Hushabye

Album: Doo Wop Collection (1959)
Charted: 20
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Songfacts®:

  • "Hushabye" was written by the familiar Brill/Broadway songwriting team of Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman. Originally, The Mystics were to receive "A Teenager In Love," however, that song went to Dion and The Belmonts instead. "Hushabye" was their consolation prize.
  • The Mystics were originally called The Overons, and consisted of lead singer Phil Cracolici, Albee Cracolici, George Galfo, Bob Ferrante, and Al Contrera. Band manager Jim Gribble had them choose a new name, so the band members wrote down names and put them in a hat, drawing out the new name at random. The Mystics, they became!
  • This song is better known by the Beach Boys cover in 1964, released on their album All Summer Long.
  • In Al Kooper's Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards, he explains what it was like to work with Mystics' manager Jim Gribble: "He was an imposing figure - a hefty 6 feet 4 inches, 250 pounds, and a slow, deliberate talker in the John Wayne tradition. In contrast to the authoritarian Leo Rogers attitude, he was incredibly patient and seemed to take a genuine interest in his musicians, though it was perfectly understood that his patience would be suitably rewarded if they happened to make it big."

Comments: 2

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn March 9th 1960, the Mystics performed "Hushabye"* on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
    Ten months earlier on May 25th, 1959 the song entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #81; and five weeks later on June 29th, 1959 it peaked at #20 {for 1 week} and spent 15 weeks on the Top 100...
    On the same 'Bandstand' show the Brooklyn quintet also performed their only other Top 100 record, "Don't Take the Stars", it entered the chart on October 19th, 1959 at #100, the following week it rose two positions to #98, and that was also its last week on the Top 100...
    Two slower covered versions of "Hushabye" made the Top 100 chart; Jay and the Americans {peaked at #62 in 1969 and #31 on the Adult Contemporary Tracks chart} and Robert John {reached #99 in 1972 and #70 in Canada}.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, Ny"Hushabye" peaked at No. 20 in 1959; their only other Top 100 record, "Don't Take The Stars", only peaked at No. 98, also in 1959!!!
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