Barbara Ann

"Barbara-Ann"
Single by The Regents
B-side "I'm So Lonely"
Released 1961 (1961)
Format 7" vinyl
Recorded 1961 (1961)
Genre Doo-wop
Label Gee
Writer(s) Fred Fassert
Producer(s) Louis Cheschetti

"Barbara Ann" is a song written by Fred Fassert that was first recorded by the Regents as "Barbara-Ann". Their version was released in 1961 and reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The most famous cover version was recorded in 1965 by the Beach Boys, issued as a single from their album Beach Boys' Party! with the B-side "Girl Don't Tell Me".

The Beach Boys version

"Barbara Ann"
Single by The Beach Boys
from the album Beach Boys' Party!
B-side "Girl Don't Tell Me"
Released December 20, 1965 (1965-12-20)
Format 7" vinyl
Recorded September 23, 1965 (1965-09-23)
United Western Recorders, Hollywood, California
Genre Rock and roll, doo-wop
Length
  • 2:05
  • 3:23 (album version)
Label Capitol 5561
Writer(s) Fred Fassert
Producer(s) Brian Wilson
The Beach Boys singles chronology
"The Little Girl I Once Knew"
(1965)
"Barbara Ann"
(1965)
"Sloop John B"
(1966)

The Beach Boys recorded their version on September 23, 1965, five days after actress and model Barbara Anne Feldon made her first television appearance on Get Smart. Dean Torrence 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.[1]

The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart the week ending January 1, 1966. The week ending January 29, the song leaped from #15 to #2 and was in position to replace We Can Work It Out by The Beatles as the next #1 song. However, My Love by Petula Clark unexpectedly vaulted into the #1 position the week ending February 5, 1966. Consequently, "Barbara Ann" 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.[2] It also topped the charts in Germany, Switzerland and Norway. It was The Beach Boys' biggest hit in Italy, reaching #4.

Variations of the Beach Boys' recording have seen release. A version without the party sound effects can be found on the Hawthorne, CA album. The group sang the song as an encore on their Live In London album. As a solo artist, Brian has a rendition on his live album Live at the Roxy Theatre, and in 2001, performed it himself, with the ensemble, on An All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson.

Personnel

The Beach Boys
Additional musicians and production staff

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[2] 2

Other versions

"Bomb Iran"

Main article: Bomb Iran

The song was parodied as "Bomb Iran" by various musicians, including Vince Vance and the Valiants, during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis.[10]

References

  1. Show 20 - Forty Miles of Bad Road: Some of the best from rock 'n' roll's dark ages. [Part 1] : UNT Digital Library
  2. 1 2 "The Beach Boys - Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  3. "austriancharts.at The Beach Boys – Barbara Ann" (ASP). Hung Medien (in German). Retrieved April 14, 2013.
  4. "ultratop.be The Beach Boys – Barbara Ann" (ASP). Hung Medien. Ultratop. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  5. "dutchcharts.nl The Beach Boys – Barbara Ann" (ASP). Hung Medien. MegaCharts. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
  6. "German Singles Charts". mountvernonandfairway.de. Retrieved 13 November 2007.
  7. "Italian Singles Charts". mountvernonandfairway.de. Retrieved 13 November 2007.
  8. "norwegiancharts.com The Beach Boys – Barbara Ann" (ASP). Hung Medien. VG-lista. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
  9. "Beach Boys". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  10. Declain McCullagh (April 22, 2007). McCain's 'Bomb Iran' song was anti-Muslim? News.com. Accessed 2007-11-05.

External links

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