The Teddy Bears were an American pop music group. They were record producer Phil Spector's first vocal group.[1]
History
Following graduation from Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, California, Phil Spector became obsessed with "To Know Him Is to Love Him", a song he had written for his group, the Teddy Bears. After a hasty audition at Era Records, which offered to finance a studio session, the Teddy Bears – Phil Spector, Marshall Leib, Harvey Goldstein (who left the group early on), lead singer Annette Kleinbard,[2] and last-minute recruit, drummerSandy Nelson – recorded the song at Gold Star Studios at a cost of $75. Released on Era's Dorélabel in August 1958, it took two months before "To Know Him Is to Love Him" began to get airplay. The title was inscribed on Spector's father's tombstone, as "To Know Him Was To Love Him".
It went on to become a global hit. The record stayed in the Billboard Hot 100 for 23 weeks, in the Top Ten for 11 of those weeks, and commanded the number 1 chart position for three weeks. It also reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart. It sold over two and a half million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.[3] At 19 years old, Spector had written, arranged, played, sung, and produced the best-selling record in the country.[2] Although subsequent releases by the Teddy Bears on the Imperial label were well-recorded soft pop, they did not sell, and within a year of the debut, Spector disbanded the group.[1] Their demise was hastened by Kleinbard being seriously injured in 1960 in a car accident.[1]
