Runaway (Del Shannon song)

"Runaway"
Single by Del Shannon
from the album Runaway with Del Shannon
B-side	"Jody"
Released	February 18, 1961 (1961-02-18)
Recorded	January 21, 1961 [1]
Studio	Bell Sound (New York City) [2]
Genre	Rock and Roll
Length	2:20
Label	BigTop
Songwriter(s)	Del Shannon Max Crook
Producer(s)	Harry Balk
Del Shannon singles chronology
"Runaway" (1961) "Hats Off to Larry" (1961)
Official audio
"Runaway" on YouTube

Chart (1961) Peak position Australia (Music Maker) [12] 1 Belgium (Flanders – Juke Box) [13] 4 Belgium (Wallonia – Juke Box) [14] 3 Canada (CHUM Hit Parade) [15] 1 Chile [13] 1 Ireland (Dublin Herald and Mail) [16] 2 Netherlands (Platennieuws) [14] 2 New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade) [17] 1 Norway (VG-lista) [18] 4 UK New Musical Express [19] 1 UK Record Retailer [7] 1 US Billboard Hot 100 [6] 1 US Billboard Hot R&B Sides [9] 3 US Cash Box Top 100 [20] 1 US Cash Box Records Disc Jockeys Played Most [21] 1 US Cash Box Top Ten Juke Box Tunes [22] 1 US Cash Box Top 50 in R&B Locations [23] 4

Year-end charts Chart (1961) Rank Australia [24] 2 UK [25] 4 US Billboard Hot 100 [26] 5 US Cash Box [27] 9 All-time charts Chart (2018) Position US Billboard Hot 100 [28] 364

Other recordings

Del Shannon re-recorded "Runaway" in 1967, intended for his album Home and Away (shelved until 2006), with John Paul Jones, Nicky Hopkins and Jimmy Page as session musicians. This version was issued as a single, and reached No. 122 on Billboard's Bubbling Under the Hot 100 and reached the Top 20 in Australia. ^{[29] [30]}

Shannon re-recorded the song a second time in 1986, this time as the theme music for the NBC television series Crime Story , which starred Dennis Farina and was set in the early 1960s. ^{[31] [32]} This version featured new lyrics to make the song more fitting for a crime drama.

Shannon appeared on Late Night With David Letterman on February 10, 1987, performing "Runaway" with Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band. ^{[33] [34]} Letterman introduced Shannon as having sold as many as 80,000 singles of "Runaway" per day at its peak in popularity.

The best-known original version is in mono. However, in subsequent compilations a different take from the same recording sessions is available in stereo. ^{[ citation needed ]}

Lyrics

The song is sung from the point of view of a man whose girlfriend has left him. She is mostly referred to in the third person, but she is briefly addressed in the second person in the lyric "wishin' you were here by me".

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [35]	Silver	200,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Covers

• In 1962, an instrumental version was released by Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra. Welk's version spent 6 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching No. 56, ^{[36] [37]} while reaching No. 5 in Hong Kong, ^[38] and No. 8 on Canada's CHUM Hit Parade. ^[39]
• A version by the Small Faces was released on From the Beginning in June 1967.
• Elvis Presley covered the song while performing at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in August 1969, appearing on the 1970 album On Stage. During Presley's August 26, 1969 midnight show, Presley performed "Runaway" and then introduced Del Shannon in the audience. This performance was later released on the box set Collectors' Gold. Years later, Shannon would relate this story to Bob Costas on his late-night television program Later with Bob Costas . ^[40]
• Austin Roberts recorded a medley of this song and The Beau Brummels song "Just a Little" on the Philips Records label in 1970.
• In 1974, Dave, a Dutch singer who sings in French, covered the song under the title "Vanina", the song having been adapted by Patrick Loiseau  [ fr ]. ^[41] "Vanina" reached No. 1 in France ^[42] and No. 27 in Flanders. ^[41] Dave also covered the song in German in 1975 ("Mein Mädchen Monika") ^[43] and Spanish ("Vanesa"). ^[44] In 2011, he released a soul version of "Vanina" on the album Blue Eyed Soul, ^[45] along with a music video, that reached No. 90 in France. ^[46]
• In 1975, Charlie Kulis, a schoolteacher from New York, released a cover version on Playboy Records. Promotion for the single included an appearance on American Bandstand . Kulis's version spent eight weeks on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 46, ^[47] while reaching No. 40 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart. ^[48]
• In 1977, Bonnie Raitt included a bluesy version of the song on her album Sweet Forgiveness . Also released as a single, it reached No. 57 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. ^[49]
• Narvel Felts covered the song in 1978 and took it to No. 30 on the Hot Country Singles charts. ^[50]
• In 1986, Luis Cardenas, lead singer of the rock band Renegade, reached No. 83 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with his cover version, ^[51] which is best remembered for its live action/animated video that features cameo appearances by Del Shannon and Donny Osmond.
• In 1987, Swedish pop legend Fredrik Willstrand recorded a cover version for his eponymous album. ^[52]
• The supergroup Traveling Wilburys recorded a version of the song in 1990, with Jeff Lynne singing lead vocals; it was released on a 2007 CD reissue of Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 . ^[53]
• Australian artist Ed Kuepper included a 10-minute live version of the song on The Aints 1991 album S.L.S.Q – Very Live!
• A cover by Gary Allan reached No. 74 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 2000, despite not being officially released as a single. ^[54]
• Australian group 3 Piece Suite covered it in 2002; it rose to No. 54 on the ARIA charts.^{[ citation needed ]}
• The joint venture of Los Coronas and Arizona Baby covered the song in their 2011 live album Dos Bandas y un Destino. ^[55]
• English rock band Kasabian covered the song on the album Dermot O'Leary Presents the Saturday Sessions 2011 . ^[56]
• American metal band Avenged Sevenfold released a punk rock-style cover of "Runaway" on the deluxe edition of their 2016 album The Stage . Warren Fitzgerald from punk rock band The Vandals features on guitar.
• American punk rock band Misfits included "Runaway" on an album of cover songs from the 1950s and 1960s called Project 1950 .

See also

• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1961 (U.S.)
• List of number-one singles from the 1960s (UK)

References

1. Laura R. Ashlee (2005). Traveling Through Time: A Guide to Michigan's Historical Markers. University of Michigan Press. p. 60. ISBN   0-472-03066-3.
2. Dafydd Rees; Luke Crampton (1999). Rock Stars Encyclopedia . Dorling Kindersley. p.  898. ISBN   978-0-7894-4613-8.
3. Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1961
4. "Young, Bryan, "Classic Tracks: Del Shannon's 'Runaway'", Oct 1, 2008, Mix Magazine". Mixonline.com. 2008-10-01. Archived from the original on 2013-10-15. Retrieved 2013-08-01.
5. Classic Tracks Back To Back: Thunder Bay Press, 2008.
6. Hot 100 – Del Shannon Runaway Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
7. Del Shannon – Full Official Chart History, Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
8. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 521.
9. "Hot R&B Sides", Billboard , May 15, 1961. p. 49. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
10. "Chart Toppers", Billboard , December 25, 1961. p. 10. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
11. "Top 100 Chart Hits of 1961", Cash Box , December 30, 1961. p. 11. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
12. "Billboard Music Week Hits of the World", Billboard , June 12, 1961. p. 11. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
13. "Billboard Music Week Hits of the World", Billboard , July 24, 1961. p. 20. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
14. "Billboard Music Week Hits of the World", Billboard , August 28, 1961. p. 22. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
15. "CHUM Charts – Chart No. 318. Monday, April 17, 1961". CHUM. Archived from the original on July 21, 2006. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
16. "Billboard Music Week Hits of the World", Billboard , July 31, 1961. p. 18. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
17. Lever Hit Parade statistics for Runaway, Flavour of New Zealand. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
18. Del Shannon – Runaway, norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
19. "Billboard Music Week Hits of the World", Billboard , July 10, 1961. p. 14. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
20. "The Cash Box Top 100", Cash Box , April 29, 1961. p. 4. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
21. "The Records Disc Jockeys Played Most", Cash Box , April 29, 1961. p. 16. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
22. "The Nation's Top Ten Juke Box Tunes", Cash Box , April 29, 1961. p. 25. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
23. "Top 50 in R&B Locations Across the Nation", Cash Box , April 29, 1961. p. 38. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
24. David Kent's "Australian Chart Book 1940-1969"
25. The 100 Best-Selling Singles of 1961
26. Musicoutfitters.com
27. Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 30, 1961
28. "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
29. "Bubbling Under the Hot 100", Billboard , October 7, 1967. p. 24. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
30. "Home and Away Studio Session Photos". Del Shannon Enterprises official website. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
31. Rybin, Steven (2013). Michael Mann: Crime Auteur , Scarecrow Press. p. 97. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
32. Kutner, Jon; Leigh, Spencer (2010). 1,000 UK Number One Hits , Omnibus Press. p. 196. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
33. "Late Night with David Letterman (a Guest Stars & Air Dates Guide)". epguides.com. Retrieved 2017-08-05.
34. Don Giller (2017-08-05), Del Shannon, "Runaway," on Late Night, February 10, 1987, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2017-08-06
35. "British single certifications – Del Shannon – Runaway". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved July 6, 2024.
36. Hot 100 – Lawrence Welk & His Orchestra Runaway Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
37. "Billboard Music Week Hot 100", Billboard , May 12, 1962. Accessed July 29, 2016.
38. "Billboard Music Week Hot 100", Billboard , June 23, 1962. p. 14. Accessed July 29, 2016.
39. "1050 CHUM – CHUM Charts". CHUM. Archived from the original on July 18, 2006. Retrieved 2016-07-29. Chart No. 264, April 23, 1962.
40. ON (2012-09-02). "Bob Costa's "Later" Show with Del Shannon – part 2 of 2! – Video Dailymotion". Dailymotion.com. Retrieved 2013-08-01.
41. Dave (NL) – Vanina, Ultratop. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
42. Chartsventes (2016-10-29). "World singles charts and sales TOP 50 in 58 countries: DAVE". World singles charts and sales TOP 50 in 58 countries. Retrieved 2022-06-18.
43. Dave (NL) – Mein Mädchen Monika, norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
44. "Dave – Vanesa Canta En Español". Discogs . 1975. Retrieved 2016-06-17.
45. "Blue-Eyed Soul! – Dave". AllMusic. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
46. Dave (NL) – Vanina, lescharts.com. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
47. Hot 100 – Charlie Kulis Runaway Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
48. Adult Contemporary – Charlie Kulis Runaway Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
49. Hot 100 – Bonnie Raitt Runaway Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
50. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 143. ISBN   978-0-89820-177-2.
51. Hot 100 – Luis Cardenas Runaway Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
52. "Fredrik Willstrand-Runaway. (hi-tech aor) - YouTube". www.youtube.com. 21 June 2012. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2020-11-04.
53. "Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 – George Harrison". www.georgeharrison.com. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
54. "Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks", Billboard , January 22, 2000. p. 48. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
55. Prunes, Mariano. "Dos Bandas y un Destino: El Concierto – Arizona Baby, Los Coronas | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-08-01.
56. O'Brien, Jon (2011-11-07). "Dermot O'Leary Presents the Saturday Sessions 2011 – Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-08-01.

External links

• The Making of "Runaway"