Short Shorts

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"Short Shorts"
The Royal Teens - Short Shorts.jpeg
Single by The Royal Teens
B-side "Planet Rock"
ReleasedJanuary 1958 (1958-01)
Genre Rock and roll
Length2:12
Label ABC-Paramount
Songwriter(s) Tom Austin, Bill Crandell, Bill Dalton, Bob Gaudio
The Royal Teens singles chronology
"Short Shorts"
(1958)
"Sham Rock"
(1958)

"Short Shorts" is a song written and performed by Tom Austin, Bill Crandell, Bill Dalton, Russ Viers, and Bob Gaudio, members of The Royal Teens. It reached #2 on the U.S. R&B chart and #3 on the U.S. pop chart in 1958. [1] The group originally released the track on the small New York label Power Records in 1957.

Contents

In an interview with Newsweek, Dalton explained how the song came to be written: "We were practicing one night at my house, and one guy started putting some notes together. Another guy picked it up and added some more. Before we knew it we had a tune. During the next three weeks we added and changed and polished until we had it the way we wanted it. Later, the four of us were riding down the street in Bergenfield ... It was a warm day and we saw this girl in shorts walking down the street. That gave us the idea for the lyrics." [2]

The record ranked #35 on Billboard's Year-End top 50 singles of 1958. [3]

The song was well-known in Japan for being the theme song of the long-running variety show Tamori Club.

Other charting versions

Other versions

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References

  1. "The Royal Teens, "Short Shorts" Chart Positions". Musicvf.com. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  2. "To the Tune of Millions," Newsweek, March 31, 1958
  3. "Chart Toppers of 1958" Billboard December 15, 1958: p. 44
  4. "The Salsoul Orchestra, "Short Shorts" Chart Position". Musicvf.com. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  5. "Tiny Bradshaw and His Orchestra, "Short Shorts" Single Release". 45cat.com. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  6. "Tommy Sands, Sands at the Sands". Discogs.com. 1960. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  7. "Freddie and the Dreamers, Frantic Freddie". Discogs.com. 1965. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  8. Venezio-Preston, Allison L. (July 23, 2020). "Who Wears #ThrowbackThursday Shorts?". Allisonveneziowrites.com. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  9. "Jersey Boys 2005 Broadway Cast, Jersey Boys (Original Broadway Cast Recording)". Discogs.com. November 2005. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  10. "Who wears short shorts,Joe wears short shorts!". YouTube . Retrieved April 28, 2021.