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[[Category:Art, music, literature, sports and leisure]]
 
[[Category:History]]
 
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[[Category:music]]
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[[category:biography]]
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[[category:musicians]]

Latest revision as of 08:02, 3 April 2024

Jerry Leiber (April 25, 1933 - August 22, 2011) and Mike Stoller (March 13, 1933 - ) were a songwriting team that created some of the defining sounds of rock and roll. They are best known for their work with The Coasters, Elvis Presley, and The Drifters.

In the mid 1950s, Leiber and Stoller created a string of ground-breaking, humorous hits for The Coasters, including "Young Blood," "Searchin'," "Charlie Brown," and "Yakety Yak." Earlier, they had written the blues song "Hound Dog" for Big Mama Thornton, which went on to become the signature hit for Elvis Presley in his early career, as well as "Kansas City," which became a major hit for Wilbert Harrison. Among their other iconic hits for Presley were "Loving You," "Don't," and "Jailhouse Rock."

As producers, Leiber and Stoller were the first to surround black R & B music with elaborate production values, enhancing its emotional power with The Drifters in such songs as "There Goes My Baby" and "On Broadway." The song "Stand By Me," co-written by Ben E. King, is considered a classic R & B ballad. The Clovers' "Love Potion #9 was another humorous hit in their earlier Coasters' vein.

Leiber and Stoller were also a major influence on producer Phil Spector, who worked with them on recordings of The Drifters and Ben E. King and went on to create the famous "Wall of Sound" as an independent producer. Leiber and Stoller later owned their own record company and, focusing on the "girl-group" sound, released classic hits such as "Leader of the Pack" by the Shangri-Las and "Chapel of Love" by the Dixie Cups. They also wrote the Peggy Lee hits "I'm a Woman" and "Is That All There Is?" (1969), the latter of which won her a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and was later named to the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Leiber and Stoller were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985 and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

History

Early years

Jerry Leiber originally came from Baltimore, Maryland, and Mike Stoller was from Long Island, New York. However, they met in Los Angeles in the 1950s, where Stoller was a freshman at Los Angeles City College, while Leiber was a senior at Fairfax High School. When not in school, Stoller played piano and Leiber worked in a record store. After they met, they found that they shared a love of blues and rhythm and blues.

In 1950, Jimmy Witherspoon recorded and performed the team's first commercial song, "Real Ugly Woman." Their first hit composition was "Hard Times," recorded by Charles Brown, which was a rhythm and blues hit in 1952. "Kansas City," recorded in 1952 (as "KC Loving") by Little Willie Littlefield, would become a number-one hit in 1959 for Wilbert Harrison. In 1952, they wrote "Hound Dog" for Big Mama Thornton, which became a hit for her in 1953. It also became a world-famous hit for Elvis Presley in 1956, although in a bowdlerized version. Their later songs often had lyrics more appropriate for pop music, and their combination of rhythm and blues styles with pop lyrics revolutionized rock and roll.

The duo formed Spark Records in 1953. Their hits during this time included "Smokey Joe's Cafe," "Riot in Cell Block #9," both for the The Coasters. The label was later bought by Atlantic Records, which hired Leiber and Stoller as independent producers.

"Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots" was a popular Lieber and Stoller song that became a hit for The Cheers in the fall of 1955. It went to number six on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts. Soon after, the song was recorded by Edith Piaf in a French translation titled "L'homme A La Moto."

Heyday

Elvis Presley's version of Leiber and Stoller's "Jailhouse Rock" held the number one spot for seven weeks in the fall of 1957.

At Atlantic, Leiber and Stoller revitalized the career of the The Drifters and continued to turn out hits for The Coasters. Their songs from this period include "Charlie Brown," "Searchin'," "Yakety Yak," "Stand By Me," and "On Broadway," among numerous other hits. For The Coasters alone, they wrote 24 songs that appeared in the national charts.

In the mid-50s, the team signed to produce records for RCA Victor in an innovative deal that allowed them to produce for other labels. This, in effect, made them the first independent record-producers. In 1956, Stoller survived the sinking of the SS ''Andrea Doria''. After his rescue, Leiber greeted him at the dock with the news that "Hound Dog" had become a hit for Elvis. His reply was reportedly "Elvis who?" The song went on to become Presley's signature song in his early years.

Presley's version of "Hound Dog" was a near exact copy of a version by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys that was recorded in early 1955. The melody and much of the lyrics of the song as originally sung by Big Mama Thornton were substantially changed in this version, by parties unknown. However, the Bell/Presley version of the song owes much to that of Leiber and Stoller. Presley went on to record several dozen Leiber-Stoller songs, many written specifically for him, including "Jailhouse Rock," "Don't," "Treat Me Nice," and "You’re So Square."

"Ruby Baby" was originally recorded by The Drifters and was a major R & B hit for them in 1956. It later became a number two Billboard Hot 100 hit when Dion released his remake as a single in 1962.

Post 1950s

In the early 1960s, Phil Spector served an apprenticeship of sorts under Leiber and Stoller in New York City, developing his record producer's craft while assisting and playing guitar on their sessions, including "On Broadway" for The Drifters. Leiber and Stoller also produced a remarkable series of records for United Artists' record division, including influential hits by Jay and the Americans ("She Cried"), The Exciters ("Tell Him"), and The Clovers ("Love Potion #9").

In 1964, Leiber and Stoller founded and briefly owned Red Bird Records, which focused on popular "girl groups" and issued such number-one hits as the Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack" and the Dixie Cups' "Chapel of Love." Of the label's first 30 singles released, 11 reached the Top 40. After selling Red Bird, the team worked as independent producers and continued to write songs. Their best known song from this period is "Is That All There Is?" recorded by Peggy Lee in 1969, which would go on to win a Grammy Award. Their last major hit production was "Stuck In the Middle With You" by Stealers Wheel in 1972. In 1975, they recorded an album of art songs with Peggy Lee, entitled Mirrors. A remixed and expanded version of this album was released in 2005 as Peggy Lee Sings Leiber & Stoller.

Mezzo-soprano Joan Morris and her pianist-composer husband William Bolcom have recorded an album of "other songs by Leiber and Stoller," featuring a number of their more unusual (and satiric) works (including "Let's Bring Back World War I," written specifically for them, and "Humphrey Bogart," a tongue-in-cheek song about obsession with the actor).

Legacy

Leiber and Stoller's catalog of classic rock and roll and R & B hits is unmatched by any other individual or songwriting team. Their, meticulous craft and the high level of creativity which they brought to rock-and-roll songwriting was a major influence on the rock songwriters of the 1960s, from Gerry Goffin and Carole King to the great writers of the Motown era. John Lennon and Paul McCartney also both paid tribute to the great influence Leiber and Stoller's songs had on the development of their own craft.

Besides the singers of their most famous hits, the artists that have recorded their songs include Buddy Holly, Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers, Bill Haley and the Comets, James Brown, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, B.B. King, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, Bobby Darin, Chet Atkins, Otis Redding, Barbra Streisand, Jimi Hendrix, Muddy Waters, Johnny Mathis, Joe Williams, Count Basie, Lou Rawls, Tom Jones, Edith Piaf, and scores of others.

Leiber and Stoller were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985 and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. In 1991, Leiber and Stoller were honored with the ASCAP Founders' Award. They won Grammy awards for "Is That All There Is?" and for the cast album of Smokey Joe's Cafe, a 1995 Broadway musical based on their work. The musical revue was also nominated for seven Tony awards. Leiber and Stoller also have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In early 1988, the Elvis Presley version of "Hound Dog" entered the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2000, the British Academy of Songwriters presented them the Ivor Novella Award.

Defining Songs

  • "(You A'int Nothin' But A) Hound Dog"
  • "Kansas City"
  • "Yakety Yak"
  • "Charlie Brown"
  • "Ruby Baby"
  • "Stand By Me"
  • "Is That All There Is?"
  • "Jailhouse Rock"
  • "Love Potion No. 9"

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Gillett, Charlie. The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll. Da Capo Press, 1996. ISBN 9780306806834.
  • Leiber, Jerry, Mike Stoller and Jerry Zaks. Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller. Blacksburg, Va.: Virginia Tech, 1999. OCLC 44001401
  • Leiber, Jerry, Mike Stoller, and David Ritz. Hound Dog: The Leiber & Stoller Autobiography. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2009. ISBN 9781416559382.
  • Palmer, Robert, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller. Baby, That Was Rock & Roll: The Legendary Leiber & Stoller. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1978. ISBN 9780156101554.

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