A Taste of Honey (song)

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"A Taste of Honey"
Cover of the 1965 single
Single by Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass
from the album Whipped Cream and Other Delights
B-side"Third Man Theme"
ReleasedAugust 1965
RecordedMarch 10, 1965
StudioA&M Studios, Hollywood, California
Genre
Length2:43
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)Bobby Scott, Ric Marlow
Producer(s)Herb Alpert, Jerry Moss
Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass singles chronology
"Mae"
(1965)
"A Taste of Honey"
(1965)
"Tijuana Taxi"
(1965)

"A Taste of Honey" is a pop standard written by Bobby Scott and Ric Marlow. It was originally an instrumental track (or recurring theme) written for the 1960 Broadway version of the 1958 British play A Taste of Honey which was also made into the film of the same name in 1961. The original and a later recording by Herb Alpert in 1965 earned the song four Grammy Awards.

A vocal version of the song proved successful for Lenny Welch in mid-1962.

Instrumental versions[edit]

The original recorded versions of the song "A Taste of Honey", "A Taste of Honey (refrain)" and "A Taste of Honey (closing theme)", appeared on Bobby Scott's 1960 album, also titled A Taste of Honey, on Atlantic 1355. The composition won Best Instrumental Theme at the Grammy Awards of 1963.

Vocal versions[edit]

The first vocal version of "A Taste of Honey" was recorded in 1961 by Billy Dee Williams from his album Let's Misbehave.[4]

The Beatles[edit]

"A Taste of Honey"
Cover of the 1964 Germany single
Song by the Beatles
from the album Please Please Me
ReleasedMarch 22, 1963
RecordedFebruary 11, 1963
StudioEMI, London
GenrePop
Length2:01
LabelParlophone
Songwriter(s)Bobby Scott/Ric Marlow
Producer(s)George Martin

The Beatles performed Lenny Welch's adaptation as part of their repertoire in 1962,[5] slightly changing the lyrics in the chorus. Because the instrumental version by Acker Bilk was popular in the United Kingdom at the time, the song was chosen to be recorded for their 1963 debut album, Please Please Me. A version from that time was released in 1977 on the album Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962.

In the US, this song first appeared on the Vee-Jay Records album Introducing... The Beatles. They also performed "A Taste of Honey" seven times for BBC radio shows, including Here We Go, Side by Side, and Easy Beat.[6] In 1967, McCartney was inspired to compose “Your Mother Should Know” based on a line taken from the screenplay.[5]

Personnel[edit]

Engineered by Norman Smith[7]

The Supremes & Four Tops[edit]

"A Taste of Honey"
Cover of the 1971 Netherlands single
Song by The Supremes & Four Tops
from the album The Magnificent 7
Released1971
GenreR&B, soul
Length2:57
LabelTamla Motown
Songwriter(s)Bobby Scott/Ric Marlow
Producer(s)Clay McMurray, Duke Browner

Personnel[edit]

The Supremes
The Four Tops

Charts[edit]

The Supremes & Four Tops version[edit]

Chart (1971) Peak
position
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[8] 7

Other artists[edit]

  • In 1964 jazz singer Morgana King released a version which became her signature song.[9]
  • Tony Bennett reached #94 in the US with a vocal version for his album The Many Moods of Tony in 1964. His version of "A Taste of Honey" was recorded on September 11, 1963, accompanied by the Ralph Sharon Trio, and arranged by Dick Hyman.[10]
  • Allen Sherman recorded a parody version called A Waste of Money in 1968.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Molanphy, Chris (January 13, 2024). "And the Grammy Goes to... Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 19.
  3. ^ "RPM Play Sheet - November 15, 1965" (PDF).
  4. ^ Sarti, Doug (February 26, 2019). "Billy Dee Williams dishes on Fan Expo, the nature of coolness, and—yes—Star Wars Episode IX". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  5. ^ a b MacDonald, Ian (1998). Revolution in the Head. London: Pimlico. p. 231. ISBN 0-7126-6697-4.
  6. ^ "The Beatles Bible: A Taste Of Honey". March 14, 2008. Retrieved August 16, 2009.
  7. ^ A Taste Of Honey | The Beatles Bible
  8. ^ "The Supremes & Four Tops - A Taste Of Honey | Top 40". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  9. ^ Holden, Stephen (September 2, 1985). "JAZZ: MORGANA KING". The New York Times. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  10. ^ The Interactive Tony Bennett Discography
  • The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition, 1996