Under the Boardwalk

1964 single by the Drifters

For other uses, see Under the Boardwalk (disambiguation).

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"Under the Boardwalk"

Single by The Drifters
B-side| "I Don't Want to Go On Without You"
Released| June 1964
Recorded| May 21, 1964
Studio| Atlantic (New York City)
Genre| Pop-soul[1]
Length| 2:45
Label| Atlantic
Songwriter(s)| Kenny Young, Arthur Resnick
Producer(s)| Bert Berns
The Drifters singles chronology
| "One Way Love"
(1964)  | "Under the Boardwalk"
(1964)  | "I've Got Sand in My Shoes"
(1964)

|
|

"Under the Boardwalk" is a pop song written by Kenny Young and Arthur Resnick and recorded by The Drifters in 1964. It charted at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on August 22, 1964.[2] The song has since been covered by many other artists, with versions by Bette Midler, Sam & Dave, Tom Tom Club, The Rolling Stones, Billy Joe Royal, The Beach Boys, Bruce Willis, Bad Boys Blue, John Mellencamp and Lynn Anderson all charting in the United States or overseas. The song ranked number 487 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004 and number 489 in 2010.

## Premise

[edit]

The lyric describes a tryst between a man and his beloved in a seaside town, who plan to privately meet "out of the sun" and out of sight from everyone else under a boardwalk. The instrumentation includes güiro, triangle and violins. The song's chorus switches from a major to minor key.[3] The opening line of the song references The Drifters' prior hit "Up on the Roof." Also, the violins play the riff of "Up on the Roof" before the chorus.

## History

[edit]

The song was set to be recorded on May 21, 1964, but the Drifters' lead singer, Rudy Lewis, died of a suspected heroin overdose the night before. Lewis had sung lead on most of their hits since the 1960 departure of Ben E. King, including "Up on the Roof". Rather than reschedule the studio session, the lead on "Under the Boardwalk" was given to the group's other lead vocalist, Johnny Moore, who had returned to the group in April 1963. The personnel on that recording included Ernie Hayes on piano, Everett Barksdale, Bill Suyker and Bob Bushnell on guitar, Milt Hinton on bass, Gary Chester on drums and George Devens on percussion.[4] The arranger was Teacho Wiltshire.[5] The last-minute move was a success, as the single, released on Atlantic Records, went to number four on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and number one for three non-consecutive weeks on Cashbox magazine's R&B chart.[6]

In 2014, this recording of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[7]

## Cover versions

[edit]

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|

"Under the Boardwalk"

Single by the Rolling Stones
from the album  12 × 5 (US) and The Rolling Stones No. 2 (UK)
B-side| "Walking the Dog"
Released| January 1965 (AUS)
Recorded| 1964
Genre| Rock and roll, rhythm and blues
Length| 2:48
Label| Decca
Songwriter(s)| Kenny Young, Arthur Resnick
Producer(s)| Andrew Loog Oldham
The Rolling Stones singles chronology
| "Route 66"
(1965)  | "Under the Boardwalk"
(1965)  | "The Last Time"
(1965)

|
|

"Under the Boardwalk"

Single by Tom Tom Club
from the album  Tom Tom Club
Released| 1982
Length| 3:03
Label| Island
Songwriter(s)| Kenny Young, Arthur Resnick
Producer(s)| Steve Stanley, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz
Tom Tom Club singles chronology
| "Genius of Love"
(1981)  | "Under the Boardwalk"
(1982)  | "The Man with the Four Way Hips"
(1983)

|
|

"Under the Boardwalk"

Single by Bruce Willis
from the album  The Return of Bruno
Released| May 1987
Length| 3:03
Label| Motown
Songwriter(s)| Kenny Young, Arthur Resnick
Producer(s)| Robert Kraft
Bruce Willis singles chronology
| "Respect Yourself"
(1987)  | "Under the Boardwalk"
(1987)  | "Secret Agent Man"
(1987)

|
|

"Under the Boardwalk"

Single by Lynn Anderson
from the album  What She Does Best
B-side| "Turn the Page"
Released| July 1988 (1988-07)
Genre|

* Country
* country pop[8]

Length| 4:19
Label| Mercury
Songwriter(s)| Kenny Young, Arthur Resnick
Producer(s)| Michael Clark, Jerry Kennedy, Nelson Larkin
Lynn Anderson singles chronology
| "Read Between the Lines"
(1987)  | "Under the Boardwalk"
(1988)  | "What He Does Best"
(1988)

|
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A cover of this song by the Rolling Stones was released the same year as the original version. Their version was released as a single only in Australia, South Africa and Rhodesia, and peaked at No. 1 in the first two (the song was the band's first No. 1 hit in Australia) and at No. 2 in Rhodesia. It appeared on their albums 12 × 5 and The Rolling Stones No. 2. In 2007, it was included on the album Rhythms del Mundo Classics.

In 1966, Los Apson released a Spanish-language version titled "Fue en un Café" on their album No Hay Amor, which was a hit in Latin America, reaching the top 5 in Mexico.[9][10][11][12]

"Under the Boardwalk" has since been covered by many artists, including the Northern Irish punk rock band The Undertones (on their 1980 album Hypnotised),[13] Bette Midler on the 1988 Beaches soundtrack (number 26 in Australia), and the Tom Tom Club on their self-titled album (whose version reached number 22 on the UK Singles Chart in 1982, becoming the first version of the song to chart in Britain). Versions by Billy Joe Royal in 1978, Bruce Willis on his 1987 album The Return of Bruno (a number 2 success in the UK), and Lynn Anderson on her 1988 album What She Does Best (number 24 on the Country chart) all reached the Billboard charts. Rickie Lee Jones also covered the song for her 1983 EP Girl at Her Volcano.

John Mellencamp released the track as the B-side of his single "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.". In Australia, the single effectively became a double-A side when the B-side "Under the Boardwalk" received significant airplay and both tracks were listed together on the singles chart, reaching number 18.[14] The track also reached number 19 on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart.

## Chart history

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

The Drifters version

| Chart (1964)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (Kent Music Report)[15] | 7
Canada RPM Top Singles[16] | 5
New Zealand (Lever)[17] | 6
UK Singles Chart (OCC)  | 45
US Billboard Hot 100[18] | 4
US Cash Box Top 100[19] | 5
US Cash Box R&B | 1

### Year-end charts

[edit]

| Chart (1964)  | Rank

|

US Billboard Hot 100[20] | 20
US Cash Box[21] | 21

The Rolling Stones version

Chart (1965)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (Kent Music Report)  | 1
South Africa  | 1
Rhodesia  | 2

Billy Joe Royal version

Chart (1978)  | Peak
position

|

US Billboard Hot 100 | 82

Tom Tom Club version

| Chart (1982)  | Peak
position

|

Austria  | 6
Belgium  | 3
Ireland (IRMA)[22] | 17
Italy  | 42
Netherlands  | 9
New Zealand (RIANZ)  | 3
UK Singles Chart (OCC)  | 22
US Billboard Dance Club Songs | 31

John Mellencamp version

Chart (1985)  | Peak
position

|

Australia  | 18
US Billboard Mainstream Rock | 19

Bruce Willis version

| Chart (1987)  | Peak
position

|

UK Singles Chart (OCC)  | 2
US Billboard Adult Contemporary | 20
US Billboard Hot 100 | 59

Lynn Anderson version

Chart (1988)  | Peak
position

|

US Billboard Hot Country Songs | 24

Bette Midler version

Chart (1989)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (ARIA)[23] | 26

## See also

[edit]

* 1964 in music

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Billboard Staff (October 19, 2023). "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2024. "Singer Johnny Moore effortlessly stretching to reach the high notes in the final chorus lifts this playful, superbly crafted soul-pop classic to a higher dimension."
2. ^ "Billboard Hot 100™". Billboard.
3. ^ Allmusic entry by Richie Unterberger
4. ^ Gammond, Peter (1991). The Oxford Companion to Popular Music. Oxford University Press, New York. p. 165.
5. ^ Peter Grendysa and Robert Pruter, Atlantic Rhythm and Blues 1947-1974 booklet notes (CD edition), Atlantic Records, 1991
6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 173.
7. ^ "GRAMMY Hall Of Fame | Hall of Fame Artists | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com.
8. ^ "What She Does Best: Lynn Anderson: Songs, Reviews, Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
9. ^ "Mexico", Cash Box. August 27, 1966. p. 77. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
10. ^ Martinez, Armando. "Mexico Single Hit Parade", Record World. August 5, 1967. p. 43. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
11. ^ Ruiz, Ivhan A. "Nicaragua Single Hit Parade", Record World. March 9, 1968. p. 39. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
12. ^ "Hits of the World", Billboard. August 26, 1967. p. 57. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
13. ^ "The Undertones - Hypnotised | Releases | Discogs". Discogs.
14. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
15. ^ "Forum - 1964 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
16. ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. August 11, 1964. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
17. ^ "flavour of new zealand - search lever". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
18. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 \- ISBN 0-89820-089-X
19. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 9/05/64". Tropicalglen.com. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
20. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1964/Top 100 Songs of 1964". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
21. ^ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 26, 1964". Archived from the original on June 1, 2015. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
22. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Under the Boardwalk". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
23. ^ "Bette Midler – Under the Boardwalk". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved November 7, 2018.

* v
* t
* e

Bette Midler

* Discography
* Songs
* Awards and nominations

Studio albums|

* The Divine Miss M
* Bette Midler
* Songs for the New Depression
* Broken Blossom
* Thighs and Whispers
* No Frills
* Some People's Lives
* Bette of Roses
* Bathhouse Betty
* Bette
* Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook
* Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook
* Cool Yule
* It's the Girls!

Soundtracks|

* The Rose
* Beaches
* For the Boys
* Gypsy

Live albums|

* Live at Last
* Divine Madness
* Mud Will Be Flung Tonight

Compilations|

* The Best of Bette
* The Best of Bette (II)
* Just Hits
* Experience the Divine: Greatest Hits
* (Jackpot!) The Best Bette
* Memories of You
* A Gift of Love

Video albums|

* Divine Madness
* The Bette Midler Show
* Diva Las Vegas
* The Showgirl Must Go On

Singles|

* "Do You Want to Dance?"
* "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"
* "Friends"
* "In the Mood"
* "Strangers in the Night"
* "Old Cape Cod"
* "Buckets of Rain"
* "Married Men"
* "Hang On in There Baby"
* "You're Movin' Out Today"
* "Storybook Children (Daybreak)"
* "Big Noise from Winnetka"
* "When a Man Loves a Woman"
* "The Rose"
* "My Mother's Eyes"
* "Chapel of Love"
* "All I Need to Know"
* "Favorite Waste of Time"
* "Beast of Burden"
* "Under the Boardwalk"
* "Wind Beneath My Wings"
* "From a Distance"
* "Night and Day"
* "In My Life"
* "To Deserve You"
* "In This Life"
* "You Don't Own Me"
* "My One True Friend"
* "I'm Beautiful"
* "White Christmas"
* "Fever"
* "Be My Baby"

Concerts and tours|

* Diva Las Vegas
* Kiss My Brass
* The Showgirl Must Go On
* Divine Intervention Tour

Books|

* The Saga of Baby Divine

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Billy Joe Royal

Studio albums|

* Down in the Boondocks
* Cherry Hill Park
* Looking Ahead
* The Royal Treatment
* Tell It Like It Is
* Out of the Shadows

Other albums|

* Greatest Hits

Singles|

* "Down in the Boondocks"
* "I Knew You When"
* "I've Got to Be Somebody"
* "Yo-Yo"
* "Hush"
* "Cherry Hill Park"
* "Every Night"
* "Under the Boardwalk"
* "Burned Like a Rocket"
* "I Miss You Already"
* "Old Bridges Burn Slow"
* "I'll Pin a Note on Your Pillow"
* "Out of Sight and on My Mind"
* "It Keeps Right On Hurtin'"
* "Tell It Like It Is"
* "Love Has No Right"
* "Till I Can't Take It Anymore"
* "Searchin' for Some Kind of Clue"

B-Sides|

* "Oh, What a Night"

Cover Songs|

* "Amanda"
* "Bring It On Home to Me"
* "Crying"
* "Funny How Time Slips Away"
* "I'm Sorry"
* "Kiss and Say Goodbye"
* "Making Believe"
* "Save the Last Dance for Me"
* "Solitary Man"
* "Spanish Harlem"
* "Stand by Me"
* "To Love Somebody"

Related articles|

* Discography

* v
* t
* e

The Drifters

* Clyde McPhatter
* Gerhart Thrasher
* Andrew Thrasher
* Bill Pinkney
* Willie Ferbee
* Walter Adams
* Ben E. King
* Doc Green
* Beary Hobbs
* Rudy Lewis
* Charlie Thomas
* Tommy Evans
* Eugene Pearson
* Johnny Terry
* Johnny Moore
* Bobby Hendricks
* Rudy Ivan
* Jimmy Lewis
* Ray Lewis
* Louis Price
* Maurice Cannon
* Prentiss McNeil

Compilation albums|

* The Drifters' Golden Hits

Songs|

* "Adorable"
* "At the Club"
* "Dance with Me"
* "Drip Drop"
* "Honey Love"
* "I Count the Tears"
* "I Don't Want to Go On Without You"
* "I Gotta Get Myself a Woman"
* "(If You Cry) True Love, True Love"
* "Kissin' in the Back Row of the Movies"
* "Like Sister and Brother"
* "Lonely Winds"
* "Lucille"
* "Money Honey"
* "On Broadway"
* "Please Stay"
* "Saturday Night at the Movies"
* "Save the Last Dance for Me"
* "Some Kind of Wonderful"
* "Steamboat"
* "Sweets for My Sweet"
* "There Goes My Baby"
* "This Magic Moment"
* "Treasure of Love"
* "Under the Boardwalk"
* "Up on the Roof"
* "Vaya con Dios"
* "What'cha Gonna Do"
* "When My Little Girl Is Smiling"

* Discography
* Category:The Drifters

* v
* t
* e

Lynn Anderson singles

* Albums
* Singles

1960s|

* "Ride, Ride, Ride"
* "If I Kiss You (Will You Go Away)"
* "Too Much of You"
* "Promises, Promises"
* "Mother, May I" (with Liz Anderson)
* "No Another Time"
* "Big Girls Don't Cry"
* "Flattery Will Get You Everywhere"
* "Our House Is Not a Home (For It's Never Been Loved In)"
* "That's a No No"
* "He'd Still Love Me"

1970s|

* "I've Been Everywhere"
* "Stay There, Till I Get There"
* "Rocky Top"
* "No Love at All"
* "I'm Alright"
* "Rose Garden"
* "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels"
* "You're My Man"
* "How Can I Unlove You"
* "Cry"
* "Listen to a Country Song"
* "Fool Me"
* "Keep Me in Mind"
* "Top of the World"
* "Sing About Love"
* "Smile for Me"
* "Talkin' to the Wall"
* "What a Man My Man Is"
* "He Turns It into Love Again"
* "I've Never Loved Anyone More"
* "Paradise"
* "All the King's Horses"
* "Sweet Talkin' Man"
* "Wrap Your Love All Around Your Man"
* "I Love What Love Is Doing to Me"
* "He Ain't You"
* "We Got Love"
* "Rising Above It All"
* "Isn't It Always Love"
* "I Love How You Love Me"
* "Sea of Heartbreak"

1980s|

* "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues"
* "Blue Baby Blue"
* "Midnight Train to Georgia"
* "What I Learned from Loving You"
* "You're Welcome to Tonight"
* "Read Between the Lines"
* "Under the Boardwalk"

* v
* t
* e

Tom Tom Club

* Chris Frantz
* Tina Weymouth
* Bruce Martin
* Victoria Clamp
* Pablo Martin

* Adrian Belew
* Monte Browne
* Tyrone Downie
* Mark Roule
* Gary Pozner
* Steve Scales
* Steven Stanley
* Alex Weir
* Mystic Bowie
* Laura Weymouth
* Charles Pettigrew
* Wally Badarou

Albums|

* Tom Tom Club (1981)
* Close to the Bone (1983)
* Boom Boom Chi Boom Boom (1988)
* Dark Sneak Love Action (1992)
* The Good, the Bad, and the Funky (2000)
* Downtown Rockers (2012)

Singles|

* "Wordy Rappinghood" (1981)
* "Genius of Love" (1981)
* "Under the Boardwalk" (1982)
* "You Sexy Thing" (1992)
* "Love to Love You Baby" (2000)

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Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

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