"The Three Bells", also known as "Jimmy Brown" or "Little
Jimmy Brown", is a song made popular by The Browns in 1959. The
single reached number one on the U.S. country and pop charts, .
outperforming a competing version by Dick Flood. The version by
The Browns also hit number ten on the Hot R&B Sides chart.
. It was based on the 1945 French language song "Les trois
cloches" by Jean Villard and Marc Herrand. The English lyrics
were written by Bert Reisfeld and first recorded by Melody
Maids in 1948. The song was a major 1952-53 hit by Edith Piaf
and Les Compagnons de la Chanson.
Among the many artists who covered the song are Edith Piaf
and Les Compagnons de la chanson (who recorded the original
French version), Tina Arena, Brian Poole and The Tremeloes, Ray
Charles, Nana Mouskouri, Roy Orbison, Floyd Cramer, Daniel
O'Donnell, Chet Atkins, Elaine Paige, Sha Na Na and Alison
Krauss & Union Station. It was also recorded in Dutch, as
"De drie klokken" and "Bim bam", and in Italian, as "Le Tre
Campane" by Schola Cantorum.
With lyrics in Swedish by Britt Lindeborg, Kikki Danielsson
covered the song in 1979 on her debut album,
Rock'n Yodel, as "Och vi hörde klockor ringa" ("And we
heard bells ringing").
Jim Ed Brown, one-third of the Browns, released a cover in
1969.