Bob Meyer & The Rivieras - "Behold" (1964)

Bob Meyer & The Rivieras - "Behold"
(b/w "You've Got To Tell Me")
(Bob Meyer, Nat Speir)
Lawn single 238 (also released as Casino single C-103)
(CD audio source)
Released on both labels in May 1964 but did not chart whatsoever.
Produced by Karras and Richardson.

A very "Beatle-esque" single that went absolutely nowhere on the national music charts, although it has long since become an essential Carolina Beach Music staple! Audio comes from Disc 2 of the Ripete Records CD box set "The Beach Music Anthology", which, like my previous video, features the original mono single version of this song.

BACKGROUND:
Charlotte, North Carolina teenagers Nat Speir and first formed The Rivieras back in 1958 along with Joe Harris, Smitty Flynn, Bill Bolen and Dwight Stephens, and like many local acts over the years, their lineup would vary. In late 1962 the group added a new lead vocalist named Bob Meyer (who was a former soloist with the Charlotte Boys Choir) and a former vocalist for The Catalinas - and their sound would gravitate towards a "blue-eyed soul" group akin to other contemporary acts like The Righteous Brothers and others.

The group, now consisting of Bob Meyer, Nat and Bobby Speir, Eddy MacAleer, Bud McNeely and Doug Neal would change their name ever so slightly to Bob Meyer & The Rivieras, likely to avoid confusion with another group in Indiana also called The Rivieras (who would have a major pop hit with "California Sun"). They then recorded a tune co-written by Bob Meyer and Nat Speir entitled "Behold" in a garage in 1963, which was produced by Harry Karras (who would later produce The Swingin' Medallions' sole top 40 hit "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)") - and the tune would find quite an audience all over the East Coast. Released initially on the tiny Casino label in May 1964, it would soon be picked up nationally by the slightly more prestigious Lawn label later that same month.

Lawn Records was a subsidiary label of Swan Records, the label responsible for releasing a number of hits from artists like Freddy Cannon ("Palisades Park", "Tallahassee Lassie" and "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans" among others) as well as "She Loves You" by The Beatles. Perhaps because of the connection between the two labels, legend has it that The Beatles hears and really liked "Behold" enough that they apparently considered recording their own version of the song during the period where the Fab Four would often cover songs such as "Money (That's What I Want)", "Please Mr. Postman", "You Really Got A Hold On Me" and "Anna (Go To Him)".

By late 1964, however, John Lennon and Paul McCartney had since come into their own as songwriters and had essentially quit doing covers, which might have led them to changing their minds about recording their own version of "Behold".

Unfortunately, neither the Casino or the Lawn release of this song charted at all, though the flip side, "You've Got To Tell Me", would later go on to become a Northern Soul classic over in England; in fact, the 45 is actually highly collectible today for the flip side and not "Behold".

NOTE: No copyright infringement of any kind is intended with this video whatsoever; posted for educational and entertainment purposes only.

Enjoy!!!