"K. C. Loving" | |
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Single by Little Willie Littlefield | |
B-side | "Pleading at Midnight" |
Released | 1952 |
Recorded | Los Angeles, August 12, 1952 |
Genre | R&B |
Label | Federal |
Songwriter(s) | Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller |
Official audio | |
"K. C. Loving" on YouTube |
"Kansas City" is a rhythm and blues song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller in 1952. [1] First recorded by Little Willie Littlefield the same year, as "K. C. Loving", the song later became a chart-topping hit when it was recorded by Wilbert Harrison in 1959. "Kansas City" is one of Leiber and Stoller's "most recorded tunes, with more than three hundred versions", [2] with several appearing in the R&B and pop record charts.
"Kansas City" was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, two nineteen-year-old rhythm and blues fans from Los Angeles. Neither had been to Kansas City, but were inspired by Big Joe Turner records. [3]
I'm goin' to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come (2×)
They got a crazy way of lovin' there, and I'm gonna get me some
I'm gonna be standing on the corner, of Twelfth Street and Vine (2×)
With my Kansas City baby, and a bottle of Kansas City wine
Through a connection to producer Ralph Bass, they wrote "Kansas City" specifically for West Coast blues/R&B artist Little Willie Littlefield. [2] There was an initial disagreement between the two writers over the song's melody: Leiber (who wrote the lyrics) preferred a traditional blues song, while Stoller wanted a more distinctive vocal line; Stoller ultimately prevailed. They taught the song to Littlefield at Maxwell Davis' house, who arranged and provided the tenor sax for the song. [2] Littlefield recorded the song in Los Angeles in 1952, during his first recording session for Federal Records, a King Records subsidiary. Federal's Ralph Bass changed the title to "K. C. Loving", [4] which he reportedly considered to sound "hipper" than "Kansas City". Littlefield's record had some success in parts of the U.S., but it did not reach the national chart.
In 1955, Little Richard recorded two rather different versions of "Kansas City", both of which were not released until years later. [5] The first version, which was close to the original song, was released in November 1970, on the compilation album Well Alright!. Little Richard substantially re-worked the song for his second version, particularly the refrain starting with words "Hey, hey, hey, hey; Hey baby, hey child, hey now". It was released in late 1958 on The Fabulous Little Richard and in April 1959 as a single. [6]
On May 9, 1956, Little Richard recorded "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey", also known as "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey! (Goin' Back to Birmingham)", [5] which was similar to a part of the second version of "Kansas City" recorded six months earlier. Credited to Richard, it was released in January 1958 as the B-side of "Good Golly, Miss Molly" and in July 1958 on Little Richard . [6]
"Kansas City" | |
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Single by Wilbert Harrison | |
B-side | "Listen, My Darling" |
Released | April 1959 |
Recorded | New York City, March 1959 |
Genre | R&B [7] |
Length | 2:22 |
Label | Fury |
Songwriter(s) | Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller |
Producer(s) | Bobby Robinson |
Official audio | |
"Kansas City" on YouTube |
In 1959, after several years of performing Littlefield's "K. C. Loving", Wilbert Harrison decided to record the song. In March 1959, after Little Richard's version was released, Harrison, with a trio including guitarist Wild Jimmy Spruill, recorded it in a New York studio for producer Bobby Robinson of Fury Records. [8] "Kansas City" was released on a single by Fury later that year.
Although the song's arrangement varied little from Littlefield's, it "struck such a solid shuffle groove that it was unforgettable", with inspired rhythm and solo guitar work by Spruill. [3] [9] Harrison's song was issued with Leiber and Stoller's original name, "Kansas City", but changed the refrain to "They got some crazy little women there, and I'm gonna get me one" [4] and dropped one twelve-bar section.
Shortly after the song's release, several other versions appeared. Billboard magazine's pop song pick of the week for March 30, 1959, listed five different releases of "Kansas City": Harrison's and versions by Hank Ballard and The Midnighters, [10] Rocky Olson, [11] Rockin' Ronald & the Rebels, [12] and a reissue by Littlefield. [13] A week later, the magazine announced the single release of a version by Little Richard. Although Ballard's and Richard's versions both appeared in the lower reaches of the Billboard charts, Harrison's was a runaway hit, reaching number one in both the R&B and pop charts, where it remained for seven weeks, [14] and became one of the top selling records of 1959. [15] In Belgium, the single reached numbers 18 in Flanders [16] and 24 in Wallonia. [17] Harrison also recorded an answer song to the same tune as "Kansas City", called "Goodbye Kansas City", which was released on a single by Fury Records in 1960.
The Beatles' version
In October 1964, the Beatles recorded Little Richard's "Kansas City" (titled "Kansas City"/"Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey"), a song they began performing in Spring 1961 while in Hamburg. [18] BackgroundPaul McCartney discovered the track in the first half of 1959 when Little Richard's 1955 medley "Kansas City"/"Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey" was re-released as a 45 in Britain. McCartney revered this particular rendition and was unaware of Wilbert Harrison's version. [19] The Beatles' earliest performance of the song can be dated to the early summer of 1960 with its appearance on a set list McCartney copied to a piece of scrap paper. [20] During their first professional recording session in June 1961, the Beatles likely recorded the song with Tony Sheridan, though outtakes of this track likely no longer exist. [21] The Beatles made their first appearance on television on August 22, 1962, performing "Some Other Guy" and "Kansas City"/"Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey" at The Cavern Club. [22] The audio is the earliest surviving instance of McCartney's "Little Richard voice", which Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn notes is "impressive", [23] with "the high notes sung loud, strong, melodically and excitingly for two and a half minutes." [24] The song is again heard during their December 1962 performance at the Star-Club in Hamburg, [25] officially released in 1977 as Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962 . [26] They recorded the medley for a BBC Light Programme on July 16, 1963, released in 1994 on Live at the BBC . [27] Musicologist and writer Ian MacDonald describes this rendition as "one of the highlights of this generally mediocre collection, featuring a strong McCartney vocal and an attacking Harrison solo." [28] A month before recording the track in the studio, they performed it during a September 17, 1964 concert at Kansas City Municipal Stadium, a one-time addition to their usual setlist. [29] [30] [ page needed ] [31] MacDonald writes, "the reaction it drew ensured its place on the LP." [32] RecordingOn Sunday, October 18, 1964, during a day off from their 1964 UK Tour, the Beatles recorded a medley of "Kansas City"/"Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey". [33] While rehearsing the song, McCartney found some parts difficult to sing. He later recalled that John Lennon pulled him aside and encouraged him, saying, "Come on man, you can do it better than this, get up there!". [34] Recorded in only two takes, take one was marked "best". [33] Each take includes a different guitar solo from George Harrison, indicating he improvised. [35] Harrison plays his Country Gent guitar and Lennon plays his 1958 Rickenbacker 325 Capri. [36] Producer George Martin overdubbed a piano contribution on his Steinway and Ringo Starr provided the drums. [36] Lewisohn describes the part as "barely discernible on record." [33] Martin and engineers Norman Smith and Tony Clark mixed the track for mono and stereo on October 26. [37] The track differs from Little Richard's in its simplified walking bass and triplet piano chords, which MacDonald writes, "[imparts] a sassy swing to a performance let down only by its lightweight mono mix." [32] MacDonald concludes that it is "one of the Beatles' best covers." [38] ReleaseThe Beatles released the track in the UK on December 4, 1964, on their album Beatles for Sale . Release in the US came the following year on June 14, 1965, on Beatles VI . [32] As part of Capitol Records' "Starline" series, the track was the B-side of "Boys" on an October 1965 single. [39] The Beatles released take two on the 1995 compilation album Anthology 1 , [35] a version MacDonald calls "only slightly less successful". [28] This version does not include Martin's piano overdub. [28] A live version, recorded in Hamburg in December 1962, is included on the 1977 release Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962. [26] Other live versions appear on the albums Live at the BBC and On Air – Live at the BBC Volume 2 and in the film Let It Be . The Beatles appeared on the American television program Shindig! performing the medley live in October 1964. James Brown version
James Brown recorded a version of "Kansas City" in 1967. The single reached number 21 on the R&B chart and number 55 on the Hot 100 singles chart. [40] A later, funkier version appears on the 1975 album Everybody's Doin' the Hustle & Dead on the Double Bump . Brown recorded live performances of the song for his albums Live at the Apollo, Volume II (1968) and Say It Live and Loud (1998; recorded 1968), and in his concert films James Brown: Man to Man and Live at the Boston Garden . This was also James Brown's first single to be reissued by Polydor Records. At Brown's request, singer Marva Whitney performed "Kansas City" at the conclusion of his public funeral in Augusta, Georgia in 2006. [41] Recognition and influenceIn 2001, Harrison's "Kansas City" received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award [42] and it is included on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll". [43] At various times, Harrison's and the Beatles versions have been played over the loud speakers at Kauffman Stadium following Kansas City Royals baseball games. [44] In 2005, Kansas City adopted "Kansas City" as its official song, dedicating "Goin' to Kansas City Plaza" in the historic 18th and Vine Jazz district. Due to redevelopment, the "12th Street and Vine" intersection mentioned in the song no longer exists, but a park roughly in the shape of a grand piano and with a path in the shape of a treble clef exists at the former location, marked by a commemorative plaque. Some versions have substituted "Eighteenth and Vine" for "12th Street and Vine," which sings just as well, and recognizes Kansas City's jazz history. [45] [46] See alsoRelated Research ArticlesBeatles for Sale is the fourth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released on 4 December 1964 in the United Kingdom on EMI's Parlophone label. The album marked a departure from the upbeat tone that had characterised the Beatles' previous work, partly due to the band's exhaustion after a series of tours that had established them as a worldwide phenomenon in 1964. Beatles for Sale was not widely available in the US until 1987, when the Beatles' catalogue was standardised for release on CD. Instead, eight of the album's fourteen tracks appeared on Capitol Records' concurrent release, Beatles '65, issued in North America only. The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group who had a string of hits in the late 1950s. With hits including "Searchin'", "Young Blood", "Poison Ivy", and "Yakety Yak", their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller. Although the Coasters originated outside of mainstream doo-wop, their records were so frequently imitated that they became an important part of the doo-wop legacy through the 1960s. In 1987, they were the first group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Leiber and Stoller were an American Grammy award-winning songwriting and record production duo, consisting of lyricist Jerome Leiber and composer Michael Stoller. As well as many R&B and pop hits, they wrote numerous standards for Broadway. "Hound Dog" is a twelve-bar blues song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Recorded originally by Big Mama Thornton on August 13, 1952, in Los Angeles and released by Peacock Records in late February 1953, "Hound Dog" was Thornton's only hit record, selling over 500,000 copies, spending 14 weeks in the R&B charts, including seven weeks at number one. Thornton's recording of "Hound Dog" is listed as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll", ranked at 318 in the 2021 iteration of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in February 2013. Wilbert Huntington Harrison was an American rhythm and blues singer, pianist, guitarist and harmonica player. "Spanish Harlem" is a song recorded by Ben E. King in 1960 for Atco Records. It was written by Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector and produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. "Spanish Harlem" was King's first hit away from The Drifters, peaking at number 15 on Billboard's rhythm and blues and number 10 in pop music chart. The song "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey", also known as "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey! ", was written by Little Richard and recorded on May 9, 1956 at J&M Studio, New Orleans, Louisiana,. James Edgar Spruill, also known as Wild Jimmy Spruill, was an American New York based session guitarist, whose guitar solos featured on many rhythm and blues and pop hits of the 1950s and 1960s. Morgan Clyde "Bobby" Robinson was an American independent record producer and songwriter in New York City, most active from the 1950s through the mid-1980s. "I Keep Forgettin" is a song by Chuck Jackson, written by Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, and Gilbert Garfield. It appears on his second studio album Any Day Now. It peaked at No. 55 on the Billboard Top 100 and remained on the chart for 7 weeks. It did not chart on the R&B chart. This single is often cited as one of the most innovative yet least commercial singles written and produced by Leiber-Stoller. Willie Littlefield, Jr., billed as Little Willie Littlefield, was an American R&B and boogie-woogie pianist and singer whose early recordings "formed a vital link between boogie-woogie and rock and roll". Littlefield was regarded as a teenage wonder and overnight sensation when in 1949, at the age of 18, he popularized the triplet piano style on his Modern Records debut single, "It's Midnight". He also recorded the first version of the song "Kansas City", in 1952. "Searchin'" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller specifically for the Coasters. Atco Records released it as a single in March 1957, which topped the R&B Chart for twelve weeks. It also reached number three on the Billboard singles chart. Bill Haley and His Comets is the title of the tenth album of rock and roll recordings by Bill Haley & His Comets. Released in April 1960, it was the band's first album release for Warner Bros. Records, following their departure from Decca Records at the end of 1959. The recordings were produced by George Avakian, who succeeded Haley's Decca producer, Milt Gabler. The Fabulous Little Richard was the third album from Little Richard, and the end of his rock and roll period. Released seventeen months after he had left the Specialty Records label, Richard had returned to religion and turned his back on the music that made him famous. Though he would briefly rescind that decision in 1962, and sporadically throughout his career, this album marked the end of his peak period. In order to make the record more accessible to listeners, over half of the tracks featured an overdubbed female backing group. The record was put together including out-takes and other leftover studio tracks, which saw Richard in a somewhat more mellow styling. Jailhouse Rock is an EP by American singer Elvis Presley, featuring songs from the movie of the same name. It was released by RCA Victor, with catalogue EPA 4114, on October 30, 1957. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood on April 30 and May 3, 1957, with an additional session at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Soundstage in Hollywood on May 9 for "Don't Leave Me Now". It peaked at #1 on the newly inaugurated Billboard EP chart where it remained at #1 for 28 weeks. The EP album was the best selling EP album of 1958 according to Billboard. The Beatles Box is an eight-record box set of Beatles recordings, initially released on 3 November 1980 by World Records, a mail-order subsidiary of EMI. It was also issued in two formats by Reader's Digest in New Zealand, Australia and Mexico. "Let's Stick Together" is a blues-based rhythm and blues song written by Wilbert Harrison. In 1962, Fury Records released it as a single. Harrison further developed the song and in 1969, Sue Records issued it as a two-part single titled "Let's Work Together". Although Harrison's original song did not appear in the record charts, his reworked version entered the U.S. Top 40. "Bossa Nova Baby" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley on January 22, 1963, at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California as part of the soundtrack of the 1963 motion picture Fun in Acapulco. It was released as a single that year reaching the top ten in the US. It was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Alvin "Shine" Robinson, sometimes credited as Al Robinson, was an American rhythm and blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter, based in New Orleans. His recording of "Something You Got" reached the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964. "Girls Girls Girls", or "Girls! Girls! Girls!", is a song written and produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. References
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