Today (December 7) is Pearl Harbor Day, the day the Japanese attacked U.S warships off the coast of Hawaii in 1941.
In addition to pulling the U.S. into a world war, the action unwittingly spawned thousands of songs created and sung by men and women who were shipped off to defend their respective countries.
In 1944, The Mills Brothers released their #1 R&B, standard version of “Till Then,” a tune written by Eddie Seiler, Sol Marcus, and Guy Wood, about a young man going off to war.
The track was a favorite of Doo-Wop groups through the years, with two great versions being released by Sonny Til & The Orioles and another in 1963 by The Classics.
The Orioles version was released during the early period of Doo-Wop, known as the early “Paleo-Doo-Wop” period from 1952-1954.
The Classics were an “Italio Doo-Wop” group from Brooklyn, New York. This version, released on the MusicCore Record label, is the defining version of this song.
Their version of “Till Then” was released during Doo-Wop’s “Neo-Doo-Wop” period, which was from 1960-1963, as Soul music was evolving.
The track hit #20 at it’s peak. The Classics never experienced another hit after this release.
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