From '' Turban Renewal: A Tribute To Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs ''
Label: Norton Records
Catalog#: Ed-234
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Released: 1994
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"Wooly Bully" is a popular song originally recorded by novelty rock 'n' roll band Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs in 1965.
Based on a standard 12-bar blues progression, it was written by the band's leader, Domingo "Sam" Samudio.
It was released as a single on the Memphis-based Pen label and distributed via MGM.
History
"Wooly Bully" was the band's first and biggest hit.
It became a worldwide sensation, selling three million copies and reaching No. 2 on the American Hot 100 chart on June 5, 1990, kept off the top by The Beach Boys's "Help Me, Rhonda".
It was the first American record to sell a million copies during the British Invasion and was influenced by the British rock sound which was mixed with traditional Spanish-American conjunto rhythms.
It stayed in the Hot 100 for a then-impressive 18 weeks, and was nominated for a Grammy Award.
It was also named Billboard's "Number One Record of the Year" despite never reaching No. 1; this feat was achieved again with Faith Hill's "Breathe" in 2000.
Title and lyrics
The lyrics of "Wooly Bully" were hard to understand, and some radio stations banned the song.
The lyrics describe a conversation between "Hattie" and "Matty" concerning the American Bison and the desirability of developing dancing skills.
The warning, "Let's not be L-7's", means "Let's not be squares", from the shape formed by the fingers making an L on one hand and a 7 on the other. Sam the Sham underscores the Tex-Mex nature of the song by counting out the rhythm in Spanish and English, and the characteristic simple organ riffing. According to Sam: "The name of my cat was 'Wooly Bully', so I started from there.
The count down part of the song was also not planned. I was just goofing around and counted off in Tex-Mex. It just blew everybody away, and actually, I wanted it taken off the record. We did three takes, all of them different, and they took the first take and released it."
Structure
The chord progression found in "Wooly Bully" has an unusual 15 bar structure. It is based on an abbreviated 16 bar blues format (itself an extension of the 12 bar blues), where the move to the sub-dominant IV comes after only 7 bars of the tonic I, instead of the expected 8 bars.
This device contributes to the energetic drive of the song, effectively starting the chorus before the verse has had time to finish.
Legacy
The song is referenced by Joe Strummer in the live version of The Clash hit "Capital Radio" featured on the live album titled Live: From Here to Eternity.
The song is also heard in a number of films:
Animal House
Big Bully
The Rookie
Fast Times at Ridgemont High,
Full Metal Jacket
Splash
Scrooged
Happy Gilmore
Monsters vs. Aliens
Megamind
Religulous
Monsieur Ibrahim
Encino Man
and The Chipmunk Adventure, in which it is performed by the Chipmunks.
It is currently used as an entrance theme by PDC darts professional, Terry Jenkins due to his darting nickname, the Bull.
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Hasil Adkins (April 29, 1937 - April 25, 2005) was an Appalachian country, rock and roll, and blues musician, though he was frequently considered rockabilly and sometimes primitive jazz.
He generally performed as a one-man band, playing guitar and drums at the same time and singing. Adkins is also seen by some as the godfather of the psychobilly genre.
Nicknamed "The Haze," Adkins claimed a repertoire of over 9,000 songs including over 7,000 original compositions, recorded scores of small, micro-label 45s, and is responsible for the birth of Norton Records, Psychobilly, and a dance called "The Hunch."
His music can be sad, humorous, and/or frantic.
He was well known for shrieking certain catchphrases, such as "hot dogs," "I want your head," "Gimme that commodity meat", and "AaaaaaaaaaaaaHeeeeeeeeeeee-Wooo!!!!"
Recurring themes in Adkins' work include love, heartbreak, police, death, decapitation, hot dogs, aliens, and chicken.
Adkins often noted in interviews that his primary heroes and influences were Hank Williams Sr., Jimmie Rodgers, Little Richard, and Col. Harlan Sanders, the inventor of Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Some of his best-known songs are "She Said," "No More Hot Dogs," "My Blue Star," "The Hunch," "Beautiful Hills," "We Got A Date," "Chicken Walk", and "Sally Weedy Waddy Woody Wally."
Adkins recorded an entire album devoted to chicken entitled Poultry in Motion that included such songs as "Chicken Run," "Chicken Hop," "Chicken Flop," "Chicken Wobble," and "Chicken On The Bone."
Adkins was also the subject of the Julien Nitzberg documentary The Wild World Of Hasil Adkins, distributed by Appalshop.
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