The Teddy Bears/History

Following graduation from Fairfax high school in Los Angeles, California, Phil Spector became obsessed with the song To Know Him Is to Love Him he had written for his group, The Teddy Bears. After a hasty audition at ERA Records who offered to finance a studio session, The Teddy Bears - Phil Spector, Mashall Leib, Harvey Goldstein (who left the group early on), lead singer Annette Kleinbard, and last minute recruit, drummer Sandy Nelson - recorded the song at Gold Star Studios at a cost of $75. Released on ERA's Dore label in August 1958, it took two months before To Know Him Is to Love Him began to get airplay.