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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | "Billy G. Spradlin" <bgspradlin@cablelynx.com> |
| Subject | Re: Hanky Panky |
| Date | Wed, 17 Mar 2004 22:03:22 -0600 |
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Hanky Panky was just another 60's dance craze record like the Twist, the
Mashed
Potato, The Swim, Wa-Watusi, Limbo, The Zonk....etc.
It was written by the great 60's writing team of Jeff Barry and Ellie
Greenwich, recorded first by girl group The Summits and later by
Barry/Greenwich as The Raindrops on Jubilee Records. The original lyrics went
"My baby does the Hanky Panky...Nice and Slow" (hummm).
Tommy James said in a radio interview he didnt know all the lyrics and
improvised his version on the spot. It was recorded at a Michigan radio
station
and released on the tiny SNAP records label in 1963. He was only 13 when he
cut
this record.
In 1966 some Pittsburg DJ looking for an exclusive disovered the record and
made it a huge hit there. Someone had bootlegged the 45 selling over 10,000
copies and he was getting calls for live appearances. So Tommy quit his job,
formed a new Shondells and signed with Roulette Records. He didnt have the
master tape so the version we've heard for years was dubbed from his own
scratchy copy.
Billy
NP: V/A Girls Go Zonk! - a great girl group compilation on RPM.
>
Billy G. Spradlin
http://listen.to/jangleradio
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