Friday January 21, 2021 “It’s In His Kiss (The Shoop Shoop Song)” Cher
I was thinking that for today’s discussion relating to “It’s in His Kiss…” that perhaps a diagram would be useful to keep track of the many musical connections, but decided that you guys were definitely smart enough to follow along, so here goes, and it doesn’t start with Cher.
The maybe foolishly titled “The Shoop Shoop Song…” was written by Rudy Clark who would also compose “Good Lovin” a hit song for the Young Rascals as well as “Got My MInd Set on You” a song recorded by Beatle George Harrison, which I always assumed he had written. But nope, it was Rudy Clark’s song.
As for “It’s in His Kiss” the original version was done by Merry Clayton in 1963 but it did not chart. You will remember Merry Clayton from her amazing vocals on the Rolling Stones song “Gimme Shelter”...”war children it’s just a shot away…”
Ramona King from the doo wop group the Fairlanes was up next with pretty much the same lack of success as Merry Clayton and it wasn’t until Betty Everett recorded it in 1964 that the song finally clicked as a number one hit. It should be noted that Everett initially refused to record it feeling it was, in her own words “stupid”. What do singers know about hits?
Jumping ahead to the 1990 film Mermaids, the producers wanted to include “It’s in His Kiss…” sung by Cher who was one of the movie’s stars. They brought in producer Peter Asher who was the older brother of actress/model Jane Asher, who at that moment was Paul McCartney’s first longtime girlfriend.
“It’s in His Kiss” would be a top twenty US song and number one internationally for Cher and be included on the Mermaids soundtrack which contains a pack of original 60s hits like ”It’s My Party”, “Johnny Angel”, “Love is Strange” and the always amusing “If You Want to Be Happy”...’for the rest of your life, never make a petty woman your wife’.
Songwriter Rudy Clark probably did OK with his shoop shooping as it has also been recorded by The Searchers, The Hollies, Aretha Franklin, Lulu, Sandie Shaw, The Supremes, Kate Taylor (with backing vocals by her brother James), The Swinging Blue Jeans and so many others.
And since we are looking at the ‘kiss’ you should know that there is a patron saint of the kiss (well, of romance) St. Dwynwen. The story goes that Dwynwen was in love but displeased her boyfriend when she rejected his advances prior to their marriage. Dwynwen prayed for help and was given a potion which released her from her heartache but when the same potion was given to her suitor it turned him to ice. Dwynwen eventually became a nun and her suitor got unfrozen, having hopefully learned a lesson. I guess there’s a moral there.
Stay safe and well…and not sure how accurate that St. Dwywen story is but if it’s on the www so it has to be true, right?