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| released = May 22, 1956 |
| released = May 22, 1956 |
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| recorded = [[Bradley Studios]], Nashville, Tennessee<ref name="AS">{{cite web|last=McDowell|first=Jay|title=The Meaning of "Be-Bop-A-Lula" by Gene Vincent and Why It's Still a Mystery Who Wrote It|url=https://americansongwriter.com/the-meaning-of-be-bop-a-lula-by-gene-vincent-and-why-its-still-a-mystery-who-wrote-it/|website=American Songwriter|date=13 February 2024|access-date=13 May 2024}}</ref> |
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"'''Be-Bop-a-Lula'''" is a [[rockabilly]] song first recorded in 1956 by [[Gene Vincent|Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps]]. |
"'''Be-Bop-a-Lula'''" is a [[rockabilly]] song first recorded in 1956 by [[Gene Vincent|Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps]]. |
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==Composition== |
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==Origins of the song== |
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Richie Unterberger of [[AllMusic]] said the track "epitomized rockabilly at its prime in 1956 with its sharp guitar breaks, spare snare drums, fluttering echo, and Vincent's breathless, sexy vocals".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Unterberger |first1=Ritchie |title=Gene Vincent Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & Mor |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gene-vincent-mn0000803720#biography |website=AllMusic}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | The writing of the song is credited to Gene Vincent and his manager, Bill "Sheriff Tex" Davis. Evidently<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rockabillyhall.com/BebopalulaAlt.html |title=The True Story On How "Be-Bop-A-Lula" Wa Written |publisher=[[Rockabilly Hall of Fame]] |work=Rockabillyhall.com |year=1999 |access-date=3 April 2014}}</ref> the song originated in 1955, when Vincent was recuperating from a motorcycle accident at the [[Naval Medical Center Portsmouth|US Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia]]. There, he met Donald Graves, who supposedly wrote the words to the song while Vincent wrote the tune. The song came to the attention of Davis, who allegedly bought out Graves' rights to the song for some $50 (sources vary as to the exact amount), and had himself credited as the lyric writer. Davis claimed that he wrote the song with Gene Vincent after listening to the song "[[Don't Bring Lulu]]". Vincent himself sometimes claimed that he wrote the words inspired by the comic strip, "[[Little Lulu]]": "I come in dead drunk and stumble over the bed. And me and Don Graves were looking at this bloody book; it was called ''Little Lulu''. And I said, "Hell, man, it's 'Be-Bop-a-Lulu.' And he said, 'Yeah, man, swinging.' And we wrote this song."<ref>{{Cite book |title=Gene Vincent: There's One in Every Town |last=Farren |first=Mick |author-link=Mick Farren |year=2004 |publisher=Do-Not Press |location=UK |isbn=1-904316-37-9 |page=30 }}</ref> |
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The phrase "Be-Bop-a-Lula" is similar to "Be-Baba-Leba", the title of a No. 3 [[R&B]] chart hit for [[Helen Humes]] in 1945, which became a bigger hit when recorded by [[Lionel Hampton]] as "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop |
The phrase "Be-Bop-a-Lula" is similar to "Be-Baba-Leba", the title of a No. 3 [[R&B]] chart hit for [[Helen Humes]] in 1945, which became a bigger hit when recorded by [[Lionel Hampton]] as "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop". This phrase, or something very similar, was widely used in jazz circles in the 1940s, giving its name to the [[bebop]] style, and possibly being ultimately derived from the shout of "Arriba! Arriba!" used by Latin American bandleaders to encourage band members.<ref>Peter Gammond, ''The Oxford Companion to Popular Music'', 1991, {{ISBN|0-19-311323-6}}</ref> |
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==Background== |
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| ⚫ | The writing of the song is credited to Gene Vincent and his manager, Bill "Sheriff Tex" Davis. Evidently<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rockabillyhall.com/BebopalulaAlt.html |title=The True Story On How "Be-Bop-A-Lula" Wa Written |publisher=[[Rockabilly Hall of Fame]] |work=Rockabillyhall.com |year=1999 |access-date=3 April 2014 |archive-date=26 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026122046/http://www.rockabillyhall.com/BebopalulaAlt.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> the song originated in 1955, when Vincent was recuperating from a motorcycle accident at the [[Naval Medical Center Portsmouth|US Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia]]. There, he met Donald Graves, who supposedly wrote the words to the song while Vincent wrote the tune. The song came to the attention of Davis, who allegedly bought out Graves' rights to the song for some $50 (sources vary as to the exact amount), and had himself credited as the lyric writer. Davis claimed that he wrote the song with Gene Vincent after listening to the song "[[Don't Bring Lulu]]". Vincent himself sometimes claimed that he wrote the words inspired by the comic strip, "[[Little Lulu]]": "I come in dead drunk and stumble over the bed. And me and Don Graves were looking at this bloody book; it was called ''Little Lulu''. And I said, "Hell, man, it's 'Be-Bop-a-Lulu.' And he said, 'Yeah, man, swinging.' And we wrote this song."<ref>{{Cite book |title=Gene Vincent: There's One in Every Town |last=Farren |first=Mick |author-link=Mick Farren |year=2004 |publisher=Do-Not Press |location=UK |isbn=1-904316-37-9 |page=30 }}</ref> |
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==Recording by Gene Vincent== |
==Recording by Gene Vincent== |
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In early 1956, Gene Vincent performed the song on a radio show in [[Norfolk, Virginia]], and recorded a [[demo (music)|demo]] version which was passed to [[Capitol Records]], who were looking for a young singer to rival [[Elvis Presley]]. Capitol invited Vincent to record the song and it was recorded at [[ |
In early 1956, Gene Vincent performed the song on a radio show in [[Norfolk, Virginia]], and recorded a [[demo (music)|demo]] version which was passed to [[Capitol Records]], who were looking for a young singer to rival [[Elvis Presley]]. Capitol invited Vincent to record the song and it was recorded at the [[Bradley Studios]] in [[Nashville, Tennessee]] on May 4, 1956. [[Cliff Gallup]] (lead guitar), [[Ervin Williams|"Wee" Willie Williams]] (rhythm guitar), "Jumpin'" Jack Neal (string bass), and Dickie "Be Bop" Harrell (drums) comprised the band.<ref>[https://www.rockabillyhall.com/gvbebop.html Gene Vincent & The Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303193850/https://www.rockabillyhall.com/gvbebop.html |date=March 3, 2016 }} Retrieved April 7, 2012.</ref> When the song was being recorded, Harrell screamed twice in the background, he said because he wanted to be sure his mother could hear it was him on the record. |
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{{quote box|quote= Now this is the first record I ever bought when I was a kid, and I saved up my pocket money for months, and then I took the bus down-town to the record shop, and I remember going into the back of the shop and listening to the record and loving it. It was just very early days of rock’n’roll, so it was just such a thrill, and then I got back on the bus, went home and played it endlessly, and these memories, of Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps singing ''Be-Bop-A-Lula'' will stay with me forever. <br> – [[Paul McCartney]], 2020<ref>{{cite web|last1=Sexton|first1=Paul|title=Paul McCartney Gives A Record Store Day Shout Out To Gene Vincent|url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/paul-mccartney-shout-out-to-gene-vincent/|year=2020}}</ref>|width=30%|align=right|style=padding:8px;}} |
{{quote box|quote= Now this is the first record I ever bought when I was a kid, and I saved up my pocket money for months, and then I took the bus down-town to the record shop, and I remember going into the back of the shop and listening to the record and loving it. It was just very early days of rock’n’roll, so it was just such a thrill, and then I got back on the bus, went home and played it endlessly, and these memories, of Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps singing ''Be-Bop-A-Lula'' will stay with me forever. <br /> – [[Paul McCartney]], 2020<ref>{{cite web|last1=Sexton|first1=Paul|title=Paul McCartney Gives A Record Store Day Shout Out To Gene Vincent|url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/paul-mccartney-shout-out-to-gene-vincent/|year=2020}}</ref>|width=30%|align=right|style=padding:8px;}} |
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The song was released in June 1956 on Capitol Records' single F3450, and immediately sold well. The song was successful on three American singles charts: it peaked at No. 7 on the US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' pop music chart, No. 8 on the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|R&B]] chart,<ref>{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=604}}</ref> and also made the top ten on the [[Hot Country Songs|C&W Best Seller chart]] peaking at No. 5.<ref>{{cite book |title= The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944–2006, Second edition|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=365}}</ref> In the UK, it peaked at No. 16 in August 1956.<ref name=betts>{{cite book| first= Graham| last= Betts| year=2004| title= Complete UK Hit Singles 1952–2004| edition= 1st|publisher= Collins| location= London| isbn= 0-00-717931-6| page=825}}</ref> In April 1957, the record company announced that over 2 million copies had been sold to date.{{citation needed|date=June 2011}} |
The song was released in June 1956 on Capitol Records' single F3450, and immediately sold well. The song was successful on three American singles charts: it peaked at No. 7 on the US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' pop music chart, No. 8 on the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|R&B]] chart,<ref>{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=604}}</ref> and also made the top ten on the [[Hot Country Songs|C&W Best Seller chart]] peaking at No. 5.<ref>{{cite book |title= The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944–2006, Second edition|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=365}}</ref> In the UK, it peaked at No. 16 in August 1956.<ref name=betts>{{cite book| first= Graham| last= Betts| year=2004| title= Complete UK Hit Singles 1952–2004| edition= 1st|publisher= Collins| location= London| isbn= 0-00-717931-6| page=825}}</ref> In April 1957, the record company announced that over 2 million copies had been sold to date.{{citation needed|date=June 2011}} |
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The original demo for the song, probably recorded at radio station WCMS, has never been located and is presumed lost.{{citation needed|date=January 2014}} The song drew comparisons to Presley<ref name=pc8>{{Gilliland |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19756/m1/ |title=Show 8 |
The original demo for the song, probably recorded at radio station WCMS, has never been located and is presumed lost.{{citation needed|date=January 2014}} The song drew comparisons to Presley<ref name=pc8>{{Gilliland |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19756/m1/ |title=Show 8 – The All American Boy: Enter Elvis and the rock-a-billies. [Part 2] |show=8}} Track 3.</ref> and is listed as No. 103 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]'''s [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|500 Greatest Songs of All Time]].<ref name=rs>{{Cite magazine |
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|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/gene-vincent-and-his-blue-caps-be-bop-a-lula-20110526 |title=The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=2008-04-10 |date=2004-12-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622142703/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs/page/2 |archive-date=2008-06-22 |url-status= live }}</ref> |
|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/gene-vincent-and-his-blue-caps-be-bop-a-lula-20110526 |title=The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=2008-04-10 |date=2004-12-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622142703/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs/page/2 |archive-date=2008-06-22 |url-status= live }}</ref> |
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[[Steve Allen]] mocked the lyrics to the song by reading them in a pseudo-serious tone accompanied by light piano background music in a September 1957 broadcast of ''[[The Steve Allen Show]]''.<ref>{{Cite book |title=TV-a-Go-Go: Rock on TV from American Bandstand to American Idol |last=Austen |first=Jake |year=2005 |publisher=Chicago Review Press |location=Chicago, IL |isbn= 978-1-56976-241-7 |page=13 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GYa5olqdl4UC&pg=PA13 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://xoteria.com/CH16.html |title=Steve Allen spoofs Be-Bop-A-Lula lyrics |year=2013 |publisher=Carlson International Entertainment-Communications Group |work=Xoteria.com |access-date=31 March 2014 }}</ref> |
[[Steve Allen]] mocked the lyrics to the song by reading them in a pseudo-serious tone accompanied by light piano background music in a September 1957 broadcast of ''[[The Steve Allen Show]]''.<ref>{{Cite book |title=TV-a-Go-Go: Rock on TV from American Bandstand to American Idol |last=Austen |first=Jake |year=2005 |publisher=Chicago Review Press |location=Chicago, IL |isbn= 978-1-56976-241-7 |page=13 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GYa5olqdl4UC&pg=PA13 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://xoteria.com/CH16.html |title=Steve Allen spoofs Be-Bop-A-Lula lyrics |year=2013 |publisher=Carlson International Entertainment-Communications Group |work=Xoteria.com |access-date=31 March 2014 }}</ref> |
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Vincent recorded a new version of the song in 1963 which appeared on the flip-side of the single "The King of Fools".<ref>https://www.45cat.com/record/pro2276 |
Vincent recorded a new version of the song in 1963 which appeared on the flip-side of the single "The King of Fools".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.45cat.com/record/pro2276|title=45cat – Gene Vincent – Be-Bop-A-Lula / The King Of Fools – Capitol – USA – PRO 2276}}</ref> |
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Vincent is featured singing the song in the movie ''[[The Girl Can't Help It]]'' which was released in December 1956. |
Vincent is featured singing the song in the movie ''[[The Girl Can't Help It]]'' which was released in December 1956. |
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In 1999, the 1956 recording of the song on [[Capitol Records]] was inducted into the [[Grammy Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=GRAMMY Hall Of Fame {{!}} Hall of Fame Artists {{!}} GRAMMY.com |url=https://www.grammy.com/awards/hall-of-fame-award#b |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=grammy.com}}</ref> |
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==Cover versions== |
==Cover versions== |
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"Be-Bop-a-Lula" has been covered by numerous and varied artists. [[The Everly Brothers]] released a version only two years after Vincent's, on their 1958 [[The Everly Brothers (album)|self-titled debut album]],<ref name="EverlyAM">{{allmusicguide|class=song |id=be-bop-a-lula-mt0015414389 |label=The Everly Brothers, "Be-Bop-A-Lula" }}</ref> and they included it as part of the setlist at their Royal Albert Hall reunion concert in 1983.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Great Rock Discography |last=Strong |first=Martin Charles |year=2004 |publisher=Canongate Books |location=Edinburgh |isbn=978-1-84195-615-2 |page=516 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_WoRAPJQ58sC&pg=PA516 }}</ref> English rock band [[The Shadows|The Drifters]] covered the song for [[Cliff Richard]] and the group’s own debut album, ''[[Cliff (album)|Cliff]]'', in 1959.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Cliff Richard: The Biography |last=Turner |first=Steve |year=2008 |publisher=Lion Hudson |location=Oxford |isbn= 978-0-7459-5279-6 |page=134 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=He0S6tFOGPUC&pg=PA134 }}</ref> Vincent's rockabilly colleague [[Jerry Lee Lewis]] recorded it for the 1971 album ''Monsters'',<ref name="MonstersAM">{{allmusicguide|class=album |id=mw0000841070 |label=Jerry Lee Lewis, ''Monsters''}}</ref> and [[Carl Perkins]] offered his own take in 1996 on the album ''The Man & The Legend''.<ref name="PerkinsAM">{{allmusicguide|class=album |id=mw0000613269 |label=Carl Perkins, ''The Man & The Legend''}}</ref> |
"Be-Bop-a-Lula" has been covered by numerous and varied artists. [[The Everly Brothers]] released a version only two years after Vincent's, on their 1958 [[The Everly Brothers (album)|self-titled debut album]],<ref name="EverlyAM">{{allmusicguide|class=song |id=be-bop-a-lula-mt0015414389 |label=The Everly Brothers, "Be-Bop-A-Lula" }}</ref> and they included it as part of the setlist at their Royal Albert Hall reunion concert in 1983.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Great Rock Discography |last=Strong |first=Martin Charles |year=2004 |publisher=Canongate Books |location=Edinburgh |isbn=978-1-84195-615-2 |page=516 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_WoRAPJQ58sC&pg=PA516 }}</ref> English rock band [[The Shadows|The Drifters]] covered the song for [[Cliff Richard]] and the group’s own debut album, ''[[Cliff (album)|Cliff]]'', in 1959.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Cliff Richard: The Biography |last=Turner |first=Steve |year=2008 |publisher=Lion Hudson |location=Oxford |isbn= 978-0-7459-5279-6 |page=134 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=He0S6tFOGPUC&pg=PA134 }}</ref> Vincent's rockabilly colleague [[Jerry Lee Lewis]] recorded it for the 1971 album ''Monsters'',<ref name="MonstersAM">{{allmusicguide|class=album |id=mw0000841070 |label=Jerry Lee Lewis, ''Monsters''}}</ref> and [[Carl Perkins]] offered his own take in 1996 on the album ''The Man & The Legend''.<ref name="PerkinsAM">{{allmusicguide|class=album |id=mw0000613269 |label=Carl Perkins, ''The Man & The Legend''}}</ref> |
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[[The Beatles]] played the song regularly during [[The Beatles#1957–62: formation, Hamburg, and UK popularity|their early years]],<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles |last=Womack |first=Kenneth |author-link=Kenneth Womack |year=2009 |publisher=Cambridge University Press | series = [[Cambridge Companions to Music]]|location=Cambridge |isbn=978-0-521-86965-2 |page=30 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vW75rdouJD0C&pg=PA30 }}</ref> and a raucous live version (complete with guest vocals) can be heard on ''[[Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962]]''.<ref name="StarClubAM">{{allmusicguide|class=album |id=mw0000883120 |label=The Beatles, ''Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962''}}</ref><ref name="Harry">{{Cite web |last=Harry |first=Bill |author-link=Bill Harry |title=A Man Called Horst |url=http://www.triumphpc.com/mersey-beat/beatles/horst.shtml |work=[[Mersey Beat]] |access-date=23 March 2014 }}</ref><ref name="Kane180">{{Cite book |title=When They Were Boys: The True Story of the Beatles' Rise to the Top |last=Kane |first=Larry |author-link=Larry Kane |year=2013 |publisher=Running Press |location=Philadelphia, PA |isbn=978-0-7624-4014-6 |page=[https://archive.org/details/whentheywereboys00kane/page/180 180] |url=https://archive.org/details/whentheywereboys00kane |url-access=registration }}</ref> [[John Lennon]] later recorded the song for his 1975 album ''[[Rock 'n' Roll (John Lennon album)|Rock 'n' Roll]]'',<ref name="LennonAM">{{allmusicguide|class=album |id=mw0000194596 |label=John Lennon, ''Rock 'n' Roll''}}</ref> and it was used as the B-side for the [[Apple Records|Apple]] single release of "[[Ya Ya]]" in Germany later that year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/John-Lennon-Ya-Ya-Be-Bop-A-Lula/release/3547687 |title=John Lennon, "Ya Ya" / "Be-Bop-A-Lula" (vinyl) |publisher=Discogs.com |access-date=23 March 2014}}</ref> [[Paul McCartney]] performed an acoustic version on the 1991 live album ''[[Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)]]''.<ref name="McCartneyAM">{{allmusicguide|class=album |id=mw0000267330 |label=Paul McCartney, ''Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)''}}</ref> |
[[The Beatles]] played the song regularly during [[The Beatles#1957–62: formation, Hamburg, and UK popularity|their early years]],<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles |last=Womack |first=Kenneth |author-link=Kenneth Womack |year=2009 |publisher=Cambridge University Press | series = [[Cambridge Companions to Music]]|location=Cambridge |isbn=978-0-521-86965-2 |page=30 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vW75rdouJD0C&pg=PA30 }}</ref> and a raucous live version (complete with guest vocals by Fred Fascher) can be heard on ''[[Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962]]''.<ref name="StarClubAM">{{allmusicguide|class=album |id=mw0000883120 |label=The Beatles, ''Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962''}}</ref><ref name="Harry">{{Cite web |last=Harry |first=Bill |author-link=Bill Harry |title=A Man Called Horst |url=http://www.triumphpc.com/mersey-beat/beatles/horst.shtml |work=[[Mersey Beat]] |access-date=23 March 2014 }}</ref><ref name="Kane180">{{Cite book |title=When They Were Boys: The True Story of the Beatles' Rise to the Top |last=Kane |first=Larry |author-link=Larry Kane |year=2013 |publisher=Running Press |location=Philadelphia, PA |isbn=978-0-7624-4014-6 |page=[https://archive.org/details/whentheywereboys00kane/page/180 180] |url=https://archive.org/details/whentheywereboys00kane |url-access=registration }}</ref> [[John Lennon]] later recorded the song for his 1975 album ''[[Rock 'n' Roll (John Lennon album)|Rock 'n' Roll]]'',<ref name="LennonAM">{{allmusicguide|class=album |id=mw0000194596 |label=John Lennon, ''Rock 'n' Roll''}}</ref> and it was used as the B-side for the [[Apple Records|Apple]] single release of "[[Ya Ya (Lee Dorsey song)|Ya Ya]]" in Germany later that year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/John-Lennon-Ya-Ya-Be-Bop-A-Lula/release/3547687 |title=John Lennon, "Ya Ya" / "Be-Bop-A-Lula" (vinyl) |date=June 1975 |publisher=Discogs.com |access-date=23 March 2014}}</ref> [[Paul McCartney]] performed an acoustic version on the 1991 live album ''[[Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)]]''.<ref name="McCartneyAM">{{allmusicguide|class=album |id=mw0000267330 |label=Paul McCartney, ''Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)''}}</ref> |
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The song has also been recorded by: |
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*[[Alan Vega]] |
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*[[Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs]] |
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*[[Boney M.]] |
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*[[Burton Cummings]] |
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*[[David Cassidy]] |
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*[[David Essex]] |
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*[[Demented Are Go]] |
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*[[Eddy Mitchell]] |
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*[[Foghat]] |
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*[[Gene Summers]] |
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*[[John Lennon]] |
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*[[Karel Gott]] |
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* [[Link Wray]] |
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*[[Orion (musician)|Orion]] |
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*[[Queen (band)|Queen]] |
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*[[Raul Seixas]] |
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*[[Stray Cats]] |
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*[[Suicide (band)|Suicide]] |
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*[[The 77s]] |
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* [[The Spotnicks]] |
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==In popular culture== |
==In popular culture== |
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Vincent's original version of the song is featured in the soundtracks of several films including ''[[The Girl Can't Help It]]'' (1956),<ref>{{cite web|title=''The Girl Can't Help It'' (1956) |
Vincent's original version of the song is featured in the soundtracks of several films including ''[[The Girl Can't Help It]]'' (1956),<ref>{{cite web|title=''The Girl Can't Help It'' (1956) – Soundtracks|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049263/soundtrack/?ref_=tt_trv_snd|publisher=[[IMDb]]}}</ref> in which Vincent and several other early rock 'n' roll stars appeared in cameo performances, as well as ''[[The Delinquents (1989 film)|The Delinquents]]'' (1989),<ref>{{Discogs release|2146063|The Delinquents – Original Soundtrack|type=album}}</ref> ''[[Wild at Heart (film)|Wild At Heart]]'' (1990),<ref>{{Discogs release|694976|Wild At Heart – Original Soundtrack|type=album}}</ref> and ''[[Pleasantville (film)|Pleasantville]]'' (1998).<ref>{{Discogs release|416476|Pleasantville – Original Soundtrack|type=album}}</ref> |
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In the late 1960s and early 1970s, [[George Harrison]] played a psychedelic [[Fender Stratocaster|Stratocaster]] called "Rocky", which bore on its face the one-word slogan "Bebopalula".<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Fender Stratocaster: The Life & Times of the World's Greatest Guitar |last=Hunter |first=Dave |year=2013 |publisher=Voyageur Press |location=Minneapolis, MN |isbn=978-0-7603-4484-2 |page=141 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bScQAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA141 }}</ref> The song is name-checked in the opening of [[Dire Straits]]' 1985 hit "[[Walk of Life]]" as one of the great "[[golden oldies|oldies, goldies]]".<ref>{{allmusicguide |class=song |id=walk-of-life-mt0006065299 |tab=lyrics |label="Walk of Life" by Dire Straits }}</ref> |
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, [[George Harrison]] played a psychedelic [[Fender Stratocaster|Stratocaster]] called "Rocky", which bore on its face the one-word slogan "Bebopalula".<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Fender Stratocaster: The Life & Times of the World's Greatest Guitar |last=Hunter |first=Dave |year=2013 |publisher=Voyageur Press |location=Minneapolis, MN |isbn=978-0-7603-4484-2 |page=141 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bScQAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA141 }}</ref> The song is name-checked in the opening of [[Dire Straits]]' 1985 hit "[[Walk of Life]]" as one of the great "[[golden oldies|oldies, goldies]]".<ref>{{allmusicguide |class=song |id=walk-of-life-mt0006065299 |tab=lyrics |label="Walk of Life" by Dire Straits }}</ref> |
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[[John Lennon]], a great admirer of the song, mentioned it in the final interview he recorded on December 8, 1980, noting, "If the oldies but goldies come on (the radio), it’s one of my favorites, if I hear "Be-Bop-a-Lula", I can hear it over and over again. Every time it comes on I switch up the thing, and I have the record still.” <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beatlesarchive.net/john-lennons-last-interview-december-8-1980.html|title=John Lennon's last interview, December 8, 1980|date=1980}}</ref> |
[[John Lennon]], a great admirer of the song, mentioned it in the final interview he recorded on December 8, 1980, noting, "If the oldies but goldies come on (the radio), it’s one of my favorites, if I hear "Be-Bop-a-Lula", I can hear it over and over again. Every time it comes on I switch up the thing, and I have the record still.” <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beatlesarchive.net/john-lennons-last-interview-december-8-1980.html|title=John Lennon's last interview, December 8, 1980|date=1980}}</ref> |
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[[Spinvis]], a Dutch one-man music project, released his seventh album ''Be-Bop-a-Lula'' on April 7, 2023, named after this song. The album-opening song ''Tingeltangel Hersenpan'' also mentions Be-Bop-a-Lula in the pre-chorus. <ref>{{cite web |date=2023 |title=Be-Bop-A-Lula by Spinvis |url=https://spinvis.bandcamp.com/album/be-bop-a-lula}}</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Latest revision as of 21:24, 17 December 2024
| "Be-Bop-a-Lula" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps | ||||
| B-side | "Woman Love" | |||
| Released | May 22, 1956 | |||
| Recorded | Bradley Studios, Nashville, Tennessee[1] | |||
| Genre | Rockabilly | |||
| Length | 2:34 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Gene Vincent, Donald Graves, Bill "Sheriff Tex" Davis | |||
| Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "Be-Bop-a-Lula" on YouTube | ||||
"Be-Bop-a-Lula" is a rockabilly song first recorded in 1956 by Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps.
Composition
[edit]Richie Unterberger of AllMusic said the track "epitomized rockabilly at its prime in 1956 with its sharp guitar breaks, spare snare drums, fluttering echo, and Vincent's breathless, sexy vocals".[2]
The phrase "Be-Bop-a-Lula" is similar to "Be-Baba-Leba", the title of a No. 3 R&B chart hit for Helen Humes in 1945, which became a bigger hit when recorded by Lionel Hampton as "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop". This phrase, or something very similar, was widely used in jazz circles in the 1940s, giving its name to the bebop style, and possibly being ultimately derived from the shout of "Arriba! Arriba!" used by Latin American bandleaders to encourage band members.[3]
Background
[edit]The writing of the song is credited to Gene Vincent and his manager, Bill "Sheriff Tex" Davis. Evidently[4] the song originated in 1955, when Vincent was recuperating from a motorcycle accident at the US Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia. There, he met Donald Graves, who supposedly wrote the words to the song while Vincent wrote the tune. The song came to the attention of Davis, who allegedly bought out Graves' rights to the song for some $50 (sources vary as to the exact amount), and had himself credited as the lyric writer. Davis claimed that he wrote the song with Gene Vincent after listening to the song "Don't Bring Lulu". Vincent himself sometimes claimed that he wrote the words inspired by the comic strip, "Little Lulu": "I come in dead drunk and stumble over the bed. And me and Don Graves were looking at this bloody book; it was called Little Lulu. And I said, "Hell, man, it's 'Be-Bop-a-Lulu.' And he said, 'Yeah, man, swinging.' And we wrote this song."[5]
Recording by Gene Vincent
[edit]In early 1956, Gene Vincent performed the song on a radio show in Norfolk, Virginia, and recorded a demo version which was passed to Capitol Records, who were looking for a young singer to rival Elvis Presley. Capitol invited Vincent to record the song and it was recorded at the Bradley Studios in Nashville, Tennessee on May 4, 1956. Cliff Gallup (lead guitar), "Wee" Willie Williams (rhythm guitar), "Jumpin'" Jack Neal (string bass), and Dickie "Be Bop" Harrell (drums) comprised the band.[6] When the song was being recorded, Harrell screamed twice in the background, he said because he wanted to be sure his mother could hear it was him on the record.
Now this is the first record I ever bought when I was a kid, and I saved up my pocket money for months, and then I took the bus down-town to the record shop, and I remember going into the back of the shop and listening to the record and loving it. It was just very early days of rock’n’roll, so it was just such a thrill, and then I got back on the bus, went home and played it endlessly, and these memories, of Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps singing Be-Bop-A-Lula will stay with me forever.
– Paul McCartney, 2020[7]
The song was released in June 1956 on Capitol Records' single F3450, and immediately sold well. The song was successful on three American singles charts: it peaked at No. 7 on the US Billboard pop music chart, No. 8 on the R&B chart,[8] and also made the top ten on the C&W Best Seller chart peaking at No. 5.[9] In the UK, it peaked at No. 16 in August 1956.[10] In April 1957, the record company announced that over 2 million copies had been sold to date.[citation needed]
The original demo for the song, probably recorded at radio station WCMS, has never been located and is presumed lost.[citation needed] The song drew comparisons to Presley[11] and is listed as No. 103 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[12]
Steve Allen mocked the lyrics to the song by reading them in a pseudo-serious tone accompanied by light piano background music in a September 1957 broadcast of The Steve Allen Show.[13][14]
Vincent recorded a new version of the song in 1963 which appeared on the flip-side of the single "The King of Fools".[15]
Vincent is featured singing the song in the movie The Girl Can't Help It which was released in December 1956.
In 1999, the 1956 recording of the song on Capitol Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[16]
Cover versions
[edit]"Be-Bop-a-Lula" has been covered by numerous and varied artists. The Everly Brothers released a version only two years after Vincent's, on their 1958 self-titled debut album,[17] and they included it as part of the setlist at their Royal Albert Hall reunion concert in 1983.[18] English rock band The Drifters covered the song for Cliff Richard and the group’s own debut album, Cliff, in 1959.[19] Vincent's rockabilly colleague Jerry Lee Lewis recorded it for the 1971 album Monsters,[20] and Carl Perkins offered his own take in 1996 on the album The Man & The Legend.[21]
The Beatles played the song regularly during their early years,[22] and a raucous live version (complete with guest vocals by Fred Fascher) can be heard on Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962.[23][24][25] John Lennon later recorded the song for his 1975 album Rock 'n' Roll,[26] and it was used as the B-side for the Apple single release of "Ya Ya" in Germany later that year.[27] Paul McCartney performed an acoustic version on the 1991 live album Unplugged (The Official Bootleg).[28]
In popular culture
[edit]Vincent's original version of the song is featured in the soundtracks of several films including The Girl Can't Help It (1956),[29] in which Vincent and several other early rock 'n' roll stars appeared in cameo performances, as well as The Delinquents (1989),[30] Wild At Heart (1990),[31] and Pleasantville (1998).[32]
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, George Harrison played a psychedelic Stratocaster called "Rocky", which bore on its face the one-word slogan "Bebopalula".[33] The song is name-checked in the opening of Dire Straits' 1985 hit "Walk of Life" as one of the great "oldies, goldies".[34]
Italian DJ and TV personality Red Ronnie (a.k.a. Gabriele Anzaloni) named his first and long-running TV show after the song, also using Vincent's performance in the film The Girl Can't Help It as the signature tune of the show (accompanied by cartoonist Bonvi's Sturmtruppen-inspired animations).
The song features in the soundtrack of Jack Smith's infamous avant-garde film, Flaming Creatures (1963).
A cover version of the song by Chris Cawte appears in the animated film Planet 51.
John Lennon, a great admirer of the song, mentioned it in the final interview he recorded on December 8, 1980, noting, "If the oldies but goldies come on (the radio), it’s one of my favorites, if I hear "Be-Bop-a-Lula", I can hear it over and over again. Every time it comes on I switch up the thing, and I have the record still.” [35]
Spinvis, a Dutch one-man music project, released his seventh album Be-Bop-a-Lula on April 7, 2023, named after this song. The album-opening song Tingeltangel Hersenpan also mentions Be-Bop-a-Lula in the pre-chorus. [36]
References
[edit]- ^ McDowell, Jay (13 February 2024). "The Meaning of "Be-Bop-A-Lula" by Gene Vincent and Why It's Still a Mystery Who Wrote It". American Songwriter. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ Unterberger, Ritchie. "Gene Vincent Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & Mor". AllMusic.
- ^ Peter Gammond, The Oxford Companion to Popular Music, 1991, ISBN 0-19-311323-6
- ^ "The True Story On How "Be-Bop-A-Lula" Wa Written". Rockabillyhall.com. Rockabilly Hall of Fame. 1999. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
- ^ Farren, Mick (2004). Gene Vincent: There's One in Every Town. UK: Do-Not Press. p. 30. ISBN 1-904316-37-9.
- ^ Gene Vincent & The Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula" Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved April 7, 2012.
- ^ Sexton, Paul (2020). "Paul McCartney Gives A Record Store Day Shout Out To Gene Vincent".
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 604.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944–2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 365.
- ^ Betts, Graham (2004). Complete UK Hit Singles 1952–2004 (1st ed.). London: Collins. p. 825. ISBN 0-00-717931-6.
- ^ Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 8 – The All American Boy: Enter Elvis and the rock-a-billies. [Part 2]" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries. Track 3.
- ^ "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. 2004-12-09. Archived from the original on 2008-06-22. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
- ^ Austen, Jake (2005). TV-a-Go-Go: Rock on TV from American Bandstand to American Idol. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-56976-241-7.
- ^ "Steve Allen spoofs Be-Bop-A-Lula lyrics". Xoteria.com. Carlson International Entertainment-Communications Group. 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
- ^ "45cat – Gene Vincent – Be-Bop-A-Lula / The King Of Fools – Capitol – USA – PRO 2276".
- ^ "GRAMMY Hall Of Fame | Hall of Fame Artists | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
- ^ The Everly Brothers, "Be-Bop-A-Lula" at AllMusic
- ^ Strong, Martin Charles (2004). The Great Rock Discography. Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 516. ISBN 978-1-84195-615-2.
- ^ Turner, Steve (2008). Cliff Richard: The Biography. Oxford: Lion Hudson. p. 134. ISBN 978-0-7459-5279-6.
- ^ Jerry Lee Lewis, Monsters at AllMusic
- ^ Carl Perkins, The Man & The Legend at AllMusic
- ^ Womack, Kenneth (2009). The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles. Cambridge Companions to Music. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 30. ISBN 978-0-521-86965-2.
- ^ The Beatles, Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962 at AllMusic
- ^ Harry, Bill. "A Man Called Horst". Mersey Beat. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
- ^ Kane, Larry (2013). When They Were Boys: The True Story of the Beatles' Rise to the Top. Philadelphia, PA: Running Press. p. 180. ISBN 978-0-7624-4014-6.
- ^ John Lennon, Rock 'n' Roll at AllMusic
- ^ "John Lennon, "Ya Ya" / "Be-Bop-A-Lula" (vinyl)". Discogs.com. June 1975. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
- ^ Paul McCartney, Unplugged (The Official Bootleg) at AllMusic
- ^ "The Girl Can't Help It (1956) – Soundtracks". IMDb.
- ^ The Delinquents – Original Soundtrack at Discogs
- ^ Wild At Heart – Original Soundtrack at Discogs
- ^ Pleasantville – Original Soundtrack at Discogs
- ^ Hunter, Dave (2013). The Fender Stratocaster: The Life & Times of the World's Greatest Guitar. Minneapolis, MN: Voyageur Press. p. 141. ISBN 978-0-7603-4484-2.
- ^ "Walk of Life" by Dire Straits at AllMusic
- ^ "John Lennon's last interview, December 8, 1980". 1980.
- ^ "Be-Bop-A-Lula by Spinvis". 2023.
