Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn was fertile ground for musicians and singers. Neil Sedaka and the Tokens went there. So did songwriter/producer Bob Feldman. Bob graduated in 1958 and moved across the East River to Manhattan, where he became a staff writer for April-Blackwood Music. But five years later he heard that the Sweet Shoppe across the street from Lincoln High, his favorite hangout in the '50s, was being torn down. So he went back for a last look. "While I was there", Feldman recalls, "an altercation started between a young girl and a hoody-looking young man with a leather jacket and a great D.A. [duck's-ass hairstyle]. She was pointing a finger at him and screaming "My boyfriend's back and you're gonna be in trouble. You've been spreading lies about me all over school and when he gets ahold of you, you're gonna be sorry you were ever born. "

   That night Bob told his writing partners, Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer, about the incident and they sat down and wrote a song about it. They thought it would be a perfect tune for the Angels, a girl group they'd been using for background vocals and demos ( though it wasn't strictly a professional relationship--at the time Jerry was going out with Jiggs Allbut, one of the trio).

   But there was a slight hitch. "My Boyfriend's Back" was published by April-Blackwood Music, Feldman's employer, and the head of the company loved the song so much that he insisted on giving it to the Shirelles.   After all, the Shirelles had a proven track record of big hits and were guaranteed radio play if they cut it. Feldman refused to budge. "When we told him we intended to produce it ourselves with the Angels, here got really pissed off and locked us out of our office. About three weeks later he told us he wasn't picking up our option".   This turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the two trios. "My Boyfriend's Back" went to #1 on the charts--one of the classic girl-group records of all time--and Bob, Jerry, and Richard went into business for themselves. Later, they became singers (as the Strangeloves), discovered the McCoys, and achieved individual success with productions by War, Blondie, and the Go-Gos.