Wes Farrell
| Wes Farrell | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 21, 1939 New York City, New York, United States |
| Died | February 29, 1996 (aged 56) Coconut Grove, Florida, United States |
| Occupation | Musician, songwriter, record producer |
| Spouse(s) |
Joan Arthurs (m. 1965; div. 1972) Tina Sinatra (m. 1974; div. 1976) Pamela Hensley (m. 1978; div. 1980) Jean Inman (m. 1981; d. 1996) |
| Children | 3 |
Wes Farrell (December 21, 1939 – February 29, 1996) was an American musician, songwriter and record producer, who was most active in the 1960s and 1970s.
Farrell was one of the most prolific and influential songwriters, producers, publishers, and music executives of the 1960s and 1970s. To date Farrell's catalogue includes close to 500 songs that he wrote, produced, or published. One of his earliest successes, "Boys" (co-written with Luther Dixon), appeared on the B-side of The Shirelles' number-one 1960 hit "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", and in 1963 was covered by The Beatles for their debut album Please Please Me. Farrell's biggest chart hit – the 1965 US #1 single "Hang on Sloopy" (a reworking of "My Girl Sloopy", co-written with Bert Russell, aka Bert Berns) – remains one of the most performed songs in the history of popular music, according to the RIAA. "Hang on Sloopy" also became the Official Rock Song of the U.S. state of Ohio, and the rock song for Ohio State University. The song is so popular in Columbus, Ohio and on the Ohio State University campus that the song is played at every sports homes game and graduation; the official website of the athletics department is HangOnSloopy.com.
Other Farrell pop hits include The Animals' UK debut single "Baby Let Me Take You Home" (co-written with Bert Russell, #21, 1964) and two big 1964 releases for Jay and the Americans: "Come a Little Bit Closer" (co-written with songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, US #3) and "Let's Lock the Door (And Throw Away the Key)" (with Roy Alfred, US #11 in early 1965). Farrell also co-wrote "Come and Take a Ride in My Boat" (with Jerry Goldstein), slightly reworked in 1967 to provide Every Mother's Son with their signature hit "Come on Down to My Boat" (US #6).
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