Beechwood 4-5789 by The Marvelettes

Album: Playboy (1962)

Charted: 17

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

This song is a tale of a girl who wants to become more acquainted with a certain guy. She's so interested in him that she gives him her telephone number ("Beechwood 4-5789") and welcomes him to come to her house and take her out on dates anytime he wishes.
Until the '70s, phone numbers had prefixes ("Beechwood" is the example in this song) that came before the numbers. To make phone calls, a person dialed the first two letters of the prefix and then the numbers. In today's world, the phone number (also the song's title) would be known as "234-5789."
The Carpenters covered this song for their last album Made in America (1981). Their version reached US #74 in 1982.
Until the release of Tommy Tutone's hit "Jenny (867-5309)," this song's telephone number was the most popular one in the US.
Gladys Horton sang lead. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Jerro - New Alexandria, PA, for all above

Comments: 6

Jennifur Sun from RamonaI remember vaguely from somewhere that this prefix and number actually went to somewhere connected with Motown, does anyone know for sure.
Bubblesk from Memphis, TnBack in 1962, the first few records I bought included "Beechwood 4-5789" "Playboy" & "Twistin' Postman" all by the Marvelettes. I think "Twistin' Postman" came out in very early '62 and the later two in the summer. They marked my big entrance into buying rock & roll and R&B records. In 1962 my poor little allowance couldn't keep up with my love for buying the latest records though, like the dance crazes, R&B hits, and some instrumentals. But I loved the Motown artists and that sound because you could dance to them so easily and nearly everyone in high school loved them too. My cousins from Texas hated R&B, but they were the exception to good taste anyway so....... Well, I love to hear the Marvelettes on the oldies radio in my area now. If I drop a few hundred pounds, I might be able to do the Mashed Potato again too.
Elmer from Westville, OkOwwww!! I remember this hit by The Marvelettes in the summer of 1962. It was popular to dance to. The summer of '62 had a lot of dances that were popular (Mashed Potato, Pony, Twist, Wah-Watusi, Hully Gully, etc.) and you could do a lot of them to this song. Loved the Marvelettes too. Too bad that Berry Gordy (the Motown boss) didn't give the Marvelettes the attention they deserved., in order to make more hits.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyThe Carpenters had a minor hit with this song in 1982, topping out at No. 74 on Billboard...
John from Nashville, TnThis song was co-written by Marvin Gaye.
Andre from The Bronx, NyWith the word-prefix phone number, you sure did not call the "Operator" (btw, that's a song by Brenda Holloway). All you did was use the first two letters (for this song it's "BE") and dial where the letters were indicated, for example, 2-ABC, 3-DEF, etc., just as the alphabet letters are still shown on phone buttons today! - Dre

A famous movie phone number with the word prefix is "Butterfield 8" starring Elizabeth Taylor just two years befoe The Marvelettes song.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Rebel YellBilly Idol

Billy Idol got the title for "Rebel Yell" from a brand of whiskey he saw members of The Rolling Stones drinking.

LaylaDerek & the Dominos

Eric Clapton wrote "Layla" about his love for Pattie Harrison, who was married to George Harrison at the time. He eventually married Pattie, and managed to stay friends with George.

Something In The AirThunderclap Newman

Pete Townshend never had a #1 UK hit with The Who or as a solo artist, but he did produce and play on a song that hit the top spot there: "Something In The Air" by Thunderclap Newman, a group he assembled.

Police Dog BluesHugh Laurie

Hugh Laurie, star of the TV show House, had a minor hit in 2011 with "Police Dog Blues," an old Blues song from 1929.

Bad, Bad Leroy BrownJim Croce

"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" is about a guy Jim Croce met in the National Guard, which Jim joined to keep him out of Vietnam. Leroy went AWOL, but got caught when he tried to pick up his paycheck.

Cotton Eye JoeRednex

"Cotton Eye Joe" is a folk song dating to the 1800s, but it became a hit when a Swedish act called Rednex did a psychokinetic version in 1994.