Come Softly to Me

"Come Softly to Me" is a popular song written by Gretchen Christopher, Barbara Ellis and Gary Troxel that was published in 1959 and was performed by The Fleetwoods, composed of Christopher, Troxel, and Ellis. It was the first release for the new Dolphin Records label.

The original title was "Come Softly," but was changed en route to its becoming a hit. Bob Reisdorf, the owner of Dolphin Records, which in 1960 changed to Dolton Records, was responsible for the title change. He thought that "Come Softly" might be too obvious and considered risqué, so he had it changed to "Come Softly to Me." The title phrase never appears in the song's lyrics.

Recording the song at home, the group sang it a cappella with the rhythmic shaking of Troxel's car keys. The tape was then sent to Los Angeles where the sparse instrumental accompaniment was added, including an acoustic guitar played by Bonnie Guitar. Released in 1959, the single reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in April.

The song has been covered by other artists, including Sandy Salisbury, Henri Salvador "Tout doux, tout doucement" (1959); Four Jacks and a Jill (1965);The Serendipity Singers on United Artists in 1968; Bob Welch (with Christine McVie on backing vocals); Frankie Vaughan with The Kaye Sisters, who had a chart hit in the United Kingdom with it; Jane Olivor; Mercy;Mercy released a version of the song on their 1969 album, Love Can Make You Happy. and The New Seekers, whose version reached #95 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #20 on the UK charts in 1972-73. A cover version performed by The Roches is repeated several times on the soundtrack of the film Crossing Delancey. It is included in the closing credits of the BBC2 sitcom Roger and Val Have Just Got In. Buck Dharma of Blue Öyster Cult covered the song on his 1982 solo album, Flat Out. Most recently, Eliza Doolittle samples it for the song "Missing" on her debut album.

The Fleetwoods

The Fleetwoods were an American singing group from Olympia, Washington, whose members were Gary Troxel, Gretchen Christopher, and Barbara Ellis.

History

The Fleetwoods' first hit was "Come Softly To Me." "Come Softly To Me" was also covered by others. The UK's Frankie Vaughan and The Kaye Sisters had a Top 10 chart hit in the United Kingdom with the song, though The Fleetwoods exceeded them, simultaneously charting in the UK's Top 5.

Their second hit, "Graduation's Here" was co-written by Ellis and Christopher, with Troxel later adding a scat line in counterpoint. That one was followed by "Mr. Blue," which, like "Come Softly To Me", also topped the pop charts. This made the Fleetwoods the first group in the world to have multiple No. 1 Hits top The Billboard Hot 100 in a single year, and the first mixed-gender trio ever with more than one No. 1 hit. (Note that this first occurred in 1959, and that the Hot 100 began in mid-1958.) Also, on the Cash Box Top 50 for the full year of 1959, the Fleetwoods have two entries: "Come Softly To Me" and "Mr. Blue". There is no other group in that year's Top 50 with more than one record.

To Me

"To Me" is a song written by Mike Reid and Mack David, and recorded by American country music artists Lee Greenwood and Barbara Mandrell as a duet. It was released in July 1984 as the first single from the album Meant for Each Other. The song reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

Chart performance

References

External links

Softly

Softly may refer to:

See also