Wonderful World (song)
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| “Wonderful World” | |||||
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| Single by Sam Cooke | |||||
| B-side | "Along the Navajo Trail" | ||||
| Released | 14 April 1960 | ||||
| Format | 7" single | ||||
| Recorded | 2 March 1959 | ||||
| Genre | Soul | ||||
| Length | 2:09 | ||||
| Label | Keen Records 2112 | ||||
| Writer(s) | Sam Cooke, Herb Alpert, Lou Adler | ||||
| Sam Cooke singles chronology | |||||
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| “Wonderful World” | ||
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| Song by Otis Redding | ||
| Album | Otis Blue | |
| Released | 1965 | |
| Recorded | Stax Studios, Memphis, Tennessee: 1965 | |
| Genre | Soul | |
| Length | 3:00 | |
| Label | Volt/Atco | |
| Producer | Steve Cropper | |
| Otis Blue track listing | ||
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"Wonderful World" (sometimes referred to as "(What a) Wonderful World", but unrelated to the Louis Armstrong song by that title) was written in the late 1950s by soul music pioneer Sam Cooke along with songwriters Lou Adler and Herb Alpert, and first recorded by Cooke in 1958 for Cooke's self-titled debut album. The song was released as a single in 1960. A bouncy love song, the lyrics have the singer disavowing any knowledge gained from books (the song is often referred to informally by its first line, "Don't know much about history"), but affirming the object of his affection "but I do know that I love you". Herman's Hermits had major hit with an uptempo version of the song in the mid-1960s which unfortunately left out one of the songs best verses but which was nevertheless enjoyable. The Hermit's version was, according to singer Peter Noone and guitarist Keith Hopwood, done as a tribute to Cooke upon his untimely death.
In 2004, the song was placed 373rd in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Contents |
[edit] Popular Culture
The song is used in the classic college movie Animal House (1978) in the well known lunchroom scene.
After a Greg Chapman cover of the song was featured prominently in the 1985 film Witness, "Wonderful World" gained further exposure, particularly in the United Kingdom, where it appeared in a well-remembered 1986 advert for Levis 501 jeans. As a result, the song became a hit in the UK, reaching #2 in re-release. In a 2005 poll by the UK's Channel Four, the song was voted the 19th greatest song ever to feature in a commercial.[1]
The original Sam Cooke version of the song comprised the title soundtrack of the 2005 film Hitch.
[edit] Cover versions
The song has been covered by many artists, including the aforementioned Herman's Hermits, Greg Chapman, and Art Garfunkel (who performed a cover of the song on his 1977 album Watermark, with harmonies by James Taylor and Paul Simon).
It was also covered by Otis Redding on his album Otis Blue.
David Bromberg covered the song on the 1975 album Midnight On The Water
The track was covered by Terence Trent D'Arby as a "B-side" on a rare 7" vinyl EP in the late 1980s.
It was again covered in 2005 by Scottish crooner Jim Diamond on The Blues Shoes EP.
Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia covered this song with The Jerry Garcia Band during live performances; it appears on Pure Jerry series #7 as an encore along with special guest Bruce Hornsby. The sublime song KRS-One references the lyrics to this song
[edit] Chart performance
[edit] Sam Cooke version
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | US Black Singles Chart | #2 |
| 1960 | US Pop Singles Chart | #12 |
| 1960 | UK Singles Chart | #27 |
| 1986 | The Netherlands | #1[2] |
[edit] Herman's Hermits version
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Pop Singles Chart | #4 |
| 1965 | UK Singles Chart | #7 |
[edit] Art Garfunkel version
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Adult Contemporary | #1 |
| 1978 | Pop Singles Chart | #17 |
[edit] Greg Chapman version
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | UK Singles Chart | #2 |
[edit] Credits
[edit] Sam Cooke version
- Written by Sam Cooke, Lou Adler, and Herb Alpert.
- Produced by Sam Cooke.
- Instrumentation by Rene Hall (arrangement), Adolphus Asbrook (bass), Ronald Selico (drums), and Cliff White (guitar).
- Background vocals by Lou Rawls.
- Engineering by Deano Lappas.
[edit] References
- Wolff, Daniel J., S.R. Crain, Clifton White, and G. David Tenenbaum (1995). You Send Me: The Life and Times of Sam Cooke. William Morrow & Co. ISBN 0-688-12403-8.
- ^ Coke theme is top of the pops. The Manchester Evening News (2005). Retrieved on 2008-04-28.
- ^ De Nederlandse Top 40, week 21, 1986. Retrieved on 2008-03-03.
