From the opening castanets and the “ay yi yi yi yi,” “Little Darlin’” is perhaps one of the most recognizable songs of early rock and roll. G & T recognized it as the #4 song of 1957. Entering the charts on March 16, it would rise to #2, making it The Diamonds biggest hit. They were a white Canadian group formed in 1953 that had had great success covering hits in 1956, notably “Why Do Fools Fall in Love” (Frankie Lyman and the Teenagers), “Church Bells May Ring” (The Willows), “Ka Ding Dong” (The G-Clefs). “Little Darlin’” was actually a “cover” also. The song was written by Maurice Williams and recorded by The Gladiolas in a small record shop in Nashville. With much better recording equipment, The Diamonds cut the record for Mercury and actually beat The Gladiolas version to most major markets with a better sounding record. But don’t feel too bad for Maurice Williams. He would have a #1 record in 1960 with the Zodiacs -- “Stay.” Replete with soaring falsettos, the “bomp bomp bomp, sha wada wada” background and the bass narrative, “please hold my hand” this is classic “doo-wop” rock and roll.
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