Spanish Harlem ( song ) - wikipedia Spanish Harlem ( song ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( August 2014 ) `` Spanish Harlem '' Single by Ben E. King from the album Spanish Harlem B - side `` First Taste of Love '' Released December 1960 Format 7 '' Genre Soul Length 2 : 53 Label Atco Records Songwriter ( s ) Jerry Leiber, Phil Spector Producer ( s ) Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller Ben E. King singles chronology `` How Often '' ( 1960 ) `` Spanish Harlem '' ( 1960 ) `` Stand By Me '' ( 1961 ) `` How Often '' ( 1960 ) `` Spanish Harlem '' ( 1960 ) `` Stand By Me '' ( 1961 ) `` Spanish Harlem '' is a song released by Ben E. King in 1960 on Atco Records, written by Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector, and produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. During a 1968 interview, Leiber credited Stoller with the arrangement ; similarly, in a 2009 radio interview with Leiber and Stoller on the Bob Edwards Weekend talk show, Jerry Leiber said that Stoller, while uncredited, had written the key instrumental introduction to the record. In the team 's autobiography from the same year, Hound Dog, Stoller himself remarks that he had created this `` fill '' while doing a piano accompaniment when the song was presented to Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler at Atlantic Records, with Spector playing guitar and Leiber doing the vocal. `` Since then, I 've never heard the song played without that musical figure. I presumed my contribution was seminal to the composition, but I also knew that Phil did n't want to share credit with anyone but Jerry, so I kept quiet. '' It was originally released as the B - side to `` First Taste of Love ''. The song was King 's first hit away from The Drifters, a group he had led for several years. With an arrangement by Stan Applebaum featuring Spanish guitar, marimba, drum - beats, soprano saxophone, strings, and a male chorus, it climbed the Billboard charts, eventually peaking at # 15 R&B and # 10 Pop. It was ranked # 358 on Rolling Stone 's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. King 's version was not a hit in the UK : instead, the original A-side, `` First Taste of Love '', that was played on Radio Luxembourg, charting at # 27. In 1987, after Stand By Me made # 1, the song was re-released and charted at # 92. Contents 1 Cover versions 2 In media 3 References 4 External links Cover versions Jay and the Americans released a cover version of the song on their 1962 album, She Cried. Mike Stoller, alongside with Andre Salvet, wrote french lirycs in 1960. With help of Lucien Morisse, song was presented to Dalida. She recorded it as Nuits d'Espagne and released it in 1961. Jimmy Justice ( UK number 20, 1962 ) Cliff Richard released a version on the 1962 album 32 Minutes and 17 Seconds. He also recorded a German version, titled `` Das ist die Frage aller Fragen '', with lyrics by Carl Ulrich Blecher, that was a # 1 hit in Germany and Austria in 1963, and a # 1 hit in Switzerland in 1965. Herb Alpert 's Tijuana Brass on the album Volume 2 in 1963 Percy Faith in 1965 The Mamas & The Papas released a cover version on their 1966 album If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears. Trini Lopez recorded a version in Spanish as `` Aquella Rosa '' on his 1966 LP, The Second Latin Album, issued by Reprise Records ( 6215 ). Slim Smith released a cover version in 1968. Chet Atkins in 1969 Long John Baldry released a cover version on his 1969 cover album, Wait for Me. It was later included on the 2006 posthumous release Let The Heartaches Begin : The Pye Anthology. Checkmates, Ltd. released a version of the song as the B - side to their 1969 single, `` Proud Mary ''. It was featured on their 1969 album, Love Is All We Have to Give. Andy Williams released a version in 1970 on his album, The Andy Williams Show. Laura Nyro covered `` Spanish Harlem '' in her live concert, at the Fillmore East, released in 2004 on the CD Spread Your Wings and Fly : Live at the Fillmore East May 30, 1971. On November 17, 1971, Nyro released a studio version on the album Gonna Take a Miracle. Her covers gender - shift some of the lyrics of `` Spanish Harlem ''. Thus, she sang `` I 'm goin ' to pick that rose and watch him as he grows in my garden '' ( originally `` watch her as she grows '' ). She also added an original gender reference, i.e. `` With eyes as black as coal he looks down in my soul. '' ( The original lyric is `` with eyes as black as coal that look down in my soul. '' ) The live version also substitutes `` rare rose up '' for `` red rose up '' in the second refrain. Aretha Franklin released a cover version of the song in the middle of 1971 that outperformed the original on the charts, charting # 1 R&B for three weeks and # 2 Pop for two weeks. Aretha Franklin 's version earned a gold single for sales of over one million. Dr. John played keyboards on Franklin 's version with Bernard `` Pretty '' Purdie on drums and Chuck Rainey on bass. This version hit # 6 on Billboard 's Easy Listening chart. Franklin also changed the lyrics slightly, from `` A red rose up in Spanish Harlem '' to `` There 's a rose in Black ' n Spanish Harlem. A rose in Black ' n Spanish Harlem. '' Leon Russell in 1974 The song was performed live by Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band in 1974, featuring Suki Lahav on the violin. Only 3 recordings are known to exist. Led Zeppelin covered the song, at least in part, in a live recording of `` Dazed and Confused ''. An example of this appears on the Led Zeppelin bootleg Get Back to L.A., a recording of their Los Angeles concert of March 25, 1975. A Macedonian version, `` Spanski Noki '', with lyrics by Gjoko Georgiev and re-edition by Milan Kotlic, was recorded by Nina Spirova in the 1970s. There are also versions in French, Swedish, and Finnish. Neil Diamond in 1993 Rebecca Pidgeon 's 1994 version was used over the closing credits of the film Phil Spector ( 2013 ). Janet Seidel in 1999 Kenny Rankin in 2002 Willy DeVille in 2003 Bowling for Soup in 2005 Phil Spector recorded a version of the song, which can be found on the compilation album The Phil Spector Collection, released in 2006. American composer and producer Kramer covered the song and included it on his sixth album The Brill Building, released in 2012 through Tzadik Records. The song has also been covered by The Cats, Geoff Love, Paolo Nutini. and Billy Joe Royal In media The song is referred to in the 1972 Elton John song, `` Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters '' on the Honky Château album. The lyrics, written by Bernie Taupin, begin with `` And now I know, Spanish Harlem are not just pretty words to say... now I know that rose trees never grow in New York City. '' The speaker is saying that the song `` Spanish Harlem '' had given him a romanticized image of the city, but now that he has seen it for himself, he refers to it as a `` trash - can dream come true. '' In turn, Rob Thomas stated in interviews that Elton 's song inspired the line, `` my Spanish Harlem Mona Lisa '', in the 1999 Santana song Smooth, which Thomas wrote and sang. The song was included in the musical revue `` Smokey Joe 's Cafe ''. References ^ Jump up to : Gilliland, John ( 1969 ). `` Show 14 - Big Rock Candy Mountain : Rock ' n ' roll in the late fifties. ( Part 4 ) : UNT Digital Library '' ( audio ). Pop Chronicles. Digital.library.unt.edu. Retrieved 2011 - 04 - 30. Jump up ^ Billboard. Books.google.com. 1960 - 11 - 21. p. 53. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 26. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). Top R&B / Hip - Hop Singles : 1942 - 2004. Record Research. p. 325. Jump up ^ `` Rolling Stone 's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time ''. Rolling Stone. April 7, 2011. Retrieved October 1, 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` The Official Charts Company - Spanish Harlem ( song ) ''. The Official Charts Company. 3 May 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Cover versions of Spanish Harlem written by Jerry Leiber, Phil Spector ''. SecondHandSongs. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 26. Jump up ^ Checkmates, Ltd., `` Proud Mary '' single release Retrieved January 26, 2016. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). Top R&B / Hip - Hop Singles : 1942 - 2004. Record Research. p. 215. Jump up ^ Warner, Jennifer ( September 24, 2014 ). Respect : The Life and Times of Aretha Franklin. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. p. 31. ISBN 978 - 1502500007. Retrieved 18 May 2015. Jump up ^ `` Phil Spector / Various - The Phil Spector Collection ''. Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Kramer : The Brill Building > Review ''. Allmusic. Retrieved July 17, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Paolo Nutini - Last Request @ Webster Hall June 12, 2014 ''. YouTube. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 26. Jump up ^ Billy Joe Royal, `` Spanish Harlem '' Retrieved September 23, 2012. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Preceded by `` Mercy Mercy Me ( The Ecology ) '' by Marvin Gaye Billboard 's Best Selling Soul Singles number - one single ( Aretha Franklin version ) August 28 - September 11, 1971 Succeeded by `` Stick - Up '' by Honey Cone Preceded by `` Kleine Annabell '' by Ronny Media Control ( Germany ) Top 100 number - one single `` Das ist die Frage aller Fragen '' by Cliff Richard January 29, 1965 ( 4 weeks ) Succeeded by `` Kleine Annabell '' by Ronny Preceded by ? ? ? Number - one hits of 1965 ( Austria ) `` Das ist die Frage aller Fragen '' by Cliff Richard February 15, 1965 ( 4 weeks ) Succeeded by `` So ein Tag, so wunderschön wie Heute '' by Freddy Ben E. King Studio albums Spanish Harlem Ben E. King Sings for Soulful Lovers Do n't Play That Song ! Young Boy Blues Seven Letters What Is Soul Rough Edges The Beginning of It All Supernatural I Had a Love Rhapsody Let Me Live in Your Life Music Trance Street Tough Save the Last Dance for Me What 's Important to Me Shades of Blue I Have Songs in My Pocket Soul Masters I 've Been Around Love Is Gonna Get You Live albums Person to Person : Live at the Blue Note Compilations Ben E. King 's Greatest Hits Stand by Me : The Ultimate Collection Anthology The Very Best of Ben E. King Eleven Best Singles `` Spanish Harlem '' `` Stand by Me '' `` Amor '' `` Do n't Play That Song ( You Lied ) '' `` I ( Who Have Nothing ) '' `` Supernatural Thing '' Aretha Franklin Studio albums Columbia Aretha ( 1961 ) The Electrifying Aretha Franklin ( 1962 ) The Tender, the Moving, the Swinging Aretha Franklin ( 1962 ) Laughing on the Outside ( 1963 ) Unforgettable : A Tribute to Dinah Washington ( 1964 ) Runnin ' Out of Fools ( 1964 ) Yeah ! ! ! ( 1965 ) Soul Sister ( 1966 ) Take It Like You Give It ( 1967 ) Take a Look ( 1967 ) Soft and Beautiful ( 1969 ) Atlantic I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You ( 1967 ) Aretha Arrives ( 1967 ) Lady Soul ( 1968 ) Aretha Now ( 1968 ) Soul ' 69 ( 1969 ) This Girl 's in Love with You ( 1970 ) Spirit in the Dark ( 1970 ) Young, Gifted and Black ( 1972 ) Hey Now Hey ( The Other Side of the Sky ) ( 1973 ) Let Me in Your Life ( 1974 ) With Everything I Feel in Me ( 1974 ) You ( 1975 ) Sparkle ( 1976 ) Sweet Passion ( 1977 ) Almighty Fire ( 1978 ) La Diva ( 1979 ) Arista Aretha ( 1980 ) Love All the Hurt Away ( 1981 ) Jump to It ( 1982 ) Get It Right ( 1983 ) Who 's Zoomin ' Who ? ( 1985 ) Aretha ( 1986 ) Through the Storm ( 1989 ) What You See Is What You Sweat ( 1991 ) A Rose Is Still a Rose ( 1998 ) So Damn Happy ( 2003 ) Other Songs of Faith ( 1956 ) This Christmas, Aretha ( 2008 ) Aretha : A Woman Falling Out of Love ( 2011 ) Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics ( 2014 ) Live albums Aretha in Paris ( 1968 ) Aretha Live at Fillmore West ( 1971 ) Amazing Grace ( 1972 ) One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism ( 1987 ) Oh Me Oh My : Aretha Live in Philly, 1972 ( 2007 ) Compilation albums Aretha 's Gold ( 1969 ) Aretha 's Greatest Hits ( 1971 ) The Best of Aretha Franklin ( 1973 ) Aretha Sings the Blues ( 1980 ) 30 Greatest Hits ( 1985 ) Greatest Hits : 1980 -- 1994 ( 1994 ) The Early Years ( 1997 ) Greatest Hits ( 1998 ) Aretha 's Best ( 2001 ) Rare & Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul ( 2007 ) Jewels in the Crown : All - Star Duets with the Queen ( 2007 ) A Deeper Love : The Best of Aretha Franklin ( 2009 ) The Great American Songbook ( 2011 ) Knew You Were Waiting : The Best of Aretha Franklin ( 1980 - 1998 ) ( 2012 ) Box sets Queen of Soul : The Atlantic Recordings ( 1992 / 2014 ) Take A Look : Aretha Franklin Complete on Columbia ( 2011 ) Singles `` Precious Lord ( Part 1 ) '' ( 1959 ) `` Today I Sing the Blues '' ( 1960 ) `` Wo n't Be Long '' ( 1960 ) `` Rock - a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody '' ( 1961 ) `` Operation Heartbreak '' ( 1961 ) `` I Surrender, Dear '' ( 1962 ) `` Try a Little Tenderness '' ( 1962 ) `` Say It Is n't So '' ( 1963 ) `` Skylark '' ( 1963 ) `` The Christmas Song ( Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire ) '' ( 1964 ) `` One Step Ahead '' ( 1965 ) `` You Made Me Love You '' ( 1965 ) `` Mockingbird '' ( 1967 ) `` I Never Loved a Man ( The Way I Love You ) '' ( 1967 ) `` Respect '' ( 1967 ) `` Baby I Love You '' ( 1967 ) `` ( You Make Me Feel Like ) A Natural Woman '' ( 1967 ) `` Do Right Woman, Do Right Man '' `` Chain of Fools '' ( 1967 ) `` ( I Ca n't Get No ) Satisfaction '' ( 1968 ) `` ( Sweet Sweet Baby ) Since You 've Been Gone '' ( 1968 ) `` Think '' ( 1968 ) `` You Send Me '' ( 1968 ) `` The House That Jack Built '' ( 1968 ) `` I Say a Little Prayer '' ( 1968 ) `` See Saw '' ( 1968 ) `` My Song '' ( 1968 ) `` The Weight '' ( 1969 ) `` Tracks of My Tears '' ( 1969 ) `` I Ca n't See Myself Leaving You '' ( 1969 ) `` Gentle on My Mind '' ( 1969 ) `` Share Your Love with Me '' ( 1969 ) `` Eleanor Rigby '' ( 1969 ) `` Call Me '' ( 1970 ) `` Son of a Preacher Man '' ( 1970 ) `` Spirit in the Dark '' ( 1970 ) `` The Thrill Is Gone '' ( 1970 ) `` Do n't Play That Song '' ( 1970 ) `` Border Song ( Holy Moses ) '' ( 1970 ) `` You 're All I Need to Get By '' ( 1971 ) `` Bridge over Troubled Water '' ( 1971 ) `` Spanish Harlem '' ( 1971 ) `` Rock Steady '' ( 1971 ) `` Day Dreaming '' ( 1972 ) `` Wholy Holy '' ( 1972 ) `` Angel '' ( 1973 ) `` Until You Come Back to Me ( That 's What I 'm Gonna Do ) '' ( 1973 ) `` I 'm in Love '' ( 1974 ) `` Ai n't Nothing Like the Real Thing '' ( 1974 ) `` Something He Can Feel '' ( 1976 ) `` Break It to Me Gently '' ( 1977 ) `` What a Fool Believes '' ( 1981 ) `` It 's My Turn '' ( 1981 ) `` Jump to It '' ( 1982 ) `` Get It Right '' ( 1983 ) `` Freeway of Love '' ( 1985 ) `` Who 's Zoomin ' Who '' ( 1985 ) `` Sisters Are Doin ' It for Themselves '' ( 1985 ) `` Jumpin ' Jack Flash '' ( 1986 ) `` Jimmy Lee '' ( 1986 ) `` I Knew You Were Waiting ( For Me ) '' ( 1987 ) `` Oh Happy Day '' ( 1988 ) `` Gimme Your Love '' ( 1989 ) `` It Is n't, It Was n't, It Ai n't Never Gonna Be '' ( 1989 ) `` Everyday People '' ( 1991 ) `` Someday We 'll All Be Free '' ( 1992 ) `` A Deeper Love '' ( 1993 ) `` A Rose Is Still a Rose '' ( 1998 ) `` Here We Go Again '' ( 1998 ) `` Put You Up on Game '' ( 2007 ) `` Angels We Have Heard on High '' ( 2009 ) `` Rolling in the Deep ( The Aretha Version ) '' ( 2014 ) Related topics Discography Awards and nominations `` Wood Beez ( Pray Like Aretha Franklin ) '' ( by Scritti Politti ) Book Jump up ^ Steffen Hung. `` No. 1 - Hits in Austria ''. Austriancharts.at. Retrieved 2011 - 04 - 30. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spanish_Harlem_(song)&oldid=800659814 '' Categories : 1960 songs 1961 singles 1971 singles Songs written by Phil Spector Ben E. King songs Jay and the Americans songs The Mamas & the Papas songs Checkmates, Ltd. songs Aretha Franklin songs Chet Atkins songs Neil Diamond songs Bowling for Soup songs Tom Jones ( singer ) songs Led Zeppelin songs Trini Lopez songs Cliff Richard songs Billy Joe Royal songs Andy Williams songs Billboard Hot R&B / Hip - Hop Songs number - one singles Number - one singles in Germany Number - one singles in Austria Atco Records singles Songs about New York City Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from August 2014 All articles needing additional references Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from April 2011 Articles with unsourced statements from November 2008 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Brezhoneg Italiano Norsk nynorsk Русский Edit links This page was last edited on 14 September 2017, at 22 : 30. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who sang the song there is a rose in spanish harlem
Answer: Ben E. King