[1] Following graduation from Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, California, Phil Spector became obsessed with "To Know Him Is to Love Him", a song he had written for his group, the Teddy Bears.

After a hasty audition at Era Records, which offered to finance a studio session, the Teddy Bears – Phil Spector, Marshall Leib, Harvey Goldstein (who left the group early on), lead singer Annette Kleinbard,[2] and last-minute recruit, drummer Sandy Nelson – recorded the song at Gold Star Studios at a cost of $75.

[3] At 19 years old, Spector had written, arranged, played, sung, and produced the best-selling record in the country.

[2] Although subsequent releases by the Teddy Bears on the Imperial label were well-recorded soft pop, they did not sell, and within a year of the debut, Spector disbanded the group.

[1] Among her credits are the Rip Chords hit "Hey Little Cobra", and the Academy Awards nominated Rocky theme song, "Gonna Fly Now", co-written with Ayn Robbins.