Barbara Ann
"Barbara Ann" is a song written by Fred Fassert and first recorded in 1958 (as "Barbara-Ann") by The Regents, whose version was released in 1961 and reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The Beach Boys version
| "Barbara Ann" | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 single sleeve | ||||||||||||
| Single by The Beach Boys | ||||||||||||
| from the album Beach Boys' Party! | ||||||||||||
| B-side | "Girl Don't Tell Me" | |||||||||||
| Released | December 20, 1965 | |||||||||||
| Format | Vinyl | |||||||||||
| Recorded | September 23, 1965, United Western Recorders, Hollywood, California | |||||||||||
| Genre | Rock and roll, doo-wop | |||||||||||
| Length |
3:23 (album version) 2:05 (single version) | |||||||||||
| Label | Capitol 5561 | |||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Fred Fassert | |||||||||||
| Producer(s) | Brian Wilson | |||||||||||
| The Beach Boys singles chronology | ||||||||||||
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The most famous cover version is by The Beach Boys, which was released as a single on December 20, 1965, with the B-side "Girl Don't Tell Me". The song peaked at #2 in the US Billboard Hot 100 (#1 in Cash Box and Record World) and at #3 in the UK in January 1966.[1] It also topped the charts in Germany, Switzerland and Norway. It was The Beach Boys' biggest hit in Italy, reaching #4. The song was also released on the 1965 album Beach Boys' Party!. Dean Torrence, who had previously recorded the song as one half of Jan and Dean, is featured on lead vocals along with Brian Wilson. Torrance is not credited on the album jacket, but "Thanks, Dean" is said by Carl Wilson at the end of the track.[2]
A version recorded by the Beach Boys without the Beach Boys' Party! effects can be found on the Hawthorne, CA album. The Beach Boys made a false start on the Party! album by singing "Baa Baa Black Sheep" instead of "Baa Baa Baa Baa Barbara Ann". The Beach Boys sang this song as an encore on their Live In London album. Brian Wilson has a rendition on his live Roxy CD, and in 2001, performed it himself, with the ensemble, on An All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson.
Personnel
- The Beach Boys
- Al Jardine: backing vocals, guitar
- Bruce Johnston: backing vocals
- Mike Love: backing vocals
- Brian Wilson: lead vocals, bass
- Carl Wilson: backing vocals, guitar
- Dennis Wilson: backing vocals
- Additional musicians and production staff
- Hal Blaine: "his famous ashtrays"
- Dean Torrence: lead vocals
Chart positions
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart[3] | 1 |
| Belgian Singles Chart[4] | 11 |
| Dutch Albums Chart[5] | 17 |
| German Singles Chart[6] | 1 |
| Italian Singles Chart[7] | 5 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart[8] | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart[9] | 3 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[10] | 2 |
Other versions
Jan & Dean covered the song in 1962, and it was included on their album, Golden Hits.
The Beach Boys appeared in the television series Home Improvement as cousins of the character Wilson. They perform "Barbara Ann" in Wilson's backyard. In an episode of Full House called "Beach Boy Bingo" the Tanner family went to a Beach Boys concert and got to sing this song with them on stage.
The song was also covered by The Who (released in November 1966 on the Ready Steady Who 7" EP), sung by Keith Moon, and was included in the film The Kids are Alright. Blind Guardian also covered the song on the album Follow the Blind.
In the late 1970s series Welcome Back, Kotter, the character Vinnie Barbarino (John Travolta) sings a version with the lyrics "Baa-baa-baa Baa-Barbarino". A modified version of the Barbarino song is currently used in commercials by Barberino Nissan of Wallingford, Connecticut. The song featured in the 1973 film American Graffiti. In 1975, the Martin Cicus group performed a French version named "Marylène".
Parodies
The song was parodied as "Bomb Iran" by various musicians, including Vince Vance and the Valiants, during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis.[11]
John McCain briefly sang "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" in response to a question at a campaign stop on April 19, 2007.[12] Paul Shanklin recorded a full "Bomb Iran" parody of the song (impersonating McCain) for Rush Limbaugh's radio show.
The ApologetiX also recorded a version called "Baa We're Lambs".
In the 1993 film, Surf Ninjas, the words "Barbara Ann" were changed to "Baba Ram" the title of the ambassador of the fictional country Potusan played by Keone Young. This was the comical end to the film as no one could have expected the Baba Ram would just break out singing the falsetto parts of the song.
References
- ↑ "The Beach Boys - Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
- ↑ Show 20 - Forty Miles of Bad Road: Some of the best from rock 'n' roll's dark ages. [Part 1] : UNT Digital Library
- ↑ "austriancharts.at The Beach Boys – Barbara Ann" (ASP). Hung Medien (in German). Retrieved April 14, 2013.
- ↑ "ultratop.be The Beach Boys – Barbara Ann" (ASP). Hung Medien. Ultratop. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
- ↑ "dutchcharts.nl The Beach Boys – Barbara Ann" (ASP). Hung Medien. MegaCharts. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
- ↑ "German Singles Charts". mountvernonandfairway.de. Retrieved 13 November 2007.
- ↑ "Italian Singles Charts". mountvernonandfairway.de. Retrieved 13 November 2007.
- ↑ "norwegiancharts.com The Beach Boys – Barbara Ann" (ASP). Hung Medien. VG-lista. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
- ↑ "Beach Boys". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
- ↑ "The Beach Boys - Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
- ↑ Declain McCullagh (April 22, 2007). McCain's 'Bomb Iran' song was anti-Muslim? News.com. Accessed 2007-11-05.
- ↑ McCain's "Bomb Iran" Joke Draws Fire. April 20, 2007. CBSNews/AP. Accessed 2007-11-05.
External links
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