What (song)

Last updated
"What"
Single by Melinda Marx
B-side "It Happens in the Same Old Way"
ReleasedJune 1965
Genre
Label Vee-Jay
Songwriter(s) H. B. Barnum
Producer(s) Norman B. Ratner
Melinda Marx singles chronology
"The East Side of Town"
(1965)
"What"
(1965)

"What" is a song and single written by H. B. Barnum, performed by Melinda Marx and released in 1965. [1] Marx, daughter of Groucho Marx was a reluctant pop singer and the high notes on "What" found her straining. She recorded only one further single before leaving musical performing which had been foist upon her by her father. [2]

Contents

Judy Street cover

In 1968 in Hollywood, California, Judy Street recorded "What", on the Strider label, as a B-side of "You Turn Me On". [2] [3] The record was exported to England and it was picked up by DJs at Wigan Casino, a major nightclub in the northern soul music scene. [4] However, "What" became the track most played, going on to be a hit on the northern soul nightclub circuit and be ranked 23 of 500 northern soul singles. [4] [5] [6] Following a resurgence of popularity for northern soul music in England in 1977, the song was re-released, [3] and again in 1982 with a B-side by Hi-Fly. [7] Street was unaware of the popularity of the song and did not tour the UK and from 1970 until 1990 she toured with her own bands, including The Swinging Society, in the US, singing and drumming. [8] Finally, in 2005 the popularity of "What" was acknowledged when Street did several interviews for radio, magazines and books. [4]

Soft Cell cover

"What"
Single by Soft Cell
from the album Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing
B-side "....So"
Released11 August 1982
Recorded1982
Genre
Length
  • 2:50 (7" version)
  • 6:11 (12" version)
  • 4:33 (album version)
Label Some Bizzare
Songwriter(s) H. B. Barnum
Producer(s) Mike Thorne
Soft Cell singles chronology
"Torch"
(1982)
"What"
(1982)
"Where the Heart Is"
(1982)

English synth-pop/new wave duo Soft Cell released a cover of the song in July 1982 as the only single from their remix album Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing . It became their fifth UK top five chart hit, peaking at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart. [9]

Track listings

7"

  1. "What!" – 2:52
  2. "....So" – 3:45

7" (US)

  1. "What!" – 2:52
  2. "Memorabilia" – 5:22

7" (Canada)

  1. "What!" – 2:52
  2. "A Man Could Get Lost" – 4:05

12"

  1. "What!" – 6:15
  2. "....So" – 8:45

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1982)Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [10] 32
Germany (Official German Charts) [11] 64
Ireland (IRMA) [12] 6
Israel (IBA) [13] 10
UK Singles (OCC) [9] 3
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 ( Billboard ) [14] 1

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soft Cell</span> English synthpop duo

Soft Cell are an English synth-pop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo consists of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The band are primarily known for their 1981 hit version of "Tainted Love" and their platinum-selling debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern soul</span> Music and dance movement that emerged in Northern England in the late 1960s

Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged in Northern England and the Midlands in the early 1970s. It developed from the British mod scene, based on a particular style of Black American soul music with a heavy beat and fast tempo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Stansfield</span> British singer (born 1966)

Lisa Jane Stansfield is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. Her career began in 1980 when she won the singing competition Search for a Star. After appearances in various television shows and releasing her first singles, Stansfield, along with Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, formed Blue Zone in 1983. The band released several singles and one album, but after the success of Coldcut's "People Hold On" in 1989, on which Stansfield was featured, the focus was placed on her solo career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tainted Love</span> 1964 song by Ed Cobb

"Tainted Love" is a song composed by Ed Cobb, formerly of American group the Four Preps, which was originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964. In 1981, the song attained worldwide fame after being covered and reworked by British synth-pop duo Soft Cell. The song has since been covered by numerous groups and artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot Chocolate</span> British soul band

Hot Chocolate are a British soul band popular during the 1970s and 1980s, formed by Errol Brown and Tony Wilson. The group had at least one hit song every year on the UK Singles Chart from 1970 to 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timi Yuro</span> American singer (1940–2004)

Rosemary Victoria Yuro, known professionally as Timi Yuro, was an American singer. Sometimes called "the little girl with the big voice", she is considered to be one of the first blue-eyed soul stylists of the rock era. Yuro possessed a contralto vocal range. According to one critic, "her deep, strident, almost masculine voice, staggered delivery and the occasional sob created a compelling musical presence".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killing Me Softly with His Song</span> 1971 song by Lori Lieberman and covered by Roberta Flack

"Killing Me Softly with His Song" is a song composed by Charles Fox with lyrics by Norman Gimbel. The lyrics were written in collaboration with Lori Lieberman after she was inspired by a Don McLean performance in late 1971. Denied writing credit by Fox and Gimbel, Lieberman released her version of the song in 1972, but it did not chart. The song has been covered by many other artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judy Clay</span> American soul and gospel singer (1938–2001)

Judy Clay was an American soul and gospel singer, who achieved greatest success as a member of two recording duos in the 1960s.

"Hernando's Hideaway" is a tango show tune, largely in long metre, from the musical The Pajama Game, written by Jerry Ross and Richard Adler and published in 1954. It was sung in the stage and film versions of the musical by Carol Haney. The song is about a fictional invitation-only nightclub of the same name where lovers can meet for secret rendezvous. In the few years after the song's release, a number of artists had hit recordings of it, including Archie Bleyer, Johnnie Ray, The Johnston Brothers, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Cheryl Lynn is an American singer and songwriter. She is best known for her songs during the late 1970s through the mid-1980s, including the 1978 R&B/disco song "Got to Be Real".

<i>Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing</i> 1982 remix album by Soft Cell

Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing is a 'mini' or 'remix' album by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell, released in the United Kingdom in June 1982, by Some Bizzare Records. In addition to remixes of the group's older material, it included a brand-new track, a cover of Judy Street's 1966 song "What", which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart. In some territories the album was released as an EP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Why Do Fools Fall in Love (song)</span> 1956 single by Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers

"Why Do Fools Fall in Love" is a debut single by American rock and roll band Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers that was released on January 10, 1956. It reached No. 1 on the R&B chart, No. 6 on Billboard's Pop Singles chart, and No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in July. Many renditions of the song by other artists have also been hit records in the U.S., including versions by the Diamonds, the Beach Boys, and Diana Ross.

Mari Macmillan Ramsay Wilson is a British pop and jazz singer. She is best known for her 1982 UK top-10 hit single "Just What I Always Wanted" and her 1960s image complete with beehive hairstyle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Christmas (Donny Hathaway song)</span> 1970 single by Donny Hathaway

"This Christmas" is a song by American soul musician Donny Hathaway released in 1970 by Atco Records. The song gained renewed popularity when it was included in 1991 on Atco Records' revised edition of their 1968 Soul Christmas compilation album and has since become a modern Christmas standard, with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers reporting that it was the 30th most-performed holiday song of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walk On By</span> 1964 single by Dionne Warwick

"Walk On By" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for singer Dionne Warwick in 1963. Warwick's recording of the song peaked at number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Cash Box Rhythm and Blues Chart In June 1964 and was nominated for a 1965 Grammy Award for the Best Rhythm and Blues Recording.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Think (About It)</span> 1972 single by Lyn Collins

"Think (About It)" is a funk song recorded by Lyn Collins and released as a single on James Brown's People Records in 1972. The recording was produced by Brown (who also wrote the song) and features instrumental backing from his band The J.B.'s. It was the title track of Collins' 1972 debut album. The song is very popular for its raw drumbeat dressed with tambourine and multiple background vocals, which suggest the song was recorded altogether in one take, with Jabo Starks playing drums. It peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles chart and No. 66 on the Hot 100. Owing to the composition, it became a fan favourite and has been featured on various compilation albums posthumously. In the closing lyrics, Collins sings lines from "Think", which shows that this song was one of the few adaptations of the 5 Royales song that Brown loved to do. "Think (About It)" is among the most sampled songs of all time.

This is the discography of Soft Cell, a British synthpop duo consisting of Marc Almond and Dave Ball who rose to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo broke up in 1984 after releasing four albums, but reunited in the early 2000s for a series of live dates and released an album of new material in 2002. The group reunited again in 2018 for a final farewell concert, accompanied by a host of musical and video releases, including a career-spanning box set and a single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">So Macho</span> 1985 single by Sinitta

"So Macho" is a song by American-British singer Sinitta. The song was released in 1985 as her self-titled debut album's second single.

Judy Street is an American singer best known for her popular northern soul single, "What".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Soft</span> 1974 single by Cockney Rebel

"Mr. Soft" is a song by the British rock band Cockney Rebel, fronted by Steve Harley, which was released in 1974 as the second single from their second studio album The Psychomodo. The song was written by Harley, and produced by Harley and Alan Parsons. "Mr. Soft" peaked at number 8 in the UK Singles Chart.

References

  1. "Melinda Marx – What / It Happens In The Same Old Way". Discogs . 1965. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Sounds of the 60s — Melinda Marx, Judy Street, and the story of What — BBC Radio 2". BBC. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Judy Street You Turn Me On/What". www.discogs.com. 1968. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 "Judy Street". www.northernsoulmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  5. Roberts, Kev (2007). The Northern Soul Top 500. Goldsoul Entertainment Limited. ISBN   9780955751905.
  6. "Northern Soul Top 500". www.rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  7. "Judy Street discography". www.45cat.com. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  8. Handbury, Steve. "19th July, 2008: New Judy Street Photo!". www.soulgirl.com. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  9. 1 2 "Soft Cell: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  10. "Soft Cell – What!" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  11. "Soft Cell – What!" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  12. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – What". Irish Singles Chart.
  13. "Israel Singles Charts 1987-1995". www.ukmix.org. 26 July 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  14. "Bubbling Under the Hot 100" (PDF). Billboard . 18 September 1982. p. 67. Retrieved 13 December 2020.