Oh! Carol

"Oh! Carol" is an international hit written by Neil Sedaka in 1958. Co-written with Howard Greenfield, the song is noted for Sedaka's spoken recitation of the verse, the second time around.

It spent 18 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 9 on December 6, 1959, while reaching No. 3 on the UK's New Musical Express chart. It also earned Sedaka his first No. 1 ranking when it went to No. 1 in the Netherlands and Wallonia. After its release as a single, it was included in the album Neil Sedaka Sings Little Devil and His Other Hits.

"Carol" was a reference to Carol Klein, Sedaka's ex-girlfriend from high school and a fellow songwriter at the Brill Building. She had since married Gerry Goffin, who took the tune, and wrote the playful response "Oh! Neil", which she recorded and released as an unsuccessful single the same year (1959) under the stage name Carole King.

The B-side song, "One Way Ticket", also earned Sedaka a No. 1 ranking in Japan for several months in 1960.

Other notable versions

 * General Saint featuring Don Campbell (a minor UK hit at No. 54) (1994)