THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

522-Brenda Lee-Sweet Nothin’s.

1960-Number 4 single.

Best Bit-At 1.40. ‘And the radio played that forgotten song, Brenda Lee’s ‘Comin’ On Strong.’ (see also best songs 937.)

Brenda Lee was born Brenda Mae Tarpley on December 11th, 1944, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, at her birth she weighed just 4lb and 11 ounces. Her height as an adult is four feet and nine inches (approximately 145 cm.)She received her stage name from a local Disc Jockey called Peanuts Fairclough, as he said it would be easier to remember when she was famous. After recording the song ‘Dynamite’ in 1957, and because of her height, she would become affectionately known as ‘Little Miss Dynamite.’ John Lennon was once quoted as saying,’She has the greatest Rock N’ Roll voice.’ Brenda Lee has to date released 29 Studio Albums between 1959-2007, and achieved 29 top 40 singles on Billboard. Lee’s total of nine consecutive top 10 hit singles on Billboard between 1960-1962 set a record for a female solo artist that was not surpassed until 1986 by Madonna.

‘Sweet Nothin’s was written by the Rockabilly singer/songwriter Ronnie Self (1938-1981) who also wrote two other hits for Lee, ‘I’m Sorry,’ which reached Number 1 on Billboard in 1960, and is currently the 159th best ever selling single in America, and also Lee’s 1962 Billboard Number 6 song ‘Everybody Loves Me But You.’

‘Sweet Nothin’s was the second single released from Brenda Lee’s self titled second studio Album, and was produced by Owen Bradley (1915-1998) who was one of the main architects in the development of the ‘Nashville Sound’ in Country Music in the 1950’s, and 1960’s, other artists he worked with included Patsy Cline, and Red Foley. The songs saxophone break was played by Boots Randolph, (1927-2007) other songs of note he can be heard on include ‘Return To Sender,’ with Elvis Presley, and Brenda Lee’s ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.’ Randolph also composed the Pop novelty instrumental ‘Yakety Sax,’ which reached Number 35 on Billboard in 1963, but became far better known when used as the closing theme music of ‘The Benny Hill Show.’

In 2013 the Hip-Hop artist Kanye West sampled Lee’s voice from ‘Sweet Nothin’s’ for his song ‘Bound 2,’ on his Album ‘Yeezus,’ which in turn was sampled by the ‘Drum and Bass’ duo ‘Sigma’ on their 2014 single ‘Nobody To Love,’ Brenda Lee stated she was flattered.

‘Mama turned on the front porch light sayin’ ‘come here darlin,’ that’s enough for tonight.’