Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" John penned liner notes for the 2000 CD reissue, writing: 'This is an album which I have loved for a long time... "Carl and the Passions: So Tough" has moments of breathtaking genius and experimentation. When this record was released, I remember how different and fresh it sounded. It still does'. English Britpop band Saint Etienne used the title "So Tough" for their 1993 album as an homage to the Beach Boys. Likewise, they also named their compilation of the same year, "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone", after the Beach Boys song. Track notes per 2000
The Passions (American band) Octavia. Released in August 1959 on Sol Winkler’s Audicon label, the Passions’ impeccable harmonies and Gallagher’s impassioned lead put "Just to Be with You" on radios across America. It was a top 20 hit in many eastern cities and it charted nationally, rising to number 69. The follow-up out of Audicon’s 1674 Broadway digs was twice as good. Both sides—the harmony filled "I Only Want You" and the beautiful Billy Dawn Smith ballad "This Is My Love" –vied for radio play and sales throughout the states. They were managed by Jim Gribble who managed several doo-wop groups including the Mystics