Church Bells May Ring

"Church Bells May Ring" is a song written by The Willows, with songwriting credits also given to Morty Craft; Craft, a veteran arranger and talent scout, owned Melba Records, the label the Willows recorded for, and as often happened in the 1950s, label executives would give themselves a songwriting credit. There is little evidence Craft wrote the song, and according to the band members, he only paid them $200, despite the fact that the song sold well.[1] The Willows were formed in New York City in 1952. Their original name was the Five Willows, and their song was originally called "Church Bells Are Ringing."[2] "Church Bells May Ring" reached number 11 on the U.S. R&B chart and number 67 on the U.S. pop chart in 1956.[3]

"Church Bells May Ring"
Single by The Willows
B-side"Baby Tell Me"
ReleasedFebruary 1956 (1956-02)
GenreDoo-wop
Length2:25
LabelMelba
Songwriter(s)The Willows, Morty Craft
The Willows singles chronology
"So Help Me"
(1954)		 "Church Bells May Ring"
(1956)		 "This Is the End"
(1956)

Neil Sedaka played chimes on the song.[4][5]

Other charting versions
  • The Diamonds released a version of the song as a single which reached number 14 on the U.S. pop chart in 1956.[6]
  • The Willows re-released a version of the song as a single which reached number 114 on the U.S. pop chart in 1961.[7]

Other versions

References
  1. Al Leichter. "The Willows Take Off, But Only Briefly." Staunton (VA) News-Leader, July 30, 1993, p. 27.
  2. Joel Whitburn. Top Pop Singles, 1955-1999. Record Research, Menomonee Falls WI, 2000, p. 706.
  3. "The Top 100 for the Survey Week Ending April 18, Billboard, April 28, 1956, p. 48". books.google.com. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  4. "The Willows, "Church Bells May Ring" Single Release". Discogs.com. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  5. "Obituary: Ralph Martin, original member of the Willows". Goldminemag.com. 6 April 2010. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  6. "The Diamonds, "Church Bells May Ring" Chart Position". Musicvf.com. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  7. "The Willows, "Church Bells May Ring" Chart Position". Musicvf.com. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  8. "The Cadets, "Heartbreak Hotel" Single Release". Discogs.com. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  9. "Sunny Gale, "Church Bells May Ring" Single Release". Discogs.com. 1960. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  10. "The Four Seasons, Dawn (Go Away) and 11 Other Great Songs". Discogs.com. 1964. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  11. "The Shirelles, The Shirelles Sing the Golden Oldies". Discogs.com. 1964. Retrieved August 23, 2018.



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