The classic 1957 track rejected by over 30 artists before going on to sell over a million copies
The case of a musical missed opportunity is as old as rock ‘n’ roll itself.
Throughout the pop industry, many songwriting hopefuls will shop around a demo of their hit in progress, ready to be nabbed by any hungry artist or manager impresario type. However, the later Billboard domination of the song sketch can be completely unnoticed in whatever recording is being flogged around the music biz.
Often, contractual obstructions or simple scheduling conflicts stand in the way of a song’s intended artist. Whether label no-nos or simply nonplussed about the work presented to them, there is an alternative pop universe where, had such hits taken a different course, Bryan Ferry would have crooned ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’, ‘Call Me’ would stand as a classic of Stevie Nicks’ solo repertoire, and Meat Loaf would have bellowed ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ as a thunderous encore every live night.
Back in 1957, the songwriting couple Felice and Boudleaux Bryant had penned a wistful number exploring the age-old pop fodder of young heartache, the first verse and chorus jotted down when the two were driving down the highway one night. The burst of inspiration would lead to ‘Bye Bye Love’, a tune the two believed in but struggled to convince anyone else of.
While names have never been verified, ‘Bye Bye Love’ is understood to have been rejected by about 30 different artists during its initial shop around. One massive rumour, however, was a dismissal by Elvis Presley’s team.
Supposedly, the song had even been half-dreamed up with the King in mind, but manager Colonel Tom Parker’s high demand for 50% of the tune’s publishing rights forced the independent Bryant couple to push ‘Bye Bye Love’ elsewhere.
It would take famed producer Chet Atkins to finally arrange ‘Bye Bye Love’s cut to record. By 1956, Don and Phil Everly were regional star siblings melding a popular brew of country and rock and roll, enjoying a prominent presence on Knoxville radio but yet to take the nation’s charts by storm. Atkins pulled the duo to his Nashville base of operations and won them a deal with Columbia Records, which issued Don’s penned ‘Keep a-Lovin’ Me’, which sank without a trace.
Atkins wasn’t ready to give up. A new signing to Cadence prompted the Nashville honcho to recommend the Bryants pitch their ‘Bye Bye Love’ to the couple of “young kids” hungry for a hit. Legend has it that the budding country stars were less than thrilled with the piece before them, but a $64 session fee twisted their arm to cut their rendition at the RCA Victor studio in March 1957.
Misgivings were soon quashed, ‘Bye Bye Love’ shooting to the top of the country charts later the same month, a top ten on the pop and rhythm and blues charts, and gifting The Everly Brothers their first million-seller. Fame had finally arrived for both the singers and songwriters, the team releasing ‘Wake Up Little Susie’, ‘All I Have to Do Is Dream’, ‘Bird Dog’, and ‘Problems’ during the duo’s golden era.
