Posted on Aug 25, 2018
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Just as pop stardom most often depends on possessing abundant talent and a great capacity for hard work, it also can require being in the right place at the right time. This was certainly true for the diminutive, 17-year-old singer named Eva Narcissus Boyd, who scored her first and only #1 hit on this day in 1962 with “The Loco-Motion.”
Eva Boyd was newly arrived in New York City from her native North Carolina and looking for work when a neighbor in Brooklyn pointed her toward the job that would end up changing her life: working as a nanny for a young, professional Manhattan couple. It just so happened that the couple looking for a new babysitter were Gerry Goffin and Carole King, future members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame then working for the legendary Don Kirshner as salaried songwriters at Aldon Music. In the early 1960s, Goffin and King were busy cranking out tunes they hoped would be hits for the likes of Bobby Vee and the Shirelles. When it came time to cut a demo of a brand-new song they’d written about a nonexistent dance craze, Gerry and Carole decided to reward Eva’s hard work running their household and caring for their infant daughter by letting her pick up a few bucks for recording the demo vocals. It turned out to be the biggest tip ever given in the history of the American childcare industry.
As fate would have it, “The Loco-Motion” was turned down by the singer Goffin and King had in mind when they wrote it: Dee Dee Sharp of “Mashed Potato Time” fame. When Aldon boss Don Kirshner heard the demo version of the song with Eva’s vocals, he pronounced it a hit in as-is condition and made it the very first release on his new label, Dimension. Soon enough, the song that opens with the lyric “Everybody’s doo-oo-in’ a brand-new dance now…” was climbing the pop charts and spawning a short-lived dance craze based on the truly brand-new dance Little Eva made up herself to fit the song.
While “The Loco-Motion” would make a second trip to #1 thanks to an unlikely cover by 1970s rockers Grand Funk, it was the only smash hit in the short singing career of Little Eva.
Eva Boyd was newly arrived in New York City from her native North Carolina and looking for work when a neighbor in Brooklyn pointed her toward the job that would end up changing her life: working as a nanny for a young, professional Manhattan couple. It just so happened that the couple looking for a new babysitter were Gerry Goffin and Carole King, future members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame then working for the legendary Don Kirshner as salaried songwriters at Aldon Music. In the early 1960s, Goffin and King were busy cranking out tunes they hoped would be hits for the likes of Bobby Vee and the Shirelles. When it came time to cut a demo of a brand-new song they’d written about a nonexistent dance craze, Gerry and Carole decided to reward Eva’s hard work running their household and caring for their infant daughter by letting her pick up a few bucks for recording the demo vocals. It turned out to be the biggest tip ever given in the history of the American childcare industry.
As fate would have it, “The Loco-Motion” was turned down by the singer Goffin and King had in mind when they wrote it: Dee Dee Sharp of “Mashed Potato Time” fame. When Aldon boss Don Kirshner heard the demo version of the song with Eva’s vocals, he pronounced it a hit in as-is condition and made it the very first release on his new label, Dimension. Soon enough, the song that opens with the lyric “Everybody’s doo-oo-in’ a brand-new dance now…” was climbing the pop charts and spawning a short-lived dance craze based on the truly brand-new dance Little Eva made up herself to fit the song.
While “The Loco-Motion” would make a second trip to #1 thanks to an unlikely cover by 1970s rockers Grand Funk, it was the only smash hit in the short singing career of Little Eva.
Little Eva earns a #1 hit with “Loco-Motion” - Aug 25, 1962 - HISTORY.com
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Thank you my friend TSgt Joe C. for sharing the early classic rock music video of
Eva Narcissus Boyd whose stage name is Little Eva performing Loco-motion in 1962
Perhaps no babysitter in history got a bigger break than Eva Boyd, who baby sat for songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin. King and Goffin asked her to record a song they had written called "The Loco-Motion".
Eva Narcissus Boyd was born June 29, 1943 in Bell Haven, North Carolina one of sixteen children. In 1962, she moved to the Brighton Beach area of Brooklyn where she had relatives. One of her relatives knew the Cookies and suggested her as a stand-in. So whenever one of the Cookies couldn't get out of class, Eva substituted for her. Since the work was sporadic Eva often found herself babysitting for songwriters Carol King and Gerry Goffin. Returning home one day they found her singing a song they had written for Dee Dee Sharp. They liked what they heard, so they rushed her into the studio, with King doing the backing vocals.
Little Eva was only sixteen when "The Locomotion" hit #1. Her salary as the Goffins' babysitter was $35 dollars a week. Her earnings from "The Locomotion" were reported to be around thirty thousand dollars. She appeared on television shows and in numerous magazines. She performed live in the U.S. and did several tours of England."
http://www.history-of-rock.com/little_eva.htm
The Loco-Motion by Carole King and Gerry Goffin
Lyrics
"Everybody's doing a brand-new dance, now
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
I know you'll get to like it if you give it a chance now
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
My little baby sister can do it with me
It's easier than learning your A-B-Cs
So come on, come on, do the Loco-motion with me
You gotta swing your hips, now
Come on, baby
Jump up
Jump back
Well, now, I think you've got the knack
Oh, oh
Now that you can do it, let's make a chain, now
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
A chug-a chug-a motion like a railway train, now
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
Do it nice and easy, now, don't lose control
A little bit of rhythm and a lot of soul
So, come on, come on
Do the Loco-motion with me
The Loco-motion
Come on, come on
The Loco-motion
Come on, come on
The…"
FYI Maj William W. "Bill" Price Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown 1stSgt Eugene Harless CW5 John M. MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4"SCPO Morris Ramsey SGT Michael Thorin SGT (Join to see) SGT Robert George SGT John " Mac " McConnell SP5 Mark Kuzinski SP5 Robert Ruck SPC Margaret Higgins Maj Marty Hogan SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SSgt Brian Brakke
Eva Narcissus Boyd whose stage name is Little Eva performing Loco-motion in 1962
Perhaps no babysitter in history got a bigger break than Eva Boyd, who baby sat for songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin. King and Goffin asked her to record a song they had written called "The Loco-Motion".
Eva Narcissus Boyd was born June 29, 1943 in Bell Haven, North Carolina one of sixteen children. In 1962, she moved to the Brighton Beach area of Brooklyn where she had relatives. One of her relatives knew the Cookies and suggested her as a stand-in. So whenever one of the Cookies couldn't get out of class, Eva substituted for her. Since the work was sporadic Eva often found herself babysitting for songwriters Carol King and Gerry Goffin. Returning home one day they found her singing a song they had written for Dee Dee Sharp. They liked what they heard, so they rushed her into the studio, with King doing the backing vocals.
Little Eva was only sixteen when "The Locomotion" hit #1. Her salary as the Goffins' babysitter was $35 dollars a week. Her earnings from "The Locomotion" were reported to be around thirty thousand dollars. She appeared on television shows and in numerous magazines. She performed live in the U.S. and did several tours of England."
http://www.history-of-rock.com/little_eva.htm
The Loco-Motion by Carole King and Gerry Goffin
Lyrics
"Everybody's doing a brand-new dance, now
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
I know you'll get to like it if you give it a chance now
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
My little baby sister can do it with me
It's easier than learning your A-B-Cs
So come on, come on, do the Loco-motion with me
You gotta swing your hips, now
Come on, baby
Jump up
Jump back
Well, now, I think you've got the knack
Oh, oh
Now that you can do it, let's make a chain, now
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
A chug-a chug-a motion like a railway train, now
(Come on baby, do the Loco-motion)
Do it nice and easy, now, don't lose control
A little bit of rhythm and a lot of soul
So, come on, come on
Do the Loco-motion with me
The Loco-motion
Come on, come on
The Loco-motion
Come on, come on
The…"
FYI Maj William W. "Bill" Price Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown 1stSgt Eugene Harless CW5 John M. MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4"SCPO Morris Ramsey SGT Michael Thorin SGT (Join to see) SGT Robert George SGT John " Mac " McConnell SP5 Mark Kuzinski SP5 Robert Ruck SPC Margaret Higgins Maj Marty Hogan SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SSgt Brian Brakke
Perhaps no babysitter in history got a bigger break than Eva Boyd, whobaby sat for songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin. King and Goffin asked her to recorda song they had written called "The Loco-Motion".
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SFC Shirley Whitfield MSG Mark Million COL Lee Flemming LTC (Join to see) PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SSgt Harvey "Skip" Porter SCPO Morris Ramsey SFC William Farrell Alan K. LTC Greg Henning SSgt (Join to see) MSgt Stephen Council Sgt Trevor Barrett Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. MSG Andrew White SP5 Mark Kuzinski SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth Cpl Scott McCarroll LTC John Shaw LTC John Griscom
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