| "Lollipop" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Ronald & Ruby | ||||
| Released | 1958 | |||
| Format | 7" single | |||
| Recorded | 1957 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:14 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Writer(s) | Beverly Ross, Julius Dixson | |||
| Producer | Julius Dixson | |||
| Ronald & Ruby singles chronology | ||||
|
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| "Lollipop" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The Chordettes | ||||
| Released | 1958 | |||
| Format | 7" single | |||
| Recorded | 1958 | |||
| Genre | Pop music | |||
| Label | Cadence | |||
| Writer(s) | Beverly Ross, Julius Dixson | |||
| Producer | Archie Bleyer | |||
| The Chordettes singles chronology | ||||
|
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"Lollipop" is a pop song written by Julius Dixson[1] and Beverly Ross in 1958 for the duo Ronald & Ruby, which was covered most successfully by The Chordettes. Dixson's name is sometimes spelled Dixon.[2]
The song is a firm favorite amongst many performing barbershop music.
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The recording duo Ronald & Ruby comprised Ronald Gumps, and songwriter Beverly Ross. The recording was originally a demo disc but RCA got hold of it and Dixson, who owned the master and had produced the demo, agreed to let them release it. Ronald and Ruby's version rose up the chart reaching #20 but when it was learned they were an interracial duo (as were the songwriters Dixson and Ross), television appearances that had been previously booked were canceled and interest in the song waned.
"Lollipop" was then covered in the United States by female vocal quartet The Chordettes whose version reached #2 and #3 on the Billboard pop and R&B charts, respectively. The song became a worldwide hit. The Chordettes' version reached #6 in the UK, where there was also a cover version by The Mudlarks which made #2. Westlife in 2000s.
The Argentinian band Viuda e Hijas de Roque Enroll had a hit in the mid 1980s using interpolations of the two most popular "Lollipop" songs: the Dixson and Ross version, and "My Boy Lollipop". Samples of the original Ronald and Ruby version were also used.
The song was also covered by Steven Seagal for his album Songs from the Crystal Cave and by children's entertainers Sharon, Lois & Bram, on their 1995 album Let's Dance!.
Squeak E. Clean & Desert Eagles covered and remixed the song for the film Whip It.
Kenny Loggins covered it on his 2009 album All Join In.
The song was used in the movies Crazy Mama (1976), Eskimo Limon (1978), Shifshuf Naim (1981), Stand by Me (1986), Harrison Bergeron (1995), Chicken Little (2005), and Whip It (2009). It was also used in an episode of the American drama CSI, as well as Cheers and Scrubs.
On the TV sitcom Cheers, Norm and Cliff sing their own rendition of the song, after sucking helium to give themselves a higher sounding voice.
In The Simpsons episode "The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase", in the "Simpson Family Smile-Time Variety Hour" sketch, Jasper tries to sing "Lollipop", but when he tries to do the pop sound effect, his teeth fall out.
In a 1977 episode of Happy Days entitled "Time Capsule", the gang is accidentally locked in a vault and Potsie sings "Lollipop" to try to cheer everyone up.
The 2005 video game Stubbs the Zombie uses a version of the song by Ben Kweller. It was also remixed by Junkie XL for the popular game Destroy All Humans.
An episode of Cold Case on CBS began with the song.
The song was the signature song of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation show Lollipop, airing from 1989 and presented by Rune Larsen.[3]
In 2009, factory workers sing the song on a Dell computer commercial.