Let's Have a Party

Last updated
"Party"
Elvis Presley - Party single (1957) RCA Victor.jpg
Single by Elvis Presley
from the album Loving You Volume 1 (EP)
B-side "Got a Lot o' Livin' to Do!"
ReleasedSeptember 1957 (UK)
RecordedJanuary 21, 1957
Hollywood, California, United States [1]
Genre Rock and roll
Length1:33
Label RCA Victor
Songwriter(s) Jessie Mae Robinson
Elvis Presley singles chronology
"Paralyzed"
(1957)
"Party"
(1957)
"Jailhouse Rock"
(1957)
"Let's Have a Party"
Single by Wanda Jackson
from the album Wanda Jackson
B-side "Cool Love"
ReleasedJune 1960
RecordedApril 7, 1958
Hollywood, California, United States [2]
Genre Rock and roll
Label Capitol
Songwriter(s) Jessie Mae Robinson
Producer(s) Ken Nelson
Wanda Jackson singles chronology
"Please Call Today"
(1960)
"Let's Have a Party"
(1960)
"Happy, Happy Birthday Baby"
(1960)

"Let's Have a Party" is a 1957 song written by Jessie Mae Robinson and recorded by Elvis Presley for the movie Loving You . It was released as a single in the United Kingdom under the title "Party" and peaked at #2 in the UK Singles Chart. Wanda Jackson recorded the song for her first album, Wanda Jackson, released in 1958. The song was released as a single by Jackson in 1960 and entered the UK chart on 1 September of that year, spending eight weeks there and reaching #32; it also reached #37 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960. [3] [4] [5] The Jackson version was later featured in the 1989 film Dead Poets Society . [6] Her recording of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2024. [7]

Contents

Paul McCartney also recorded and released the song (under the title "Party") on his 1999 Run Devil Run album. His original song "Run Devil Run", on the album of the same name, also has a similar melody.[ citation needed ] A cover of "Let's Have a Party" by Sonia was included on the 2010 remastered edition of her 1989 album Everybody Knows .

The song was included under the title "Party" in the Broadway musical Million Dollar Quartet , which opened in New York in April 2010. [8] It was sung by Robert Britton Lyons, portraying Carl Perkins, as well as by the company of the show, and was covered by Robert Britton Lyons and the company on the Million Dollar Quartet original Broadway cast recording. [9]

In T. Rex's 1972 concert film Born to Boogie , Marc Bolan and Ringo Starr attempt to recite one of the lyrics from the song ("some people like to rock, some people like to roll, but movin' and a-groovin's gonna satisfy my soul"). However, they break into laughter each time.

Led Zeppelin also played this song live during their live sets of "Whole Lotta Love"; an example of this practice can be found on their live album How the West Was Won . [10]

English glam rock band Mud recorded the song for their 1975 album Mud Rock Volume 2. [11]

Rock and roll band Dr. Feelgood included the song on their 1978 album Private Practice . [12]

Chart performance

Elvis Presley version

Chart (1957)Peak
position
UK Singles Chart2

Wanda Jackson version

Chart (1960)Peak
position
Australia Top 100 Singles ( Kent Music Report ) [13] 6
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [14] 17
UK Singles (OCC) [15] 32
US Billboard Hot 100 [16] 37

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References

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  5. "Billboard chart positions - singles". allmusic . Retrieved 2011-05-07.
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  7. "GRAMMY Hall Of Fame 2024 Inductees Announced: Recordings By Lauryn Hill, Guns N' Roses, Donna Summer, De La Soul & More | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
  8. Zielinski, Peter James (April 12, 2010). "Photo Coverage: Million Dollar Quartet Opens on Broadway" . Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  9. MDQ Merchandising LLC (2010). “Song List” and “Performing Credits”. In Million Dollar Quartet (p. 5) [CD booklet]. New York City: Avatar Studios; and Chicago: Chicago Recording Company.
  10. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "How the West Was Won - Led Zeppelin | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  11. Dave Thompson. "Mud Rock, Vol. 2 - Mud | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  12. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Private Practice - Dr. Feelgood | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  13. David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN   978-0-646-11917-5.
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  15. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  16. "Wanda Jackson Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 12, 2021.