Runaround Sue

"Runaround Sue"
Single by Dion
from the album Runaround Sue
B-side "Runaway Girl"
Released September 1961[1]
Genre
Length 2:41
Label Laurie
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Gene Schwartz
Dion singles chronology
"Somebody Nobody Wants"
(1961)		 "Runaround Sue"
(1961)		 "The Wanderer"
(1961)

"Somebody Nobody Wants"
(1961)		 "Runaround Sue"
(1961)		 "The Wanderer"
(1961)

"Runaround Sue" is a pop song, in a modified doo-wop style, originally a US No. 1 hit for the singer Dion during 1961 after he split with the Belmonts. The song ranked No. 351 on the Rolling Stone list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[3] The song was written by Dion with Ernie Maresca, and tells the story of a disloyal lover.

Lyrics

The lyrics are sung from the point of view of a man whose former girlfriend, named Sue, was extremely unfaithful. He warns all potential lovers to avoid her at all costs, as Sue "runs around" with every guy she meets and never settles down with any man in particular. He advises; "now people let me put you wise, Sue goes out with other guys" and suggests that potential suitors should 'keep away from Runaround Sue'. Dion stated in his autobiography "The Wanderer" that although his wife's name was Susan, Runaround Sue had nothing to do with her. However, during a 1990 interview with his wife on the Oprah Winfrey Show, they presented the story that the song was indeed about her.[4]

Recording

The song was recorded at Bell Sound in New York City in the summer of 1961. The musicians included:[5]

Chart performance

Leif Garrett cover

"Runaround Sue"
Single by Leif Garrett
from the album Leif Garrett
B-side "I Wanna Share a Dream With You"
Released November 1977
Genre Pop
Label Atlantic 3110
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Michael Lloyd
Leif Garrett singles chronology
"Surfin' USA"
(1977)		 "Runaround Sue"
(1977)		 "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"
(1978)

"Surfin' USA"
(1977)		 "Runaround Sue"
(1978)		 "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"
(1978)

"Runaround Sue" was covered by Leif Garrett in 1977. The song was the second of four releases from his debut album, all of which became U.S. chart hits. All four songs were covers of major hits from 1959 to 1963, including Dion's two biggest hits. Of the four, "Runaround Sue" was the most successful for Garrett. In early 1978, his version reached number 13 on Billboard and number 18 on Cash Box. The song also reached number 15 in Canada.

Chart performance

Other cover versions and samples

References

  1. ↑ Strong, M. C. (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Edinburgh: Canongate Books Ltd. p. 220. ISBN 0-86241-385-0.
  2. ↑ Richie Unterberger. "Runaround Sue - Dion | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  3. ↑ "500 GREATEST SONGS OF ALL TIME". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  4. ↑ The Real-Life "Runaround Sue" Who Inspired the Legendary Song (posted to YouTube on Aug 18, 2016 by OWN)
  5. ↑ Myers, Marc, ‘’Anatomy of a Song:The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop,’’ Grove Press, New York, 2016 p. 38
  6. ↑ "flavour of new zealand - Lever hit parades". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  7. ↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/runaround-sue/
  8. ↑ "Dion Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1961/Top 100 Songs of 1961". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  10. 1 2 Steffen Hung. "Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  11. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  12. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-12-12.
  13. ↑ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. 1978-04-02. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  14. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 94.
  15. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  16. ↑ "1978 Year End". Bullfrogspond.com. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  17. ↑ Caramanica, Jon (March 28, 2014). "A Rapper Appropriating Dion's Cool". New York Times.
  18. ↑ Stewart, Allison (February 14, 2013). "G-Eazy's musical education is an ongoing process". Chicago Tribune.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.