Suit coats, ties, and no sag fag pants. In 1959, the Flamingos included Zeke Cary, Nate Nelson, Tommy Hunt, Jake Carey, Paul Wilson, and Terry Johnson. They were polished, professional, and talented entertainers. A class act.
Re-edited from Wikipedia:
"I Only Have Eyes for You" is a popular romantic love song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin, written in 1934 for the film 'Dames' where it was introduced by Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler.
According to Billboard magazine, the song was a #2 hit for Ben Selvin in 1934. This song was recorded in 1950 by Peggy Lee, and most notably by The Flamingos in 1959, becoming one of their most popular hits. The version by the Flamingos featured a prominent reverb effect - something new in that era's recording world - creating a dreamy ambiance.
Rolling Stone magazine ranked the Flamingos' version #157 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. This version peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and #3 on the R&B charts.*For this, and more original hits from the 40's, 50's, 60's, and beyond, tune into John Christopher's streaming 24/7 musical extravaganza "The Neon Beat" by clicking here, or click the icon on the side of this page.
The song is a jazz standard, and has been covered by thousands of musicians; from Al Jolson to Beck to Ella Fitzgerald to the Forester Sisters to Sinatra to Timothy B. Schmit, and, of course, Yonderboi.
The Flamingos' version was included on the soundtracks for the 1973 film 'American Graffiti' and the 1983 films 'The Right Stuff' and Heart Like a Wheel.'
Disney also featured a music video of the song in the special 'DTV Doggone Valentine' set to clips from Lady and the Tramp. It also was a part of the soundtrack for the 2003 movie 'Something's Gotta Give' starring Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton.
(disclaimer: the views expressed here are my own and not affiliated with John Christopher or The Neon Beat. I'm simply a fan of the show.)
