Timeless ballad recorded in church basement one of the best ever – Soulfy

If you’ve ever taken a stroll down memory lane into the golden age of doo-wop, you’ve likely encountered the Five Satins and their iconic ballad, “In the Still of the Night.”

This soulful tune – recorded in the basement of a church in 1956 – is synonymous with the genre, resonating through decades as a hallmark of love, nostalgia, and timeless music.

In 1956, a 19-year-old Fred Parris was working guard duty in Philadelphia with the U.S. Army, lovesick for his sweetheart, Marla, who was in Connecticut, living with her fiancé’s parents.

The young soldier – known now as the visionary leader of the Five Satins – had just spent a weekend with “the girl of [his] dreams” and couldn’t shake her from his mind.

“There were other nights that we spent together,” the late singer told Smithsonian Magazine in 2004. “But there’s only one first time.”

“When I arrived at camp, I went straight to the day room. There was a piano there and I started playing the chord in my head and the words in my heart. Before I realized it, it was time to go to guard duty. It was a cold, black night, and the stars were twinkling. The setting was very apropos for my feelings and emotions,” added Parris, who died in 2022 at 85.