Somethin' Else (song)

"Somethin' Else"
Single by Eddie Cochran
B-side "Boll Weevil Song"
Released July 1959
Format 45 rpm record
Recorded June 23, 1959
Genre Rock and roll, rockabilly
Length 2:08
Label Liberty
Songwriter(s) Sharon Sheeley, Bob Cochran
Producer(s) Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran singles chronology
"Teenage Heaven"
(1959)		 "Somethin' Else"
(1959)		 "Hallelujah! I Love Her So"
(1959)

"Somethin' Else" is a song by the rockabilly musician Eddie Cochran, co-written by his girlfriend Sharon Sheeley and his elder brother Bob Cochran, and released in 1959. It has been covered by a wide range of artists, including the Sex Pistols, who scored a number 3 hit with it in the UK Singles Chart in 1979.[1]

Eddie Cochran version

The first-person lyrics describe how Cochran wants a convertible he can not afford and a girl who he fears will not go out with him. But in the end, by saving money, he is able to buy an older car, and works up the confidence to ask the girl out. The song was written on the back of a match book. Veteran studio drummer Earl Palmer played the same drum beat on "Somethin' Else" as Charles Connor did on Little Richard's "Keep A-Knockin'". However, Eddie Cochran was unaware that Sheeley wanted to duplicate the drum sound of the Little Richard recording.[2] The song peaked at No. 22 on the UK Singles Chart,[3] but only reached No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.

Known personnel

Chart performance

Chart (1959) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[3] 22
US Billboard Hot 100[4] 58

Songwriting credit

The songwriting credit shows Bob, not Bobby, Cochran. Eddie's brother Bob co-wrote the song. Bobby Cochran is Eddie's nephew.[5]

Johnny Hallyday version (in French)

"Elle est terrible"
Single by Johnny Hallyday
from the album Johnny à l'Olympia (ver. 1, live), L'Idole des jeunes (ver. 2), Les bras en croix (ver. 2)
Released December 10, 1962 (1962-12-10) (ver. 1)
March 1, 1963 (1963-03-01) (ver. 2)
Label Philips
Johnny Hallyday singles chronology
"La Bagarre"
(1962)		 "Elle est terrible"
(1962)		 "Tes tendres années"
(1963)
Music video
"Elle est terrible" (INA archive, 1975) on YouTube

The song was covered in French by Johnny Hallyday. His version (titled "Elle est terrible") was first released in a live rendition (recorded at the Olympia Hall in Paris). The single appeared in 1962[6] and spent one week at no. 1 on the singles sales chart in France (from December 15 to 21).[7] In Wallonia (French Belgium) his single spent 28 weeks on the chart, peaking at number 4.[8]

Charts

Chart (1962–1963) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[8] 4
France (singles sales)[7] 1

Sex Pistols version

"Something Else"
Single by Sex Pistols (vocals by Sid Vicious)
from the album The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle
A-side "Friggin' in the Riggin' (double A-side)"
Released February 23, 1979
Recorded January–August 1978
Genre Punk rock
Length 2:06
Label Virgin
Songwriter(s) Sharon Sheeley, Bob Cochran
Producer(s) Steve Jones

The Sex Pistols recorded a version of "Something Else" for the album The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle. The double A-sided single was credited to "Sex Pistols : vocals Sid Vicious" [sic] and was released three weeks after Vicious died. The single peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart.[1] The other side of the single was "Friggin' in the Riggin'" credited to "Sex Pistols : vocals Steve Jones".[9]

There are a few (slight) changes to the lyrics, for example the opening verse is changed from, "Here comes that girl again/Wanted to date her since I don't know when" to "Here comes that girl again/One of the cutest since I don't know when" and in the third verse, the lines are changed from "Worked hard and saved my dough/I'll buy that car that I've been wanting so" to "Worked hard and saved my dough/I buy that car and I load up with Joe".

Chart performance

Chart (1979) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[1] 3

References

  1. 1 2 3 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 490. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. ↑ Cochran, Bobby (2003). Three Steps to Heaven: The Eddie Cochran Story (1st ed.). Milwaukee: Hal Leonard. p. 145. ISBN 0-634-03252-6.
  3. 1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 112. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  4. ↑ "Eddie Cochran Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  5. ↑ Chrystall, Margaret (February 26, 2016). "Bobby Cochran's Bond with Uncle Eddie", What's On North. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Johnny Hallyday - Elle Est Terrible at Discogs". Retrieved 2017-11-13.
  7. 1 2 "Elle est terrible - Johnny Hallyday - Hit-Parade.net". Retrieved 2017-11-13.
  8. 1 2 "Ultratop.be – Johnny Hallyday – Elle est terrible" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2017-11-13.
  9. ↑ "Sex Pistols - Something Else (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 1979-04-28. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
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