Songs with Earlier Histories Than the Hit Version

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The Hippy Hippy Shake

Written and first recorded by Chan Romero (AUS #3 1959).
Also recorded by Little Tony (1959), The Beatles (1963, released 1994).
Hit versions by The Swinging Blue Jeans (US #21/UK #5 1964), Mud (UK #8 1974), The Georgia Satellites (US #45/ROCK #13 1988).

From the wiki: “‘”Hippy Hippy Shake’ was written and recorded by 17-year old Chan Romero in 1959. That same year, it reached #3 in Australia. A cover version by Italian rocker Little Tony appeared in the same year and found moderate success in the UK and Italy.

“A live version by The Beatles of ‘Hippy Hippy Shake’, part of their early club-playing repertoire, was recorded in July 1963 but not released until 1994 on Live at the BBC. The group also revisited the song during the sessions for the Let It Be album and film in January 1969. The Beatles’ BBC rendition almost certainly influenced the arrangement recorded by The Swinging Blue Jeans for release in December 1963. This single reached the Top 5 in the UK and just missed the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1964. The song became their biggest hit in the US.

“British glam rock band Mud revived ‘Hippy Hippy Shake’ in 1974 on their Top 10 UK album of Rock and Roll chestnuts, Mud Rock. The song was also covered by the band The Georgia Satellites in 1988, a version that has also been featured in the films Cocktail, Angels in the Outfield and It Takes Two as well as an episode of The Simpsons.”

Little Tony & His Brothers, “Hippy Hippy Shake” (1959):

The Beatles, “Hippy Hippy Shake” live BBC radio performance (1963):

The Swinging Blue Jeans, “Hippy Hippy Shake” (1963):

The Beatles, “Hippy Hippy Shake” from the Let It Be sessions (1969):

Mud, “Hippy Hippy Shake” (1974):

The Georgia Satellites, “Hippy Hippy Shake” (1988):

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