Sleep Walk

"Sleep Walk"

"Sleep Walk" cover
Song by Santo & Johnny from the album Santo & Johnny
Released 1959
Genre Instrumental rock
Label Canadian-American Records
Writer Santo Farina and Johnny Farina
Music sample
Sleep Walk

"Sleep Walk" is an instrumental steel guitar-based song written, recorded, and released in 1959 by brothers Santo & Johnny Farina. (The BMI Repertoire database and the original release credits three Farinas as composers including sister Ann.[1]) It was recorded at Trinity Music in Manhattan, New York City, New York. "Sleep Walk" entered Billboard's Top 40 on August 17, 1959. It rose to the number-one position for two weeks in September (the 21st and the 28th)[2] and remained in the Top 40 until November 9. "Sleep Walk" also reached number four on the R&B chart.[3] It was the last instrumental to hit number one in the 1950s and earned Santo & Johnny a gold record.[4]

Contents

Cover versions

One of the first covers was by Betsy Brye (stage name of Bette Anne Steele), also in 1959.[5] Although Santo & Johnny wrote lyrics for "Sleep Walk", they never recorded a version with the lyrics; Brye's version includes these lyrics.[1]

The song has been also covered by Al Kooper (playing the guitar part on synthesizer), Paul Mauriat, The Shadows, The Ventures, Jake Shimabukuro, Danny Gatton, Larry Carlton[6], Deftones, Leo Kottke, Chet Atkins[7], B. J. Cole, Micah P. Hinson, Amos Garrett, Henri Rene, Jonathan Richman, Jeff Beck, Joe Satriani,[8] The Chantays, Tommy Crook, and Carlos Santana recorded a cover version for the musical score to the 1987 feature film La Bamba but this version was not released in the soundtrack.

The Brian Setzer Orchestra recording of "Sleep Walk" received a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance of 1998.[9]

Country Music Hall of Famer Jimmy Russell recorded a version in 2001. French guitarist Jean-Pierre Danel had a Top 20 hit in Europe with his version of the song, recorded in 2006.

Modest Mouse, Deftones, My Morning Jacket, and The Raveonettes have all recorded adaptions of the song with lyrics.

In popular culture

"Sleep Walk" has remained popular and continues to be used in commercials, television shows, and films.

The song is featured prominently at the opening and the end of the 1987 film, La Bamba, during Ritchie Valens' funeral and the subsequent scene of his brother, Bob, screaming Ritchie's name into the sky in anguish.

The song was featured in the 1992 Stephen King film, Sleepwalkers as well as the 1995 film, Twelve Monkeys and the 1990 film Mermaids. The song also appears in the 1990 film Coupe de Ville and the 2004 surf documentary, Riding Giants.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "All Songs Considered Episode 13". NPR's Online Music Show. NPR. 2002-02-06. http://www.npr.org/programs/asc/archives/asc13/#santo. Retrieved 2007-09-01. 
  2. ^ "Billboard #1 Pop Hits — 1950-1959". Record Research Inc.. Archived from the original on 2007-07-17. http://web.archive.org/web/20070717171659/http://www.recordresearch.com/numones/numone_pop_1950s.html. Retrieved 2007-09-01. 
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 512. 
  4. ^ "Santo & Johnny Bio". http://santoandjohnny.com/Bio.php. 
  5. ^ "Bette Anne Steele Bio". http://www.sunpk.com/art/cdart/pages/033betteannebio.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-01. 
  6. ^ "Larry Carlton - Sleepwalk - GRP Records". Archived from the original on 2007-12-12. http://web.archive.org/web/20071212072046/http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/product.aspx?ob=prd&src=list&pid=10743. Retrieved 2007-08-30. 
  7. ^ "Teensville (1960) at Chet Atkins: Mister Guitar - Discography". http://www.misterguitar.com/discography/teensville.html. Retrieved 2007-08-30. 
  8. ^ "Interview with Joe Satriani". Heart of Steel. Metal-Rules.com [1]. October 2002. http://www.metal-rules.com/interviews/SatrianiInterview.htm. 
  9. ^ "Grammy Award winners (Brian Setzer)". http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/Winners/Results.aspx?title=&winner=brian%20setzer&year=0&genreID=0&hp=1. Retrieved 2007-08-30.