"1 - 2 - 3" is a 1965 song recorded by American blue-eyed soul singer Len Barry, who also co-wrote it with John Madara and David White (the latter two produced the recording). The recording's chorus and accompaniment were arranged by Jimmy Wisner. The single was released in 1965 on the American Decca label.[1][2] The writers were sued by Motown Records at the time, claiming that the song is a reworking of Holland-Dozier-Holland's "Ask Any Girl" released by The Supremes as the B-side to their single "Baby Love" the year before. They denied the claim, but after two years of litigation, agreed to give the Motown writers 15% of the song's writing and publishing royalties.[3] Holland-Dozier-Holland are listed as co-authors by BMI.[4]
| "1 - 2 - 3" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Len Barry | ||||
| from the album 1 - 2 - 3 | ||||
| B-side | "Bullseye" | |||
| Released | October 1965 | |||
| Genre | Blue-eyed soul, pop | |||
| Length | 2:24 | |||
| Label | Decca 31827 Brunswick 05942 (UK) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | John Madara, David White, Len Barry | |||
| Producer(s) | John Madara, David White | |||
| Len Barry singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The personnel on the original recording included Vinnie Bell, Bobby Eli, and Sal DiTroia on guitars; Joe Macho on bass; Artie Butler on percussion; Leon Huff on piano; Artie Kaplan on sax; Bill Tole and Roswell Rudd on trombones; Lee Morgan on trumpet; Fred Hubbard on clarinet; and Bobby Gregg on drums.[5]
"1-2-3" reached number 2 in the US Billboard chart ("I Hear a Symphony" by The Supremes kept it from the number 1 spot).[6] "1-2-3" also went to number 11 on the Billboard R&B chart.[7] Overseas, the song peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart.[8] In addition, it was also a Top 10 hit in Ireland, where it went to number 8.[9] It sold over 1.75 million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.[10]
Chart performance
edit| Chart (1965–66) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada RPM Top Singles[11] | 3 |
| France (IFOP)[12] | 40 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[13] | 8 |
| New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)[14] | 6 |
| United Kingdom (Record Retailer)[15] | 3 |
| United Kingdom (NME)[16] | 1 |
| South Africa (Springbok Radio)[17] | 4 |
| United States (Billboard Hot 100)[18] | 2 |
| United States (Billboard R&B Singles Chart)[18] | 11 |
| United States (Cash Box Top 100) | 1 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Decca 31827". 45cat.com. 31 July 1965. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
- ^ Len Barry: 1 - 2 - 3 at Discogs (list of releases)
- ^ "1 - 2 - 3". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ^ "1-2-3". Repertoire.bmi.com. Archived from the original on 2 June 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ^ "Soulful Detroit: Happy Birthday Len Barry". soulfuldetroit.com.
- ^ "Top 100 Songs - Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 49.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 43. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "Irish charts archive - Len Barry". IRMA. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 186. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 8 November 1965. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
- ^ "Toutes les Chansons N° 1 des Années 70" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Len Barry". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
- ^ "flavour of new zealand - search lever". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ "Artist Chart History Details: Len Barry". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
- ^ Rees, Dafydd; Lazell, Barry; Osborne, Roger (1995). Forty Years of "NME" Charts (2nd ed.). Pan Macmillan. p. 160. ISBN 0-7522-0829-2.
- ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ a b "allmusic ((( Len Barry > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 August 2010.