Album Art Wilbert Harrison Kansas City Album Art Bill Haley and the Comets

Who has Not heard of this vocal before??  " Kansas City " was written 'mode back in 1952 past Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, two nineteen-year-erstwhile rhythm and blues fans from Los Angeles.

Neither had been to Kansas City, but they were inspired by the records of Kansas City and by blues shouter Big Joe Turner who was an entertaining mainstay of Kansas Urban center night life.

Showtime recorded in 1952 by Piffling Willie Littlefield, it had the title "M.C. Loving", but the vocal would not became a #1 hit until seven years later when it was covered by Wilbert Harrison in 1959.

"Kansas City" became one of Leiber and Stoller's almost recorded tunes, with more than 3 hundred versions, several actualization in the R&B and pop tape charts.

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Original lyrics

I'm goin' to Kansas Metropolis, Kansas City here I come (2x)

They got a crazy way of lovin' there, and I'grand gonna get me some

I'm gonna be standing on the corner, of Twelfth Street and Vine (2x)

With my Kansas Urban center infant, and a bottle of Kansas Urban center wine…

Through a connection to record producer Ralph Bass, "Kansas City" was written specifically for W Coast blues/R&B artist Little Willie Littlefield, who was a pop 20-year former Texas-born boogie woogie pianist.

​Leiber and Stoller taught the song to Littlefield at the home of some other tape producer, Maxwell Davis. This was handy considering Davis was also a musician and he arranged the song for 78 RPM recording and played the tenor sax on it.

The recording took place in Los Angeles in 1952. During Littlefield's first recording session for Federal Records, a King Records subsidiary. Federal's Ralph Bass changed the title to " Yard. C. Lovin' ", which he reportedly considered to sound "hipper" than "Kansas City".

Unfortunately, Littlefield's record had only mild success in parts of the U.S. and information technology failed to reach the national chart. This would prove to be its downfall because it left the door open for Wilbert Harrison to after dominate the radio waves seven years afterwards with his ubiquitous version of " Kansas City ".

Fiddling Richard versions

In 1955 Little Richard recorded two rather different versions of " Kansas City ": on September, xiii (supervised by Bumps Blackwell), and on November, 29 (with 5 vocalists, supervised by Art Rupe). The start version, which was very close to the original song, was released much afterwards, in Nov 1970, on compilation album Well Alright!

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northward 1959 the second version which had the same proper noun, but which had been substantially re-worked past Little Richard (in item, this version featured the new refrain starting with words "Hey, hey, hey, hey; Hey baby, hey child, hey at present") was released in March 1959 on The Fabled Little Richard and in April 1959 as single (position 95 of US Charts, and position 26 of United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland Singles Chart). (Later this item version would be covered by The Beatles.)

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In 1956 (May 9) Footling Richard recorded his own song Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey , also known as "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey! (Goin' Back to Birmingham)" which turned out to be very similar to a part of 2nd version of "Kansas City" recorded half dozen months earlier (and which had the same refrain every bit mentioned higher up).

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So a new song had been introduced — it included most of the changes made by Niggling Richard to the second version of "Kansas Metropolis" and got a new proper name and new writer, Richard Wayne Penniman (Little Richard himself). This song was released in Jan 1958 as B-side of Good Golly, Miss Molly (Specialty 624) and in July 1958 on Little Richard.
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So information technology happened that the public perceived the song "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey" (released in 1958) as an earlier work than "Kansas Metropolis" (released in 1959) and as its predecessor (while in fact it was actually the other style around). This allowed Little Richard to claim co-authorship with respect to this version of the song.

In 1964 when The Beatles would release their album featuring their version "Kansas City" as performed by Footling Richard (the 2d version, equally the outset ane was not however released at that time) the attorneys representing Venice Music made a complaint, and as a effect the record characterization was revised to read: "Medley: (a) Kansas Urban center (Leiber/Stoller) (P)1964 Macmelodies Ltd./KPM; (b) Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey (Penniman) Venice Mus. Ltd. (P)1964." Formally, however, this vocal could hardly be called a medley, equally past definition a medley is a slice composed from parts of existing pieces. Moreover, when Little Richard was recording "Kansas City", the vocal "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey" did not nonetheless be.

Wilbert Harrison version

In 1959, Wilbert Harrison decided to record his own version of Littlefield's "K.C. Lovin'" after several years of performing information technology at at gigs. It rose to #1 on the charts and stayed there for 7 weeks.

In March 1959, but when the version of Little Richard was released on album, Harrison, with a trio including guitarist Wild Jimmy Spruill, recorded it in a New York studio for producer Bobby Robinson of Fury Records. "Kansas City" was released on a single by Fury, catalog number 1023, later that yr.

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Although the song'southward system varied little from Littlefield'southward, it "struck such a solid shuffle groove that it was unforgettable", with inspired rhythm and solo guitar piece of work past Spruill. Harrison's song was issued with Leiber and Stoller's original name, "Kansas City", but inverse the refrain to "They got some crazy little women there, and I'g gonna go me one" and dropped one twelve-bar section.

Shortly after the song'southward Wilbert Harrison'south version was released, several other versions appeared. Billboard mag's pop song pick of the week for March 30, 1959 listed five different releases of "Kansas Urban center": Harrison's and versions by Hank Ballard and The Midnighters (King 5195), Rocky Olson (Chess 1723), Rockin' Ronald & the Rebels (End 1043), and a reissue by Littlefield (Federal 12351).

A week later on, the magazine announced the unmarried release of a version by Little Richard. Although Ballard's and Richard's versions both appeared in the lower reaches of the Billboard charts, Harrison's was a runaway striking, reaching number one in both the R&B and pop charts, where it remained for 7 weeks, and became one of the pinnacle selling records of 1959. Information technology was as well the concluding No. i single in the Usa to exist released on a 78 tape.

Harrison as well recorded an answer song to the aforementioned melody equally "Kansas City", called "Goodbye Kansas Metropolis", which was released on a single by Fury Records in 1960 (catalog number 1028).

The Beatles version

In 1964, The Beatles recorded Piddling Richard'due south "Kansas Metropolis", calling it "Kansas City/Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey".  It was a song they began performing in their early Hamburg touring days. They had already played it in September '69 at Municipal Stadium while touring in Kansas City as a 1-fourth dimension addition to their usual gear up list.

1964: The Beatles at Municipal Stadium, Kansas Metropolis

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The Beatles' version, which uses somewhat different lyrics, appears on the albums Beatles for Sale (UK) and Beatles Vi (US) and was the B-side of the October 1965 single "Boys" as part of Capitol Records' Star Line series. Piano on the runway was played by George Martin.

An alternate have was released on Anthology 1 and a alive version, recorded in Hamburg in 1962, was released on Live! at the Star-Lodge in Hamburg, Germany; 1962. Other alive versions announced on the albums Alive at the BBC and On Air – Live at the BBC Book 2 and in the picture show Permit It Exist. The Beatles were likewise seen on the American tv set plan Shindig! performing the medley live in Oct 1964.

The Beatles version is played following a Kansas City Royals victory in their home ballpark of Kauffman Stadium.

James Brownish version

James Brown recorded a version of "Kansas City" in 1967 which charted #21 R&B and #55 Pop. Brownish recorded alive performances of the song for his albums Live at the Apollo, Volume II (1968) and Say Information technology Alive and Loud (1998; recorded 1968), and in his concert films James Dark-brown: Man to Man and Alive at the Boston Garden.

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Other versions

"Kansas City" has been recorded past literally hundreds of performers, including

• Bill Haley & His Comets from the album Beak Haley and His Comets (1960),
• Brenda Lee from All the Fashion (1961),
•  Peggy Lee from Blues Cross Country (1962) and Miss Peggy Lee Sings the Dejection (1988),
• Ace Cannon did an instrumental version on his debut 1962 anthology Tuff Sax,
•  Trini Lopez as a #23 pop chart single (1963),
• Dion DiMucci on his anthology "Runaround Sue" (1961),
• January & Dean from Surf City And Other Swingin' Cities (1963),
• Jay and the Americans from At the Cafe Wha? (1963),
• Fats Domino as a single (1964),
• Sammy Davis Jr. from Sammy Davis, Jr. Sings the Big Ones for Young Lovers (1964),
•  The Everly Brothers from Rock & Soul (1965),
• Tom Jones from From the Heart (1966),
•  Albert King from Built-in Under A Bad Sign (1967),
•  Muddy Waters from Muddy "Mississippi" Waters – Live (1979), and
•  Dean Reed from the album Rock'north'Roll Country Romantic"(1980).

Ten versions of the song are featured on the 1994 anthology, The Best of Kansas City. In 1995, it was included in Smokey Joe's Buffet, the musical revue about the songs of Leiber and Stoller. Besides, the Grateful Dead played the vocal on Oct 28th 1985 the day afterward the Kansas City Royals won their start Globe Series.

Recognition

2001, Harrison's "Kansas City" received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award^[19] and it is included on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Gyre." In 2005, Kansas Metropolis adopted "Kansas City" equally its official song, dedicating "Goin' to Kansas City Plaza" in the historic 18th and Vine Jazz district. Due to redevelopment, the "twelfth Street and Vine" intersection mentioned in the vocal no longer exists, but a park roughly in the shape of a 1000 piano and with a path in the shape of a treble clef exists at the erstwhile location, marked by a commemorative plaque.

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