1955 Songs: Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So)

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Throughout this look at songs from 70 years ago I’ve mentioned that a number of songs gave me a large selection of versions to choose from. This is one of the biggest examples of that. One of the most recorded songs of 1955…which is probably long forgotten now. Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So) - Gene and Eunice Gene (Wilson) and Eunice (Levy [stage name, her birth name was Russ]) were the “sweethearts of rhythm and blues.” They were married until her death in 2002 (he died a year later). In late 1954 they wrote this silly little song and released it in early 1955. It was a hit. Boy, was it a hit. Before you could say “cover version” there were cover versions all over the place. Think I’m kidding? The versions ranged from the Crew-Cuts (who’ve previously been featured) to Louie Armstrong to a country version by Hawkshaw Hawkins! The biggest hit version, of course, was the sanitized version…but this time, by Perry Como, not Pat Boone. (So they traded white bucks for a cardigan sweater. ) While Gene and Eunice weren’t what you’d call “chart toppers,” they were very successful in what was then known as the “chitlin’ circuit” (playing R&B clubs for black audiences). Unfortunately, because of the way things were in the 50s, they didn’t see much in the way of royalties from the song that they wrote and originally recorded once all those millions of covers started appearing. One of the typical stories of the good, bad, and ugly — all rolled into one — of the music industry in the 50s. Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So) Written by Forest Gene Wilson and Eunice Levy Recorded by Gene and Eunice Released as a single, 1955 Talk to me baby: