| "Runaway" | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runaway by Del Shannon |
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| Single by Del Shannon | |||||||||
| from the album Runaway | |||||||||
| B-side | "Jody" | ||||||||
| Released | February 1961 | ||||||||
| Format | 7" single | ||||||||
| Recorded | 24 January 1961 | ||||||||
| Genre | Rock and roll, pop | ||||||||
| Length | 2:20 | ||||||||
| Label |
BigTop 45-3067 (USA) London HLX 9317 (UK) Heliodor 453099 (Germany) London HL-1796 |
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| Writer(s) | Del Shannon, Max Crook | ||||||||
| Producer | Harry Balk | ||||||||
| Del Shannon singles chronology | |||||||||
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"Runaway" was a number-one Billboard Hot 100 song made famous by Del Shannon in 1961. It was written by Shannon and keyboardist Max Crook, and became a major international hit. It is #466 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time from 2004.
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Singer-guitarist Charles Westover and keyboard player Max Crook performed together as members of "Charlie Johnson and the Big Little Show Band" in Battle Creek, Michigan, before their group won a recording contract in 1960. Westover took the new stage name "Del Shannon", and Crook, who had invented his own clavioline-based electric keyboard called a Musitron, became "Maximilian".
After their first recording session for Big Top Records in New York had ended in failure, their manager Ollie McLaughlin persuaded them to rewrite and re-record an earlier song they had written, "Little Runaway", to highlight Crook's unique instrumental sound. On January 24, 1961, they recorded "Runaway" at the Bell Sound recording studios, with Harry Balk as producer, Fred Weinberg as audio engineer and also session musician on several sections- session musician Al Caiola on guitar, and Crook playing the central Musitron break.[1] After recording in A minor, producer Balk sped up the recording to pitch just below a B-flat minor.[2] "Runaway" was released in February 1961 and was immediately successful. In April, Shannon appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand helping to catapult it to the number one spot on the Billboard charts where it remained for four weeks. Two months later, it also reached number one in the UK.[3]. On the R&B charts, "Runaway" peaked at number three[4].
Del Shannon re-recorded the song in 1967 under the name "Runaway '67". This version was issued as a single but failed to make the Hot 100.
The Small Faces covered the song as first track on their 1967 demo From The Beginning
Elvis Presley covered this song on his 1970 live album
In 1977, Bonnie Raitt included a bluesy version of the song on her album Sweet Forgiveness. Also released as a single, it reached #57 on the U.S. Hot 100.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band recorded their strongly parodic version on their album The Penthouse Tapes in 1976.
Del Shannon re-recorded the song for the NBC television series Crime Story. The lyrics were slightly changed and the signature organ solo replaced with an electric guitar.
In the mid-1970s the British sessions band Huddersfield Transit Authority recorded a strong cover with the benefit of a full orchestral backing.
Steve Goodman of Go Cubs Go fame did an acoustic version one Easter Sunday in the mid-1970s on WNEW-FM. This was later incorporated in the posthumously released Easter Tapes, a compilation of three separate Easter Sunday programs hosted by Vin Scelsa.
Luis Cardenas made a rock cover for his solo album entitled Animal Instinct.
The Traveling Wilburys released a version as the B-side of their single "She's My Baby". (Lead Wilbury Tom Petty also references the song in his 1989 hit "Runnin' Down a Dream", describing himself singing "Runaway" along with Shannon as he drives along listening to the radio.)
Narvel Felts covered the song in 1978 and took it to #30 on the Hot Country Songs charts.[5]
A cover by Gary Allan also charted at #74 on the same chart in 2000, despite not being officially released as a single.[6]
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes recorded a punk version on their 2001 single titled "SHANNON".[7]
The Plain White T's recorded a live version at Horseshack studios on February 9, 2009. It is available for free on their website, Daytrotter.[8]
Rhythms del Mundo recorded a Latin version with the vocals sung by The Zutons on their July 2009 fundraiser album Rhythms del Mundo Classics.[9]
Queen + Paul Rodgers released a version of this song as an iTunes-exclusive download for their The Cosmos Rocks album.
Misfits recorded a cover of the song on their 2003 album Project 1950.
Sonata Arctica performed an acoustic cover on their "Days of Grays" 2011 tour, in the Italian Stage, in Milan, on 27 February 2011.[10]
Screeching Weasel recorded a version on their Boogadaboogadaboogada album.
Blood for Blood recorded a version on their Serenity album
P. Paul Fenech, singer of The Meteors, covered this song on one of his solo albums, Screaming in the 10th key.
Steve Zing recorded a single with Mourning Noise members in 1986
Los Coronas also recorded a version on their Dos Bandas Y Un Destino El Concierto (& Arizona Baby) album.
Tracy Huang is cover of album Songs of the 60s.