Kansas City (R&B song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Medley: "Kansas City"/"Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey""
Song by The Beatles
from the album Beatles for Sale
Released	December 4, 1964
Recorded	October 18, 1964
Genre	Rock and roll
Length	2:33
Label	Parlophone
Writer(s)	Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller/Richard Penniman
Producer(s)	George Martin
Beatles for Sale track listing
"Mr. Moonlight" (6)	"Medley: "Kansas City"/"Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey"" (7)	"Eight Days a Week" (8)

"Kansas City" is the title of a rhythm and blues song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller in 1952. It was first recorded by Little Willie Littlefield that same year, under the title, "KC Lovin'." (Ralph Bass of Federal Records, Littlefield's label, thought "K.C." sounded much "hipper" than "Kansas City," and so changed Leiber & Stoller's original title.) Littlefield's record was a regional hit in and around Los Angeles, where Federal was located.

The best known version of "Kansas City" was recorded in 1959 by Wilbert Harrison. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and also restored the song's proper title. Since Harrison's record, the song has been covered by hundreds of performers, including Little Richard, The Beatles, Joe Williams, Little Milton, Peggy Lee, and Bill Haley & His Comets. Many other artists found some degree of success on the Hot 100 with this song, including Rocky Olson, Hank Ballard and The Midnighters, Trini Lopez, and James Brown. Ten versions of the song are featured on the 1994 CD, The Best Of Kansas City.

Little Richard's and The Beatles' versions were combined into a medley with Little Richard's song, "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey." This version differs considerably from the original, adding lyrics such as "Ah, Kansas City; coming to get my baby back home; yeah, yeah..." and removing most of the original lyrics (such as: "I'm goin' to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come..."). Several different versions of Haley's "Kansas City" exist, some featuring vocals by Haley himself and others sung by his saxophone player, Rudy Pompilli; lyrically, however, all versions by Haley adhere to the Leiber & Stoller original.

In 2005, Kansas City, MO adopted "Kansas City" as its official song, dedicating Goin' To Kansas City Plaza at—where else?—12th Street and Vine.

Preceded by "The Happy Organ" by Dave "Baby" Cortez

Billboard Hot 100 number one single May 18, 1959

Succeeded by "The Battle of New Orleans" by Johnny Horton