Have I the Right?

The Honeycombs

About Have I the Right?

"Have I the Right?" was the debut single and biggest hit of British band The Honeycombs. It was composed by Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, who had made contact with The Honeycombs, a London-based group, then playing under the name of The Sheratons, in the Mildmay Tavern in the Balls Pond Road in Islington, where they played a date. Howard and Blaikley were impressed by the group's lead vocalist, Dennis D'Ell, and the fact that they had a female drummer, Ann (‘Honey') Lantree. The group were looking for material to play for an audition with record producer Joe Meek, and they played the songs Howard and Blaikley had just given them. Meek decided to record one of them, "Have I the Right?", there and then. Meek himself provided the B-side, "Please Don't Pretend Again". Music critic Tom Ewing, writing for Freaky Trigger, commented that the song "invents" post-punk, "which is to say, when I listen to the instrumental break on this record, bright guitar and sharp keyboard slicing tuneless chunks out of each other, it's not 1964 I'm hearing." It was used as the opening theme for Hold the Sunset. 


Year:
1988
57 

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Have I the right to hold you
You know I've always told you
That we must never ever part, oh oh oh oh

Have I the right to kiss you 
You know I'll always miss you
I've loved you from the very start

Come right back I just can't bear it
I've got this love and I long to share it
Come right back I'll show my love is strong, oh yeah

Have I the right to touch you  
If I could you'd see how much you
Send those shivers running down my spine, ooh ooh

Have I the right to thrill you 
You know I'll wait until you
Give me the right to make you mine

Well, come right back I just can't bear it
I've got this love and I long to share it
Come right back, I'll show my love is strong, oh yeah, all right

Have I the right to hold you  
You know I've always told you
That we must never ever part, no, no no, no, no

Have I the right to kiss you  
You know I'll always miss you
I've loved you from the very start

Come right back I just can't bear it
I've got this love and I long to share it
Come right back I'll show my love is strong, oh yeah, yeah

Come right back I just can't bear it
I've got this love and I long to share it
Come right back right back where you belong, oh yeah
You belong, oh yeah, you belong

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The Honeycombs

The Honeycombs were an English beat/pop group, founded in 1963 in North London. The group had one chart-topping hit, the million selling "Have I the Right?", in 1964. After that song the interest in the group ebbed away, and they split up in late 1966. The group's most distinguishing mark was their female drummer, Honey Lantree. more »

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Written by: Alan Blaikley, Kenneth Howard

Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Band Background
"The Honeycombs" were a British beat/pop group, originating in North London. The band formed in 1963 and came to fame with their song "Have I the Right?" in 1964.
Unique Aspects
This song is known for its distinctive drum sound which achieved by members of the group stomping their feet on the wooden stairs to the recording studio.
Chart Performance
"Have I the Right?" reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in August 1964. It was the band’s only number one hit.
U.S Success
The song had success in the United States as well. It reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Production
"Have I the Right?" was produced by Joe Meek, a pioneering music producer who used innovative methods and techniques in creating sounds.
Sales Achievement
The song sold over a million copies worldwide.
Gender Diversification
The Honeycombs were one of the few rock and roll bands of the time to have a woman as part of their regular line-up; Honey Lantree was the band's drummer.
Cover Versions
The song has been covered by other artists, including the Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets, the Searchers, and Showaddywaddy.
Use in Media
"Have I the Right?" has been featured in several movies and TV shows, including the British film 'Legend' in 2015.
End of the Band
Even though "Have I the Right?" was a massive success, The Honeycombs could not repeat it and the band disbanded in 1967.

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    "Have I the Right? Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/1456374/The+Honeycombs/Have+I+the+Right%3F>.

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    Have I the Right?

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1964

    Billboard #5


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