Soldier Boy (The Shirelles song)
{{distinguish|Crank That (Souja Boy)}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Soldier Boy
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = The Shirelles
| album = Baby It's You
| B-side = Love Is a Swingin' Thing
| released = March 1962
| recorded = Bell Sound (New York City)
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = R&B
| length = 2:42
| label = Scepter (Florence Greenberg-Owner)
| writer = Luther Dixon, Florence Greenberg
| producer = Luther Dixon
| prev_title = Baby It's You
| prev_year = 1962
| next_title = Welcome Home, Baby
| next_year = 1962
}}
"Soldier Boy" is a song written by Luther Dixon and Florence Greenberg and made famous by the girl group the Shirelles. Released as a single in 1962, it met with great success, topping the US Billboard Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks.{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/1962/hot-100|title=The Hot 100 - 1962 Archive {{!}} Billboard Charts Archive|magazine=Billboard|access-date=2017-04-14|language=en}} Billboard ranked it as the No. 10 song for 1962.Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1962
Background
Record executive Florence Greenberg, founder of Scepter Records (the Shirelles' record label), wrote the song and was originally titled it "I'll Be True to You". The main frame of the lyrics make no mention of a soldier. It was only while recording at Bell Sound Studios that the Shirelles decided upon a much better title to reflect the narrative, the profession of someone's love for the titular soldier boy in which she promises to remain true to him while he's away.The History of Rock and Roll Radio series, Bill Drake, 1978, Westwood One. The song was released as a single by The Shirelles in 1962 and met with great success, topping the US Billboard Hot 100.{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/1962/hot-100|title=The Hot 100 - 1962 Archive {{!}} Billboard Charts Archive|magazine=Billboard|access-date=2017-04-14|language=en}}
In popular culture
- The recording was used in the film The Wanderers (1979).
- The recording was used in the television series Tour of Duty season 1 episode "Battling Baker Brothers" (1987)
- The recording was used in the film Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
- Actress Brittany Murphy sings the song in the 2001 movie Riding in Cars with Boys.
- The recording was used in the television series 11.22.63 (2016) episode 7 "Soldier Boy"
Charts
| class="wikitable"
!Chart (1962) !Peak |
| Canada (CHUM Chart){{cite web|url=http://chumtribute.com/62-04-30-chart.jpg| title=CHUM Hit Parade - April 30, 1962}} (3 weeks)
| style="text-align:center;"|1 |
| New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)[http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20lever&qartistid=128#n_view_location Flavour of New Zealand, 14 June 1962]
| style="text-align:center;"|1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100
|align=center|1 |
| US R&B
|align=center|3 |
| UK Singles Chart
|align=center|23 |
Cover versions
- "Soldier Boy" was covered by American country music artist Donna Fargo in 1991. Her version peaked at number 71 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Hot Country Songs 1944–2012|publisher=Record Research, Inc|page=115|year=2013|isbn=978-0-89820-203-8}}
- It was recorded by Diane Renay in 1964.
- "Soldier Boy" was covered by the Mexican children's group La Onda Vaselina in 1989, under the title "Yo te esperaré" and adapted by the composer and Mexican singer Julissa.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{The Shirelles}}
{{Donna Fargo}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soldier Boy (Song)}}
Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Category:Cashbox number-one singles
Category:Songs written by Luther Dixon
Category:Scepter Records singles
{{1960s-pop-song-stub}}