The Birds and the Bees (Jewel Akens song)
Encyclopedia
"The Birds And The Bees" was a hit by Jewel Akens
in the spring of 1965, reaching #2 on the Cash Box singles chart and #3 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart: the single also reached #21 on the Billboard Black Singles chart
.
"The Birds and the Bees" was released on Era Records for whom Akens had already cut one single fronting doo-wop group the Turnarounds. Era's owner Herb Newman pitched "The Birds and the Bees" - a song written by his teenage son - to be the Turnarounds' next single. As Akens was the only group member to favor the song, he recorded it solo in 1964. Akens worked through four or five different arrangements of the song, considerably honing the work of Newman's son - the completed track would assign songwriting credit to "Barry Stuart".
In the United Kingdom
, Akens' "The Birds and the Bees" would best a cover version by Johnny Kidd
, which failed to rank in the Top 50. However, the Akens original only managed to achieve a #29 peak. "The Birds and the Bees" gave Akens a major hit in Australia (#3), Belgium (Flemish Region) (#6), the Netherlands (#3) and Norway (#4).
Alma Cogan
is often credited with a UK cover of "The Birds and the Bees": in fact her UK single of that name - #25 in 1956 - is a recording of "(The Same Thing Happens with) The Birds and the Bees
". However Cogan did cut a version of Akens's hit that was #1 in Sweden for three weeks in the summer of 1965, also reaching the Norwegian Top 5 (despite the recent success in Norway of the Akens original) and #8 in Denmark.
A 1966 single release by Rufus
& Carla
as "Birds and Bees", "The Birds and the Bees" has also been recorded by the Defenders, Jan Keizer
, Brenda Lee
, Gary Lewis & the Playboys
, Dean Martin
, Billy Preston
, Sha Na Na
and Spooky and Sue. An Italian language rendering of "The Birds and the Bees": "Sulla sabbia c’era lei", was recorded by Sonia e le Sorelle and was an entrant in the 1965 Cantagiro
festival; Nicola Salerno
wrote the lyrics which are independent of the English original, the title translating as "On the sand there was you". Also in 1965 Drafi Deutscher & His Magics recorded a German rendering of "The Birds and the Bees" entitled "Heute Male Ich Dein Bild [today I paint your image], Cindy Lou" which reached #3 in Germany and #5 in Austria. Rendered in Danish as "Blomster og bier" (flowers and bees) by Birthe Kjær
in 1974, "The Birds and the Bees" was rendered in Swedish as "Blommor och bin" (flowers and bees) (lyrics by Keith Almgren) recorded by Sten & Stanley on the album "Musik, dans & party 8" in 1993.
Jewel Akens
Jewel Akens is an American singer and record producer.-Biography:He first recorded with Eddie Daniels as Jewel and Eddie on the Silver Records label in 1960. A number of his recordings featured Eddie Cochran on guitar.He later went solo and recorded "The Birds And The Bees" in 1965, on the Era...
in the spring of 1965, reaching #2 on the Cash Box singles chart and #3 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...
chart: the single also reached #21 on the Billboard Black Singles chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
.
"The Birds and the Bees" was released on Era Records for whom Akens had already cut one single fronting doo-wop group the Turnarounds. Era's owner Herb Newman pitched "The Birds and the Bees" - a song written by his teenage son - to be the Turnarounds' next single. As Akens was the only group member to favor the song, he recorded it solo in 1964. Akens worked through four or five different arrangements of the song, considerably honing the work of Newman's son - the completed track would assign songwriting credit to "Barry Stuart".
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...
, Akens' "The Birds and the Bees" would best a cover version by Johnny Kidd
Johnny Kidd
Johnny Kidd, may refer to:*Johnny Kidd , singer best known as the vocalist for Johnny Kidd & The Pirates*Johnny Kidd , British pro wrestler-See also:*John Kidd...
, which failed to rank in the Top 50. However, the Akens original only managed to achieve a #29 peak. "The Birds and the Bees" gave Akens a major hit in Australia (#3), Belgium (Flemish Region) (#6), the Netherlands (#3) and Norway (#4).
Alma Cogan
Alma Cogan
Alma Cogan was an English singer of traditional pop music in the 1950s and early 1960s. Dubbed "The Girl With the Laugh/Giggle/Chuckle In Her Voice", she was the highest paid British female entertainer of her era...
is often credited with a UK cover of "The Birds and the Bees": in fact her UK single of that name - #25 in 1956 - is a recording of "(The Same Thing Happens with) The Birds and the Bees
(The Same Thing Happens With) The Birds and the Bees
" The Birds and the Bees" is a popular song, written by Harry Warren and Mack David and published in 1956...
". However Cogan did cut a version of Akens's hit that was #1 in Sweden for three weeks in the summer of 1965, also reaching the Norwegian Top 5 (despite the recent success in Norway of the Akens original) and #8 in Denmark.
A 1966 single release by Rufus
Rufus Thomas
Rufus Thomas, Jr. was an American rhythm and blues, funk and soul singer and comedian fromMemphis, Tennessee, who recorded on Sun Records in the...
& Carla
Carla Thomas
Carla Thomas is an American singer, who is often referred to as the Queen of Memphis Soul. She is the daughter of Rufus Thomas.-Childhood:...
as "Birds and Bees", "The Birds and the Bees" has also been recorded by the Defenders, Jan Keizer
Jan Keizer (singer)
Jan Keizer is a Dutch singer and composer. He was the male lead vocal of the disbanded Dutch popband BZN.-Career:...
, Brenda Lee
Brenda Lee
Brenda Mae Tarpley , known as Brenda Lee, is an American performer who sang rockabilly, pop and country music, and had 37 US chart hits during the 1960s, a number surpassed only by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Connie Francis...
, Gary Lewis & the Playboys
Gary Lewis & the Playboys
Gary Lewis & the Playboys were a 1960s rock group fronted by Gary Lewis, son of comedian Jerry Lewis. They are best known for their 1965 Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "This Diamond Ring."-Original members:* Gary Lewis - Drums and vocals...
, Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
, Billy Preston
Billy Preston
William Everett "Billy" Preston was a musician who gained notoriety and fame, first as a session musician for the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and The Beatles, and later finding fame as a solo artist with hits such as "Space Race", "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from...
, Sha Na Na
Sha Na Na
Sha Na Na is an American rock and roll group. The name is taken from a part of the long series of nonsense syllables in the doo-wop hit song "Get a Job", originally recorded in 1957 by the Silhouettes....
and Spooky and Sue. An Italian language rendering of "The Birds and the Bees": "Sulla sabbia c’era lei", was recorded by Sonia e le Sorelle and was an entrant in the 1965 Cantagiro
Cantagiro
Cantagiro was an Italian summer festival held from 1962 to 1972 and 1990 to 1993. It had three categories, A for famous artists, B for newcomers and C for groups. The "Father" of the competition was Ezio Radaelli.- Cantagiro :-Nuovo Cantagiro:...
festival; Nicola Salerno
Nicola Salerno
Nicola Salerno, also known as Nisa was an Italian lyricist. He formed a famous songwriting duo with Renato Carosone.-Career:Nicola Salerno was born in Naples....
wrote the lyrics which are independent of the English original, the title translating as "On the sand there was you". Also in 1965 Drafi Deutscher & His Magics recorded a German rendering of "The Birds and the Bees" entitled "Heute Male Ich Dein Bild [today I paint your image], Cindy Lou" which reached #3 in Germany and #5 in Austria. Rendered in Danish as "Blomster og bier" (flowers and bees) by Birthe Kjær
Birthe Kjær
Birthe Kjær is a Danish singer who began her career in the late 1960s. Kjær had made previous bids to represent Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1980, 1986 and 1987, before being chosen in 1989 with the cabaret-style song "Vi maler byen rød"...
in 1974, "The Birds and the Bees" was rendered in Swedish as "Blommor och bin" (flowers and bees) (lyrics by Keith Almgren) recorded by Sten & Stanley on the album "Musik, dans & party 8" in 1993.
- By a tragic coincidence Johnny Kidd and Alma Cogan, both UK vocalists who covered "The Birds and the Bees," died in the same month: October of 1966.