Shout (Isley Brothers song)

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"Shout – Part 1"
RCA single label with title, group, etc.
Single by the Isley Brothers
from the album Shout!
B-side"Shout – Part 2"
ReleasedAugust 1959
RecordedJuly 29, 1959
StudioRCA Victor Studio A, New York City
Genre
Length
  • 2:15 (part 1)
  • 2:10 (part 2)
LabelRCA Victor
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Hugo & Luigi
The Isley Brothers singles chronology
"I'm Gonna Knock on Your Door"
(1959) 		"Shout – Part 1"
(1959) 		"Respectable"
(1960)

"Shout" is a popular song, written and originally recorded by American vocal group the Isley Brothers in 1959. Later versions include a UK top ten hit in 1964 by Scottish singer Lulu.

The Isley Brothers[]

In performances around 1958, the Isley Brothers would typically end their shows with a cover version of Jackie Wilson's hit "Lonely Teardrops". At one performance at the Uptown Theater in Philadelphia, lead singer Ronald Isley could see the audience standing and yelling their approval, so he extended the song by improvising a call-and-response around the words "You know you make me wanna..." "Shout!". The group developed the song further in later performances and rehearsals, using a drawn out "We-eee-ll" copied from Ray Charles' "I Got a Woman". On returning to New York City at the end of their engagement, they suggested to record producers Hugo & Luigi that they record the "Shout!" climax of the performance as a separate song. The producers agreed and suggested that the band invite friends to the recording studio to generate a party atmosphere.[2]

The recording took place on July 29, 1959, with Hugo and Luigi choosing the studio musicians and the Isley Brothers inviting organist Herman Stephens. Released in August 1959, with the song split over both sides of the record, the single reached number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the group's first chart hit,[3] and later the brothers' first gold single on the basis of its longevity. Ronald Isley later said that church groups wrote to radio stations asking them to stop playing the record, because of its use of a traditional black gospel sound.[2]

In the Isley Brothers versions, they quote the "Say You Will" chorus from the song "Lonely Teardrops" by Jackie Wilson. The first bridge changes the rhythm from 2/4 to 6/8 before reverting back to the 2/4 rhythm. A slow recitative portion, sung by the lead singer, beginning with "Now wait a minute", separates the faster portions of the song, with the other band members shouting and clapping with "Yeah, yeah". The second part of the song is noted for the repeated call and response lines: "A little bit softer/louder now", where both the lead singer and the backups first sing softly, and then loudly. This song ends with the repeated phrases: "Jump up and shout now" and the word "Shout" before the song's fade.

Other recordings[]

One month after the initial release, Johnny O'Keefe performed the song on his Australian TV show Six O'Clock Rock. He released it as a single, which reached number two in Australia – his 1964 re-recording was only a minor hit at number 49.[4] Joey Dee and the Starliters reached number six with their recording of the song in 1962, beginning with Joey Dee quietly speaking his suggestion to do a little bit of "Shout", before he begins singing, in which the group only covers the first part of the song, omitting the "Say you will" portions as well. (they also reworked the chorus portion of the song into an even bigger hit, "Peppermint Twist"), while the Isley Brothers' version re-charted that same year at number 94.[citation needed]

In the U.K. in 1964, a version by Scottish pop singer Lulu reached number seven (attributed to Lulu and the Luvvers).[5] She re-recorded the song in 1986 and it reached number eight.[5] The Shangri-Las included a version of the song in their debut LP Leader of the Pack[6] in 1965. Tommy James and the Shondells recorded a version of the song on their 1967 album, I Think We're Alone Now.[7]

The song was famously performed in its entirety by Lloyd G. Williams (credited as Otis Day and the Knights) for the 1978 hit movie National Lampoon's Animal House during the frat house toga party sequence.

The Beatles recorded "Shout" in 1964 for a television special called Around the Beatles. The recording was later released in 1996 on the Beatles archival album, Anthology 1.

The National Football League (NFL)'s Buffalo Bills created a version of "Shout" in 1987 with modified lyrics sung by Scott Kemper; it has served as the team's official fight song ever since,[8] save for a brief period in 1993, after Polaroid's aforementioned licensing of the song led to a dispute over royalties, during which the team used a version of "Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out)" by Ernie Maresca.[9]

The song was prominently featured in Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, but they couldn't afford to license the original recording, so it was covered by Larry Wright.

Polaroid used a version of the song in a 1990s-era ad campaign.[10]

A recording of the song was used for the soundtrack of the movie Sister Act in 1992.

The original 1959 recording was featured in the 1982 film Diner and the Cheers Season 4 episode "Suspicion".

"Shout" was inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.[11]

Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at number 119 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[12]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "The Isley Brothers - Inductees - The Vocal Group Hall of Fame Foundation". Vocalgroup.org. Archived from the original on December 23, 2010. Retrieved July 14, 2015.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Myers, Marc (2016). Anatomy of a Song. Grove Press. pp. 23–27. ISBN 978-1-61185-525-8.
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955-2002 (1st ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 339. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
  4. ^ "Johnny O'Keefe with the Rajahs - Shout (Parts 1 & 2)". Where Did They Get That Song?. PopArchives.com.au. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "UK Top 40 Hit Database". EveryHit.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2008. Retrieved October 17, 2011. Enter Lulu for Artist and Shout for Title and click Search.
  6. ^ "The Shangri-Las Albums". TheShangri-Las.com. Leader of the Pack. Archived from the original on 2004-08-04. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  7. ^ Tommy James and the Shondells, I Think We're Alone Now AllMusic Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  8. ^ Miller, Ryan (January 4, 2020). "Buffalo Bills 'Shout' song: Lyrics, videos, history of one of NFL's best fight songs". Democrat and Chronicle. Gannett Company. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  9. ^ Githens, Lauri (May 7, 1993). "Critics wonder if new Bills' song is worth shouting about". The Buffalo News. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  10. ^ Githens, Lauri (May 14, 1993). "Bills reportedly rejected paying to the tune of $7,000-$10,000 a year for use of 'Shout'". The Buffalo News. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  11. ^ "GRAMMY Hall Of Fame". The Recording Academy. 18 October 2010. Retrieved 14 Oct 2020.
  12. ^ "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. 11 Dec 2003. Retrieved 14 Oct 2020.

External links[]

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