Rest in Peace Miriam Makeba

She was really something else.

Crystallized Moment

The Crystals (of Da Doo Ron Ron fame) - He's A Rebel


Sweet stuff. Indeed.



Just look at these lovely ladies.


Oh.. but then there was their controversial flop He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss), written by Carole King and produced by Phil Spector.

Story of the song...

Songstress Little Eva (of Loco-motion fame) had told King, whom she had been babysitting for, about her relationship with an abusive boyfriend, who beat her almost on a regular basis. When asked why she tolerated the abuse, she answered that it symbolized how much he loved her.

Awwww. Sweet stuff.

I don't think so.

Due to the subject matter and lyrics, the song (recorded by The Crystals) was an utter failure. The public disliked it and radio stations refused to put it on the air. The Crystals even hated the song. Why señor Phil Spector convinced the dames to record it and then tried to release it as a single still remains a mystery.

I'm guessing because he identified with the whole situation. With the boyfriend that is, but that's just hearsay. The rest of course is history. Big haired kook!





The lyrics go something like this:

He hit me and it felt like a kiss
He hit me but it didn't hurt me
He couldn't stand to hear me say
That I'd been with someone new
And when I told him I had been untrue

He hit me (da-da-da-ah) and it felt like a kiss (felt like a kiss)
He hit me (da-da-da-ah) and I knew he loved me
If he didn't care for me,
I could have never made him mad
But he hit me (da-da-da-ah) and I was glad

(Da-da-da-ah)
(Da-da-da-ah)

Yes, he hit me (da-da-da-ah) and it felt like a kiss (felt like a kiss)
He hit me (da-da-da-ah) and I knew I loved him
And then, he took me in his arms
With all the tenderness there is
And when he kissed me (da-da-da-ah), he made me his
(Da-da-da)




I'm leaning more towards the Grizzly Bear version. Naturally, those sweet natured lads can do nothing wrong.


Grizzly Bear live at UCLA.


On the subject of hitting and hits:


The Sugarcubes - Hit





Be kind to each other, life is short.