Chapel Of Love

This idyllic song about wedding joy was written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, who got married the year before they wrote it. Barry wrote the lyrics with marriage on his mind, then Greenwich worked out the chord progression on a piano in their New York City apartment.

Thanks in large part to The Beatles, there were plenty of "love" songs in 1964, but most of those were about some form of puppy love or about the feeling of falling in love. "Chapel Of Love" was different because it dealt with the wedding day, making it about the commitment that comes after the courtship. There's a promise at the end of the chorus: We'll never be lonely anymore.

Barry and Greenwich wrote this song for Phil Spector to produce. It was intended (appropriately) for Darlene Love, and she recorded the first version, with Spector producing as intended. He wasn't happy with this recording, so he tried it with The Ronettes, who a year earlier had their biggest hit with "Be My Baby," written by Barry and Greenwich. These renditions were never released, as Barry and Greenwich made a deal with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who had recently formed Red Bird Records with industry heavyweight George Goldner. With Leiber and Stoller producing, The Dixie Cups recorded the song, which was the first release on Red Bird. Phil Spector was furious with Barry and Greenwich for beating him to the market with the song and took it as an act of betrayal, although he did get a songwriting credit, which was something he demanded when working with songwriters. He didn't hold the grudge: Spector teamed up with Barry and Greenwich again for the 1966 track "River Deep - Mountain High."