Gene Chandler - The Duke of Earl | FIRST TIME REACTION

[@rafehr1378]

I am 74. Thank you so much for this classic

[@PatrickChachulski]

This song never goes out of style! You should see a performance by this gentleman! As you probably can imagine from his pictures, he's quite theatrical!

[@revaflowers3115]

Earworm time. This was one of the favorite songs to sing when I was a kid.

[@katfinn9352]

This was yet again another HUGE hit.

[@memorylane7068]

Probably my favorite song from 1962!

[@mikecaetano]

Classic! "Duke of Earl" was a number one hit for Gene Chandler in 1962. The chorus of the song totally slays. Dig how the tempo slows a step enough to suspend time as part of the build up to the big payoff in the chorus right before the turnaround. Listen for it in the snare drum hits. Even though the song hit the charts some years before my time, it's total comfort music for me. "Duke Of Earl" is Chandler's most well known song, but also check out "You Can't Hurt Me No More".

[@KneeJerkReactions13]

Wicked vocals and harmonies!

[@teresacartwright5406]

The song is iconic and one of my very favourite doo-wop songs. Gene Chandler is still alive - I last saw him on a PBS special,, singing this & sounding terrific!

[@SK-lk3iu]

When I was a kid, I thought this song was kind of silly, because of the "Duke....duke....duke..." part. Now I realize how awesome the singing & beat is.

[@tomgribbin9531]

You need to see the video of Gene Chandler performing this in his cape.

[@mickeyhank]

I liked this so much back then I bought the 45 single of it in about 1972! Glad you liked it, Ace.

[@SG-js2qn]

It's often the case that musicians, when they goof off or improvise during warm ups, they come up with something that finds its way into a song. In this case, "do-do-do" during warmups became the nonsense line "duke of earl," and then ... they wrote a "Duke of Earl" song.

[@mikecaetano]

Yes. If I recall correctly, one of the member of the band was named Earl and he was prone to slacking off and showing up late to rehearsals and the other members of the group were ribbing him for his tardiness one day when they came up with the initial line. I imagine the exchange went something like, "Earl, why do you always show up late? Do you think you're an aristocrat or something?" Whereby Earl would respond, "Yes, I'm the duke! The Duke of Earl!" and so on.

[@memorylane7068]

Duke and Earl are both British Royal titles, and Duke of Earl is a play on words.

[@IAMisLove]

👍An extremely cool and awesome performance. 🔥🔥🔥 🖖❤

[@johammerstein3605]

Groovy Situation was a big hit for him in 1970.

[@gpxo11]

One of my favorites from the Summer of 1970-sends me back. I also like his The Girl Don't Care although it only reached #40 on the charts in 1967.

[@BridgetBailey47]

Yes! Love that one!

[@scottmeeks662]

King Ralph

[@gpxo11]

Duke of Earl-he's a duke of a fiefdom or land in the province of Earl-like the Duke of Canterbury.

[@johnraymondponce7783]

Check out his other song Rainbow '65

[@trishriley9681]

❤

[@DanielDNowak]

By the way: It's not "due wop", but "doo wop", pronounced like "do".

[@BridgetBailey47]

❤❤❤

[@trudywolfe2795]

There is no good music anymore. Not like this classic. ❤❤

[@rodney-m7g]

Some of the embarrassingly bad music of the era