Topic: Song Of The Week - Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey (Read 5640 times)

Hello Goodbye · « **on:** October 26, 2019, 05:00:18 AM »

Kansas City was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller in 1952 and was first recorded by Little Willie Littlefield that same year...

https://youtu.be/RAR7vfd6GHg

Little Richard recorded two versions of the song in 1955...

https://youtu.be/w3yMverKDV8

...and a reworked version with a new refrain with the words, "Hey, hey, hey, hey; Hey baby, hey child, hey now..."

https://youtu.be/H8YiUS1SSfk

Hello Goodbye · « **Reply #1 on:** October 26, 2019, 05:00:47 AM »

Wilbert Harrison had a #1 hit with Kansas City in 1959...

https://youtu.be/UonBS_mvW-E

Hello Goodbye · « **Reply #2 on:** October 26, 2019, 05:01:16 AM »

Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey

https://youtu.be/g8DlzQqJ2R4
The Beatles Shindig! 1964

zipp · « **Reply #3 on:** October 26, 2019, 01:14:44 PM »

In the original song the singer appears to be going to Kansas City to get away from his girl and get a new one. He even says he'll leave while she's sleeping.

By the time we get to the Beatles' version, the singer appears to be going to Kansas City to bring his girl back home.

Does anybody eles see it this way?

Normandie · « **Reply #4 on:** October 26, 2019, 02:07:36 PM »

Quote from: zipp on October 26, 2019, 01:14:44 PM

Does anybody eles see it this way?

Yes, I do! I'll have to give the original another listen.

zipp · « **Reply #5 on:** October 26, 2019, 05:16:51 PM »

Quote from: Normandie on October 26, 2019, 02:07:36 PM

Yes, I do! I'll have to give the original another listen.

OK. While you're listening there's another strange thing about this song.

The Beatles are obviously inspired by Little Richard's version because he adds on Hey Hey Hey Hey, which is not in the original but still all credited to Leiber and Stoller.

A year later (so after the version HG posted) he released a very similar song this time called Hey Hey Hey Hey about going to Birmingham, Alabama, and crediting the song to himself. But it's practicaly the same song !

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic_vB1HksQI" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic_vB1HksQI</a>

zipp · « **Reply #6 on:** October 26, 2019, 05:51:08 PM »

When the Beatles did their studio version of Kansas City it was only credited to Leiber and Stoller (or actuallly Lieber and Stoller

).

But nowadays it's credited to Leiber, Stoller and Richard Penniman. Penniman is, of course, Little Richard himself who claims the Beatles were singing his song Hey Hey Hey Hey. But they weren't singing about Birmingham so, in a way, they weren't singing his song.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xvW-Nf9VAw" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xvW-Nf9VAw</a>

Hello Goodbye · « **Reply #7 on:** October 26, 2019, 07:29:10 PM »

Quote from: zipp on October 26, 2019, 05:16:51 PM

A year later (so after the version HG posted) he released a very similar song this time called Hey Hey Hey Hey about going to Birmingham, Alabama, and crediting the song to himself. But it's practicaly the same song !

Thanks, zipp. With this additional information you provided, I decided to move this topic to this Song Of The Week Child Board.

Hello Goodbye · « **Reply #8 on:** October 26, 2019, 09:34:53 PM »

Quote from: zipp on October 26, 2019, 01:14:44 PM

In the original song the singer appears to be going to Kansas City to get away from his girl and get a new one. He even says he'll leave while she's sleeping.

By the time we get to the Beatles' version, the singer appears to be going to Kansas City to bring his girl back home.

Does anybody eles see it this way?

Little Richard was leaving one girl and going to Kansas City to bring his baby back home too. Typical of blues songs, different verses are made up to fit the mood. The Beatles were more upbeat in their version, initially, and bid the girl left behind bye-bye in the closing hey-hey-hey verses.

Muddy Waters and Pinetop Perkins just wanted to go to Kansas City to get some crazy little women and some bottles of Kansas City wine...

https://youtu.be/JD2PTU3Oi84

Hello Goodbye · « **Reply #9 on:** October 26, 2019, 10:22:04 PM »

And Dion, The Wanderer...

https://youtu.be/jP1z0dQVcIQ

...was headed for Kansas City in 1961 for the same reason...

https://youtu.be/P3_eutuSuCY

Oh yeah!

zipp · « **Reply #10 on:** October 26, 2019, 10:56:31 PM »

Quote from: Hello Goodbye on October 26, 2019, 09:34:53 PM

Little Richard was leaving one girl and going to Kansas City to bring his baby back home too... The Beatles were more upbeat in their version, initially, and bid the girl left behind bye-bye in the closing hey-hey-hey verses.

Muddy and Dion are going to Kansas City to find a girl and drink wine.

Little Richard and the Beatles are going there to bring back their girl. They also bid farewell to someone, but to who?

Little Richard says it's to his 'baby' or his 'chile' and asks 'What's been wrong with you?'. So maybe he's explaining to his girl why he's leaving her for this new adventure.

In the Beatles it's less obvious. Paul also sings 'What's been wrong with you?' but says goodbye to his 'baby', his 'gal' and to his 'pal'. So, is he saying goodbye just to his girl or to his friends too?

Hello Goodbye · « **Reply #11 on:** October 26, 2019, 11:19:24 PM »

Quote from: zipp on October 26, 2019, 10:56:31 PM

Muddy and Dion are going to Kansas City to find a girl and drink wine.

Little Richard and the Beatles are going there to bring back their girl. They also bid farewell to someone, but to who?

Little Richard says it's to his 'baby' or his 'chile' and asks 'What's been wrong with you?'. So maybe he's explaining to his girl why he's leaving her for this new adventure.

In the Beatles it's less obvious. Paul also sings 'What's been wrong with you?' but says goodbye to his 'baby', his 'gal' and to his 'pal'. So, is he saying goodbye just to his girl or to his friends too?

zipp, I guess that's why we have to consider The Beatles' Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey a medley of two different songs; Little Richard's 1955 reworked version and his 1956 Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey recording with lyrics to both reworked a bit by The Beatles.

Here's their 1962 Cavern Club performance...

https://youtu.be/nGiZVTy6ifU

My favorite Beatles performance of this song

tkitna · « **Reply #12 on:** October 27, 2019, 01:19:12 AM »

Never liked Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey. Sloppy in my opinion.

Moogmodule · « **Reply #13 on:** October 27, 2019, 01:58:54 AM »

Wasn’t this just one of the half dozen covers they knocked off in a day to get Beatles for Sale finished?

I recall liking it when I was young. But honestly now it’s not one I’d turn on unless I was playing Beatles for Sale all the way through and wasn’t in reach of the skip button.

It’s a good if, by that stage, a bit cliched vocal performance by Paul.

Hello Goodbye · « **Reply #14 on:** October 27, 2019, 02:37:52 AM »

Paul rocked the Kansas City Sprint Center with this song on 16 july 2014...

https://youtu.be/8llC4PSE9vU

zipp · « **Reply #15 on:** October 27, 2019, 10:13:00 AM »

Quote from: Hello Goodbye on October 26, 2019, 09:34:53 PM

... and bid the girl left behind bye-bye in the closing hey-hey-hey verses.

It seems strange to me that they call their girl a 'pal'. Paul's the only one who sings this. Why?

As for it being two songs, well at first it wasn't. This is just Little Richard trying to make some money on the royalties.

Normandie · « **Reply #16 on:** October 27, 2019, 01:52:26 PM »

Quote from: Moogmodule on October 27, 2019, 01:58:54 AM

Wasn’t this just one of the half dozen covers they knocked off in a day to get Beatles for Sale finished?

Yes, I believe that's right, Moog. Sounds like most of the forum members don't care for the Beatles' version very much, but I've always liked it.

Quote from: Hello Goodbye on October 26, 2019, 05:00:18 AM

Kansas City was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller in 1952 and was first recorded by Little Willie Littlefield that same year...

A quick bit of ocean liner geekiness here: Jerry Lieber was on the Andrea Doria when it was broadsided by the Stockholm.

Hello Goodbye · « **Reply #17 on:** October 27, 2019, 11:28:25 PM »

Quote from: zipp on October 27, 2019, 10:13:00 AM

It seems strange to me that they call their girl a 'pal'. Paul's the only one who sings this. Why?

As for it being two songs, well at first it wasn't. This is just Little Richard trying to make some money on the royalties.

I guess they felt like singing the word "pal," zipp. But that's the blues where lyrics are often extemporaneous.

And sometimes lyrics are borrowed from another song...

Little Richard:

Goin' to, Kansas City
Gonna get my baby one time, hey, hey
Yes, Kansas City
Gonna get my baby one time, hey, hey
It's just a one-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight-nine

Goin' So Far (Traditional):

https://youtu.be/o7awhix4VJw
1:53

Well I'm goin' to Chicago
Get my women in line
I got one-two-three
I got five-six-seven-eight-nine

The only formal music training I ever had was blues guitar with Ian Buchanan. He was taught blues guitar by Reverend Gary Davis and Brownie McGee and in turn taught John Hammond, Jr. and Jorma Kaukonen this style of Delta Blues. I studied with Ian Buchanan from 1972 to 1974.

Hello Goodbye · « **Reply #18 on:** October 28, 2019, 01:55:57 AM »

Quote from: Moogmodule on October 27, 2019, 01:58:54 AM

Wasn’t this just one of the half dozen covers they knocked off in a day to get Beatles for Sale finished?

They performed this song so many times in clubs that they were able to knock it off quickly in the studio. They did two takes on 18 October 1964 with all four singing and playing their instruments. Take 1 was deemed the better take and George Martin added piano overdubs. The Beatles overdubbed handclaps to the closing measures.

Hello Goodbye · « **Reply #19 on:** October 28, 2019, 02:18:54 AM »

Quote from: Normandie on October 27, 2019, 01:52:26 PM

Yes, I believe that's right, Moog. Sounds like most of the forum members don't care for the Beatles' version very much, but I've always liked it.

Me too!

Quote from: Normandie on October 27, 2019, 01:52:26 PM

A quick bit of ocean liner geekiness here: Jerry Lieber was on the Andrea Doria when it was broadsided by the Stockholm.

It's fortunate he wasn't a casualty. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller had more songwriting to do...

Love Potion No. 9

https://youtu.be/qTjs7a9l0hM
The Clovers 1959

https://youtu.be/7rXhXLsNJL8
The Searchers 1964

News:

Author Topic: Song Of The Week - Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey (Read 5640 times)