A Love Her
B The Seventh Dawn

by The Walker Brothers
Released: April 9th, 1965. Label: Philips

Love Her was the Walker Brothers’ second single, and the first to feature Scott Walker on lead vocals. Its lyrics, written by Brill Building songwriting partnership Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, feature the narrator telling his new girlfriend’s partner to love her: “be the guy I couldn’t be / And love her / Love her for me”.

Originally released by the Everly Brothers as the B-side to their 1963 single The Girl Sang the Blues, the Walker Brothers’ version was produced by Nick Venet, who had signed The Beach Boys to Capitol Records three years earlier, and arranged by Jack Nitzsche, arranger and conductor for the producer Phil Spector, who helped created the Wall of Sound production technique.

The B-side was The Seventh Dawn, the title track of a 1964 war drama directed by Lewis Gilbert, who went on to direct Alfie, You Only Live Twice and Educating Rita. Written by Italian film composer Riz Ortolani and Academy Award-winning American lyricist Paul Francis Webster, it was performed in the film by American close harmony trio, The Lettermen.

Love Her became the Walker Brothers’ first UK hit, reaching no. 20 in June 1965, and spending thirteen weeks in the top 40.

Credits

A. Love Her 3:23

Written By Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil
Arranger Jack Nitzsche
Producer Nick Venet

B. The Seventh Dawn 2:41

Written By Riz Ortolani, Paul Francis Webster
Arranger Jack Nitzsche
Producer Nick Venet