Released 1959 Genre Rock & roll Label Del-Fi | Format 7" Length 1:43 Writer(s) Chan Romero | |
"Hippy Hippy Shake" is a song written and recorded by Chan Romero in 1959. That same year, it reached #3 in Australia. Romero was just 17 when he wrote the song.
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Personnel
The Beatles version
A live version of "Hippy Hippy Shake" can be found on The Beatles album Live at the BBC. This version was recorded in July 1963, almost certainly pre-dating the Swinging Blue Jeans recording. The Beatles also played this song in their early days when they performed in small clubs. Another version, recorded on 10 September 1963 for "Pop Go The Beatles" can be found on On Air – Live at the BBC Volume 2.
Personnel
Other cover versions
A cover version by Italian rocker Little Tony appeared in the same year and found moderate success in the UK and Italy.
A version by UK-based band The Swinging Blue Jeans was released in December 1963. This single reached the Top 5 (#2) in the UK and made the Top 30 (#24) in the US charts in early 1964. The song became their biggest hit in both the UK and the US.
The song was covered by the glam rock band Mud in 1974, being released on their album Mud Rock which reached #8 in the British album charts.
British garage rock musician Billy Childish and his band The Milkshakes also recorded a cover on their 1984 album '20 Rock And Roll Hits of the 50's and 60's'.
The song was also covered by Davy Jones in 1987 as the B-side of his single "After Your Heart".
The band Jesse and the Rippers performed this song live at Walt Disney World in the Full House episode "The House Meets the Mouse". In 2013, Jesse and the Rippers again performed this song on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon as part of their one night only reunion.
The song was also covered by the band The Georgia Satellites in 1988. That same year, it reached the US Hot 100 (#45) and the Mainstream Rock Chart (#13).
In popular culture
The song was included in the films The Men Who Stare at Goats, X-Men: First Class, Uncle Buck, and Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. The cover version by The Georgia Satellites is featured in the films Cocktail, Angels in the Outfield and It Takes Two as well as an episode of The Simpsons.
In 1979, The B-52's song "Dance This Mess Around", which featured numerous 1960s pop culture references, repeated the line, "Hippy hippy forward hippy hippy hippy hippy hippy shake", an allusion to this song.