St. Therese of the Roses
Encyclopedia
"St. Therese Of The Roses" is a 1956
popular song written by Remus Harris and Arthur Strauss. The song takes the form of a prayer
to St. Therese of the Roses (Saint Thérèse of Lisieux) by a man who is about to marry
asking the saint for her to send her blessings to himself and his sweetheart so they will have a happy and loving marriage.
A version performed by Billy Ward and His Dominoes was recorded on 18 April 1956 and issued in June of that year on the Decca
label (Catalogue No. 29933). In the United States
the song reached #27 on the Billboard Hot 100
in the summer of 1956.
In the United Kingdom
a version was recorded by the singer Malcolm Vaughan
and reached #3 on the Hit Parade
. Its success was helped following a controversy involving the BBC
when, in October 1956 Vaughan had been scheduled to appear on BBC TV's Off The Record
to promote the release of the song, but had the invitation withdrawn after a BBC committee decided that it was unsuitable for broadcast. The reason given was that "the lyric is contrary both to Roman Catholic doctrine and to Protestant sentiment." The resulting controversy coupled with airplay on Radio Luxembourg
ensured the record's success. As well as peaking at #3, it stayed in the charts for five months and ultimately sold half a million copies.
1956 in music
-Events:*January 26 – Buddy Holly's first recording sessions for Decca Records take place in Nashville, Tennessee*Roy Orbison signs with Sun Records*January 27 – Elvis Presley's single "Heartbreak Hotel" / "I Was the One" is released...
popular song written by Remus Harris and Arthur Strauss. The song takes the form of a prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
to St. Therese of the Roses (Saint Thérèse of Lisieux) by a man who is about to marry
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
asking the saint for her to send her blessings to himself and his sweetheart so they will have a happy and loving marriage.
A version performed by Billy Ward and His Dominoes was recorded on 18 April 1956 and issued in June of that year on the Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
label (Catalogue No. 29933). In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
the song reached #27 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in the summer of 1956.
In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
a version was recorded by the singer Malcolm Vaughan
Malcolm Vaughan
Malcolm Vaughan was a Welsh traditional pop music singer and actor. Known for his distinctive tenor voice, he had a number of chart hits in the United Kingdom during the 1950s.-Biography:...
and reached #3 on the Hit Parade
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. Its success was helped following a controversy involving the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
when, in October 1956 Vaughan had been scheduled to appear on BBC TV's Off The Record
Off the Record
"Off the record" is a term related to journalism sourcing; see Journalism sourcing#Using confidential information.Off the record may also refer to:- Music :* Off the Record , a 1977 album by Sweet...
to promote the release of the song, but had the invitation withdrawn after a BBC committee decided that it was unsuitable for broadcast. The reason given was that "the lyric is contrary both to Roman Catholic doctrine and to Protestant sentiment." The resulting controversy coupled with airplay on Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg (English)
Radio Luxembourg is a commercial broadcaster in many languages from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is nowadays known in most non-English languages as RTL ....
ensured the record's success. As well as peaking at #3, it stayed in the charts for five months and ultimately sold half a million copies.