#1 for weeks of December 7, 14, 21, and 28th, 1963.
Time to review one of the most notorious songs from this time period. "Dominique" by The Singing Nun is usually exhibit "A" when it comes to showing just how commercially banal American pop music had become just prior to the British Invasion. Looking back on those times, it is easy to see why this was such a hit: America was still in shock and mourning over the assassination of JFK and so it was only natural that the pop market would want to gravitate towards a harmless song sung by an actual nun. Despite the infamy of this song, did it really deserve such a high amount of posthumous ridicule? And was there more to Sister Jeanine Deckers than meets the eye?
Despite the fact that I'm aiming to find a silver lining, I'm sorry to say that I can't fathom why people liked this song so much. To put it delicately, it's extremely easy-listening, and sounds like it was meant for a far smaller and more esoteric/personal market. This song was in fact recorded back in 1961 so it is indeed because of the radio stations wanting to play softer music following JFK's death that this song was dug out from the vaults, and topped the charts. I can say though the song has some historical significance as being the first French-language #1 hit.
However, historical significance cannot hide the fact that this song is, to put it lightly, quite kitschy It is certainly not representative of any mainstream music of 1963, or 1961 for that matter. Now, most reviewers of this song would stop here and just consider the review a well deserved attack on a tune that had no business being such a big hit. However, as I have mentioned, there was more to Sister Deckers than meets the eye.
After this song became a hit, Sister Deckers slipped into depression over not finding success under her real name. She would leave her convent and even recorded a controversial but brave song that was pro-birth control. Deckers also became increasingly critical of the Catholic Church and ended up an exile. Years later in 1985, she and her partner, a fellow exiled nun, committed suicide together. Perhaps this song wasn't meant to be such a big hit as one could say its success (and infamy) led to the early end of Sister Deckers and her lover's life.
So while I can't say this is a great song, I feel like my dislike of it comes more from how it negatively affected the artist's life, as opposed to how mawkish it sounds in comparison to other #1's from '63. If not for this song, perhaps Jeanine Deckers would have become a powerful human rights activist, free from the shackles of the church or a silly stage name.
Final Verdict - This is one of those songs that shouldn't have even been a huge hit to begin with. It is overly old fashioned and comes off as a song meant for close friends only. While I have newfound respect for the artist, I can safely say that this is a song I don't care to hear again.
Coming Up Next - 1963 Reflection.
Until Next Time - Je Suis Dr. Roche.
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