Oh! Carol
| "Oh! Carol" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Side A of U.S. single | ||||
| Single by Neil Sedaka | ||||
| from the album Neil Sedaka Sings Little Devil and His Other Hits | ||||
| B-side | "One Way Ticket (To the Blues)" | |||
| Released | September 1959 | |||
| Recorded | July 31, 1959[1] | |||
| Studio | RCA Victor Studio A, New York City[2] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:15 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Al Nevins | |||
| Neil Sedaka singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Oh! Carol" is an international hit written by American singer, songwriter and pianist Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield in early 1959, and recorded by Sedaka.
The song is noted for Sedaka's spoken recitation of the verse, the second time around. It was written explicitly as a sound-alike to other popular hit records of the era, after his previous single had sold so poorly that his record label threatened to drop him if his next record was not a hit.[3]
It spent 18 weeks on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, reaching #9 on December 6, 1959,[4] while reaching #3 on the UK's New Musical Express chart.[5] It also earned Sedaka his first #1 ranking when it went to #1 in the Netherlands and Wallonia.[6] After its release as a single, it was included in the 1961 album Neil Sedaka Sings Little Devil and His Other Hits.
On October 7, 1972, it entered the UK chart again at #49 and charted for 14 weeks, peaking at #19 on December 2, 1972.[7]
"Carol" was a reference to Carol Klein, Sedaka's ex-girlfriend from high school and a fellow songwriter at the Brill Building. She had since married Gerry Goffin, who took the tune, and wrote the playful response "Oh! Neil", which she recorded and released as an unsuccessful single the same year (1959) under the stage name Carole King.[8][9][10][11]
The B-side song, "One Way Ticket", also earned Sedaka a No. 1 ranking in Japan for several months in 1960.
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1959-1960) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Argentina | 1 |
| Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[6] | 2 |
| Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)[6] | 1 |
| Brazil | 1 |
| Canada (CHUM Hit Parade)[12] | 4 |
| France (IFOP)[13] | 34 |
| Italy[14] | 2 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] | 1 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[6] | 9 |
| UK (New Musical Express) | 3 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 9 |
| US Hot R&B Sides (Billboard)[16] | 27 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[17] | 5 |
| West Germany (GfK)[6] | 25 |
| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC)[7] | 14 |
Sales
[edit]| Region | Sales |
|---|---|
| Italy | 100,000[18] |
Other notable versions
[edit]- General Saint featuring Don Campbell had a minor UK hit in 1994 with their version of "Oh! Carol", peaking at No. 54. In Iceland, it became a top-40 hit, peaking at No. 36.[19][20]
References
[edit]- ^ (2001) The Very Best of Neil Sedaka by Neil Sedaka [CD booklet]. New York: BMG Entertainment 07863 69393–2.
- ^ (1961) Neil Sedaka Sings Little Devil and His Other Hits by Neil Sedaka [record jacket]. New York: RCA Victor LSP–2421.
- ^ "Today's Mini-Concert - 7/16/2020: Acknowledgements". YouTube. 16 July 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ Oh! Carol Chart History: Hot 100, Billboard.com. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- ^ Neil Sedaka - Full Official Chart History, Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Neil Sedaka - Oh! Carol, norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
- ^ a b "Official Singles Chart on 1/10/1972". Official Charts. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
- ^ Curt Schleier (7 June 2012). "Q&A: Neil Sedaka on Adele and Carole King – The Arty Semite – Forward.com". The Forward. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
- ^ "Carole King – Oh, Neil / A Very Special Boy (Vinyl) at Discogs". discogs.com. 1960. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ^ James E. Perone (2006). The words and music of Carole King. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-275-99027-5.
- ^ Michael Billig (1 June 2001). Rock 'n' Roll Jews. Syracuse University Press. p. 95. ISBN 9780815607052. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ^ CHUM Hit Parade, November 16, 1959
- ^ "InfoDisc : Accès direct à ces Artistes > Choisir Un Artiste Dans la Liste" (PHP) (in French). infodisc.fr. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ "Cash Box - International Best Sellers" (PDF). worldradiohistory.com. Cash Box. 23 January 1960. p. 46.
- ^ "Neil Sedaka – Oh! Carol" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- ^ Oh! Carol Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Billboard.com. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- ^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, December 19, 1959
- ^ Chris Barrett (January 10, 1960). "Cash Box - Italy" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 46. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
- ^ Official Charts: on songs by Don Campbell
- ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). July 14, 1994. p. 16. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
