Billboard #1 Hits: #85: “Hey Paula”- Paul and Paula. February 9, 1963- #1 for 3 weeks.

• Single: “Hey Paula”- Paul and Paula
• Record Company- Philips
• Genre: Pop
• Written by Ray Hildebrand
• Time: 2:27
• B-side:”Bobby Is The One”
• Album- Hey Paula
• Grade: D
• Peaked at #1 on both the Billboard Pop Hot 100 chart and the R&B singles chart.

The streak of turkey’s at #1 continues-the first three new singles of 1963- all have one thing in common- no redeeming qualities- “Go Away Little Girl”- Steve Lawrence, “Walk Right In”- The Rooftop Singers and “Hey Paula”- Paul and Paula. The bad news is the streak of bad singles at #1 will continue.

Paul and Paul weren’t their actual names- “Paul” was Ray Hildebrand who wrote the song and “Paula” was Jill Jackson.  Hildebrand was a student at Howard Payne University in Texas and Jackson was the niece of the owner of the boarding house where Hildebrand was living. When I hear this song I do have one positive thought- in the classic Animal House- Boon and Katy sing the song to each other in a scene.

Paul and Paula were not one hit wonders -they would have four Hot 100 singles all in 1963 with three making the Top 40- “Young Lovers” #6 and “First Quarrel” #27.