Bristol Stomp

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"Bristol Stomp" is a song written in 1961 by Kal Mann and Dave Appell, two executives with the Cameo-Parkway record label, for The Dovells, a doo-wop group singing group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who recorded the song for Cameo-Parkway late that year. Appell also produced and arranged the song and his Cameo-Parkway's house band served as the studio musicians on the song.^[1]

Background[]

The song was written about teenagers in 1961 who were dancing a new step called "The Stomp" at Good Will Hose Company dances in Bristol. It refers to Bristol, Pennsylvania, a blue collar suburb of Philadelphia. Before the Dovell's song, the Bristol Stomp dance was performed to "Every Day of the Week" by Louie Lymon and the Teen Chords. The Dovells created the song based on the beat and the emphasis on the third notes in the music of their song.

The refrain of the song:

"The kids in Bristol are sharp as a pistol

When they do the Bristol Stomp

Really somethin' when the joint is jumpin'

When they do the Bristol Stomp"

This song makes reference to the "Pony" and the "Twist".

Chart performance[]

The Dovells' recording made the #2 spot on the Billboard magazine Hot 100 singles chart in 1961 behind "Runaround Sue" by Dion.^[2] "Bristol Stomp" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.^[3] "The Bristol Stomp" also peaked at #7 on the Hot R&B Sides chart.^[4]

Other versions[]

• In 1962, under the Columbia record label, Chubby Checker released his version of "Bristol Stomp" on his album Don't Knock the Twist. In this version, Chubby Checker performs lead vocals with the Dovells providing backup. Though it was not as instrumentally polished as the Dovells's original version, the Checker version added more pep to the song. The album title is the same name as the movie starring Checker.^[5]
• On the live performance of Gary U.S. Bonds's "Seven Day Weekend" found on Johnny Thunders's live soundtrack album Stations of the Cross, Walter Lure begins singing the chorus of the song, playing on the fact that the two songs share the same chord sequence, although the chord sequence was used on many songs from the era.^{[citation needed]}
• A version of the song by UK group The Late Show peaked at number 40 on the official UK chart ^[6] in March 1979.

In popular culture[]

• The song has been used by Fox Sports during broadcasts of the Food City 500, a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race from the Bristol Motor Speedway, in Sullivan County, Tennessee, also referring to massively wrecked racecars as having been "Bristol Stomped."

References[]

External links[]

• Article on the Dovells that mentions the song
• Interview with founding member Mark Stevens
• More information about the song
• Songwriter Kal Mann's obituary (mentions Bristol Stomp lyrics)
• Full lyrics
• Recording with lyrics