Hang On Sloopy
Hang On Sloopy is the title of a pop song that became a million-seller in both the version of the McCoys and the Ramsey Lewis Trio.
Genesis
Composers are the producer and song writer Bert Berns ( under the pseudonym Bert Russell) and Wes Farrell. Both were not inexperienced authors, because alone for Bert Berns 232 songs registered with BMI. Sloopy was the stage name of a jazz singer Dorothy Sloop, who inspired the authors in their composition. The Rhythm & Blues Group Vibrations recorded the song with the original title My Girl Sloopy 7 January 1964 as their second single with Atlantic Records. The play is about social stratification, because the beloved girl lives in a very bad part of town, where they tried every down going. The song with a harmonic ostinato ( |: D, G, A, G: | ) was released under its original title My Girl Sloopy / Daddy Woo -Woo in March 1964 ( Atlantic # 2221 ), reaching only # 26 of Rhythm & Blues charts.
First cover version
The white Strangeloves thereof shall be for the newly founded by Bert Berns record label Bang! Records to record a cover version of the song from rejected but after the music track was already completed for this purpose. For at the same time were the Strangeloves I Want Candy with Bang! Records already represented in the charts. Instead of this, Berns opted for a group with Beatle haircut because he trusted this more hit potential. The Strangeloves occurred with such a band that Rick & The Raiders called. About the existing music track put the producer in addition to the voices of the McCoys - amplified by session singer Ron Dante - Rick Derringer still only guitar. In July 1965, the version of the McCoys under the title Hang On Sloopy ( Bang # 506 ) and has appeared on 14 August 1965 in the pop charts. On 2 October 1965, the board finally reached for a week the top position of the U.S. top ten, was sold in the United States over a million times and received a BMI Award. Yet put in November 1965 Bang! Records an album after the title Hang On Sloopy that already the second single of the McCoys Fever was included.
Including all cover versions, the worldwide turnover of Hang On Sloopy to about 10 million records will be appreciated.
Other cover versions
The next cover as a single came from the jazz -influenced Ramsey Lewis Trio, whose instrumental version penetrated up to # 11 of the singles chart with live character in November 1965 and was also sold one million copies. With their remake of 1973 the trio won a 1974 Grammy Award for " Best R & B Instrumental Performance ".
On LPs slope is On Sloopy represented in particular by Little Caesar and the Consuls (Canada, 1965), the Supremes (LP The Supremes a Go Go, August 1966 ), the Kingsmen ( LP 15 Great Hits, August 1966 ), the Yardbirds (LP for Your Love ', July 1965) or Jan & Dean ( LP Folk' n Roll, January 1966 ). Another soulful 11 -minute cover comes from David Porter. The Kölsch rock band BAP published a version of the song on their album Wolfgang Niedecken 's BAP rocks other kölsche Leeder in 1979 and the group Die Toten Hosen who covered the song in 2000. A total of 59 cover versions are registered. In 1985 he became the official rock song of the state of Ohio and the University - Told - The Ohio State University.