"Baby, It's Cold Outside" and the Training Wheels Factor (side 1, track 5)

Side 1, track 5


Marcie spends all of her evenings at home, waiting for the phone to ring.  Which results in this note from a friend.

"Bobby's Girl" by one-hit wonder Marcie Blane debuted at #87 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending October 20, 1962  It spent 16 weeks on the chart, 8 of them in the top 10, peaking at #3 for 4 weeks.

The song was written by Hank Hoffman and Gary Klein. 

Related reading:
How ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ Went From Parlor Act to Problematic.  (The New York Times, 12/13/2018)

“Baby, It’s Cold Outside” had humble origins. The composer Frank Loesser, known for “Guys and Dolls” and other Broadway hits, wrote it in 1944 for himself and his wife Lynn Loesser to perform for friends in their living rooms. 

On their original score, the parts were labeled “Wolf” and “Mouse.” But the couple performed it as a flirtatious song, said their daughter, Susan Loesser, 74. “In those days, in the entertainment business, you had to bring an act to parties,” she added. “This was their act.” 

In an unfinished memoir, her mother recalled performing the song at one such party. “Well, the room just fell apart,” Lynn wrote. “We had to do it over and over again and we became instant parlor room stars. We got invited to all the best parties for years on the basis of ‘Baby.’ It was our ticket to caviar and truffles.”

Side 1, track 4


What Joanie wants in addition to Johnny getting angry:

1. for Johnny to get mad
2. the biggest lecture ever
3. a brave man
4. a cave man

The songwriting credit goes to Hal David -- yes, THAT Hal David -- and Sherman Edwards, who is best known for the muscial 1776.

"Johnny Get Angry" by Joanie Sommers debuted at #95 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending May 26, 1962,  It spent 14 weeks on the chart, 2 weeks in the top 10, peaking at #7.

Side 1, track 3


Lyrics word count (267 total)

• him (30)
• follow (27)
• love (26)

And yet the songwriting credit goes to 5 guys, due to some French influence:

1.  Norman Gimbel ("Killing Me Softly", "The Girl from Ipanema")
2.  Arthur Altman ("All or Nothing At All", "All Alone Am I:")
3.  Jacques Plante 
4.  Del Roma (Paul Mauriat pseudonym; "Love is Blue")
5.  J. W. Stole (Frank Pourcel pseudonym)

"I Will Follow Him" ,  by one-hit wonder Little Peggy March, debuted at #90 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending March 23, 1963.  It spent 14 weeks on the chart, 8 of them in the top 10, peaking at #1 for 3 weeks.

Side 1, track 2


The elements of Vikki's personal pep talk:

1. What's done is done.
2. Don't be a fool.
3. Play the field.
4. Have fun.
5. Don't be a chump.
6. Let him stay away.

[sigh]  Good intention gone awry.

Life's not worth living when it not him on the phone.

"It Must Be Him", Vikki Carr's only top 10 hit, debuted at #80 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending September 2, 1967.  It spent 15 weeks on the chart, 6 of them in the top 10, peaking at #3 for 2 weeks.

Full disclosure:  Vikki Carr's emotionally delivered vocal make this song a guilty pleasure.

Side 1, track 1


"Make it your reason for living."

The lyrics also provide advice as to how determine his mood when he returns home from work.  Or wherever.

"For the Love of Him" by Bobbi Martin debuted at #93 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending March 14, 1970.  It spent 14 weeks on the chart, half of them in the top 20, peaking at #13 for 2 weeks.  It went to #1 on Billboard's "adult contemporary" chart.