To walk through the golden age of doo-wop is to eventually encounter a singular, haunting melody that defines the era: The Five Satinsā iconic ballad, āIn the Still of the Night.ā Recorded in the unlikely acoustics of a church basement in 1956, this soulful track has resonated through the decades as a permanent hallmark of love, nostalgia, and the kind of musical alchemy that simply cannot be manufactured. The story behind the song is as poignant as the lyrics themselves. In 1956, a 19-year-old Fred Parris found himself on guard duty with the U.S. Army in Philadelphia, physically present at his post but emotionally miles away. He was deeply lovesick for Marla, the woman he described as the āgirl of [his] dreams,ā who was then living in Connecticut. Parris, the visionary leader of the Five Satins who passed away in 2022 at the age of 85, had just spent a transformative weekend with Marla and found he could not shake the memory of it. āThere were other nights that we spent together,ā he reflected in a 2004 interview withĀ Smithsonian Magazine. āBut thereās only one first time.ā The inspiration struck with a sudden, driving force. āWhen I arrived at camp, I went straight to the day room. There was a piano there and I started playing the chord in my head and the words in my heart,ā Parris recalled. āBefore I realized it, it was time to go to guard duty. It was a cold, black night, and the stars were twinkling. The setting was very apropos for my feelings and emotions.ā
āThe Song Was Blessedā
The raw emotion Parris felt in the Philadelphia night was eventually captured in a recording session that has since become legendary. In 1956, the Five Satins gathered in the ice-cold basement of St. Bernadetteās Church in New Haven, Connecticut. Using just a couple of tape recorders, they laid down the hypnotic harmonies that would become acoustical magic.
Parris always believed the location played a role in the trackās enduring soul. āBecause we did it at the church,ā he told the radio showĀ Doo Wop RevivalĀ in 2013, āI think the song was blessed. And so was I⦠it lasted a long, long time.ā
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