The Loco-Motion

"The Loco-Motion"
A-side of U.S. vinyl release
Single by Little Eva
from the album Llllloco-Motion
B-side "He Is the Boy"
Released June 1962
Format 7", 45rpm
Recorded 1961
Genre Pop, rhythm and blues
Length 2:27
Label Dimension 1000
Songwriter(s) Gerry Goffin, Carole King
Producer(s) Gerry Goffin
Little Eva singles chronology
"The Loco-Motion"
(1962)		 "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby"
(1962)

"The Loco-Motion"
(1962)		 "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby"
(1962)

"The Loco-Motion" is a 1962 pop song written by American songwriters Gerry Goffin and Carole King. "The Loco-Motion" was originally written for Dee Dee Sharp, but Sharp turned the song down.[1] The song is notable for appearing in the American Top 5 three times, each time in a different decade: in 1962 by the American pop singer Little Eva (U.S. No. 1);[2] in 1974 by the American band Grand Funk Railroad (U.S. No. 1);[3] and finally in 1988 by the Australian singer Kylie Minogue (U.S. No. 3).[4]

The song is a popular and enduring example of the dance-song genre: much of the lyrics are devoted to a description of the dance itself, usually performed as a type of line dance. However, the song came before the dance.

"The Loco-Motion" was also the second song to reach No. 1 by two different musical acts in America. The earlier song to do this was "Go Away Little Girl", also written by Goffin and King. It is one of only nine songs to achieve this feat.[5]

Little Eva version

Background

King and Goffin wrote "The Loco-Motion" in hopes to have it recorded by Dee Dee Sharp, who had a smash hit with "Mashed Potato Time". Sharp passed on the song leaving the opportunity open for Eva Boyd, who had recorded the demo.[1]

Boyd's version was released, and her name was changed to Little Eva. Boyd was actually Carole King's babysitter, having been introduced to King and King's husband Gerry Goffin by The Cookies, a local girl group who would also record for the songwriters.

"The Loco-Motion" was the first release by the new Dimension Records company, whose releases were mostly penned and produced by Goffin and King. There are two common versions of the song in circulation: one includes handclaps during the verses; the other has no handclaps. King performed the backup vocals in the recording.

Reception

In the United States, "The Loco-Motion" was the sixth most successful single of 1962, according to Billboard. It was also the third most successful single of 1962 in South Africa.[6]

In March 1965, Little Eva sang the song on the ABC-TV series Shindig!, and this is the only known video of her singing this song. A cover version of the song was recorded quickly by British girl group The Vernons Girls and scored the chart the same week as the Little Eva version. The Vernons Girls' version stalled at No. 47 in the UK, while the Little Eva version reached No. 2 on the UK charts. It re-entered the chart some 10 years later and almost became a top 10 again, peaking at No. 11. The Little Eva version of the song was later featured in the David Lynch film Inland Empire (2006). "The Loco-Motion" is ranked No. 359 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

"The Loco-Motion" Myth

The widely believed story of how the song "The Loco-Motion" came to be is that Carole King was playing music at home and Eva Boyd was doing some chores and started dancing to it; the dance The Loco-Motion was born. However, this is not true. Eva Boyd was introduced to Goffin and King and they realized she had a good singing voice, so they had her record "The Loco-Motion". Carole King stated this during an interview on National Public Radio (NPR) shortly after Little Eva died.[7]

As the song came before the dance, there was no dance when the song was originally written. When the song became a smash hit, Eva Boyd ended up having to create a dance to go along with the song. Carole King stated this in her "One to One" concert video. In live performances of the song, Little Eva can be seen doing her version of the dance.

Another bit of the conventional lore is that she had received only $50 for "The Loco-Motion". However, although she never owned the rights to her recordings, it seems $50 was actually her weekly salary during the years she was making records (an increase of $15 from what Goffin and King had been paying her as nanny). In 1971, she moved to South Carolina and lived in obscurity on menial jobs and welfare until being rediscovered in 1987.[8] She died of cervical cancer in 2003.

Top-40 DJ Dan Ingram has been quoted as saying that he believes the original "The Loco-Motion" was recorded by Carole King herself. Producer Pete Waterman has also stated he believes it is King singing on the recording.[9] King can be clearly heard among the backing singers on the Little Eva recording.

Chart performance

Sylvie Vartan version (in French)

"Le Loco-motion"
Single by Sylvie Vartan
from the album Sylvie
Released 1962
Label RCA Victor
Songwriter(s) French adaptation:
Georges Aber
Sylvie Vartan singles chronology
"Quand le film est triste"
(1961)		 "Le Loco-motion"
(1962)		 "Tous mes copains"
(1962)

"Quand le film est triste"
(1961)		 "The Loco-motion"
(1962)		 "Tous mes copains"
(1962)
Music video
"Le Loco-motion" (official live, 1962) on YouTube

In 1962, the French singer Sylvie Vartan recorded a cover of "The Loco-Motion" in French, called "Le Loco-motion". Vartan's version went to number 1 in France on October 13, 1962 and remained there for one week.[16]

Track listing

7" EP "Le Loco-motion / Aussi loin que j'irai / Oui c'est lui / Comme l'été dernier" RCA Victor 76.593, 86.593 (1962, France)

A1. "Le Loco-motion" ("The Loco-Motion")
A2. "Oui c'est lui" ("He Is the Boy")
B1. "Comme l'été dernier" ("Dancing Party")
B2. "Aussi loin que j'irai"[17]

Charts

Chart (1962) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[18] 6
France[16] 1

Grand Funk Railroad version

"The Loco-Motion"
Single by Grand Funk Railroad
from the album Shinin' On
B-side "Destitute and Losin'"
Released May 1974
Format 7", 45rpm
Recorded 1973
Genre Hard rock, glam rock
Length 2:46
Label Capitol 3840
Songwriter(s) Gerry Goffin, Carole King
Producer(s) Todd Rundgren
Grand Funk Railroad singles chronology
"Walk Like a Man"
(1973)		 "The Loco-Motion"
(1974)		 "Shinin' On"
(1974)

"Walk Like a Man"
(1973)		 "The Loco-Motion"
(1974)		 "Shinin' On"
(1974)

Background

American rock band Grand Funk Railroad recorded a cover version of the song in 1974, produced by Todd Rundgren. The decision to play the song came about after guitarist Mark Farner was heard whistling the song in the studio.

The Grand Funk version of the song featured guitars, several layers of harmony, and heavy drums. Some radio stations replaced the guitar instrumental section with the repeat of the bridge instead ("You got to sway your hips now"), because the disc jockeys strongly believed the static guitar solo was too experimental hard rock for airplay on commercial radio station.

During the 2000s, this version of the song was featured in advertisements for the Japanese technology and communications company SoftBank, featuring the pop group SMAP. SMAP also used the song on their television variety show SMAP×SMAP for a music video, singing along to the original Grand Funk recording rather than covering it. The song is downloadable content for Rock Band 3.

Reception

"The Loco-Motion" appeared on Grand Funk Railroad's album Shinin' On and was released as a single in May 1974. It charted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, reached number 5 in Australia, peaked at number 1 in Canada, and reached number 11 in Germany.

Chart performance

Carole King version

Carole King also recorded a version of "The Loco-Motion" for her 1980 studio album Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King. The album peaked at No. 44 and spawned King's last top 40 hit to-date, "One Fine Day", which would reach No. 12 on the charts. King also sings the "Loco-Motion" on her live album The Living Room Tour, released July 12, 2005. The album peaked at No. 17 on the US album chart on July 30, 2005.[26]

Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin version

In May 1986, Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin released a cover version of the song as a single. The duo had scored a UK No. 1 hit back in 1981 with their cover of "It's My Party" but had achieved little success since. For this 1986 single, they embarked on a big promotional push in an attempt to gain a second significant hit. The single, however, stalled at No. 70 in the UK charts in June.[27]

Kylie Minogue version

"Locomotion" /
"The Loco-Motion"
Single by Kylie Minogue
from the album Kylie
B-side 1987 version:
  • "Getting Closer"
  • "Glad to Be Alive"
1988 version:
"I'll Still Be Loving You"
Released 13 July 1987 (1987-07-13) (Australia)[28]
Format
Recorded 1987; Platinum Studios, Melbourne
1988; PWL Studios, London
Genre Dance-pop
Length 3:12
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Kylie Minogue singles chronology
"Locomotion" /
"The Loco-Motion"
(1987)		 "I Should Be So Lucky"
(1987)

"Locomotion"
(1987)		 "I Should Be So Lucky"
(1987)
Kylie Minogue singles chronology
"Got to Be Certain"
(1988) Got to Be Certain1988		 "The Loco-Motion"
(re-release)
(1988) The Loco-Motion1988		 "Je ne sais pas pourquoi"
(1988) Je ne sais pas pourquoi1988
Music video
"The Loco-motion" on YouTube

Background

Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue released a cover version of the song in July 1987, as her debut single under the title "Locomotion". After an impromptu performance of the song at an Australian rules football charity event with the cast of the Australian soap opera Neighbours, Minogue signed a record deal with Mushroom Records to release the song as a single. This first recorded version was released on July 13, 1987 in Australia,[28] and was later released the same year in New Zealand, Italy, and Sweden.

The success of the song in her home country resulted in Minogue's signing a record deal with PWL Records in London and to working with the successful team Stock Aitken & Waterman.[29] On July 28, 1988, a re-recorded version produced by Stock Aitken & Waterman was released worldwide with the title "The Loco-Motion". This release, also major success, reached the top five in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Minogue's version of the track, which appeared in the 1988 film Arthur 2: On the Rocks, starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli, substitutes the Australian term railway for the American term railroad in the song's lyrics.

Reception

The 1987 "Locomotion" release was a huge hit in Minogue's native Australia, reaching No. 1 on the Kent Music Report singles chart and remaining there for seven weeks.[30]

The 1988 release of the song in the United Kingdom debuted at No. 2 on the singles chart—the highest entry on the UK singles charts by a female artist—due to strong 7" single sales and radio airplay. It remained in the number two position for four weeks before falling to number three. With sales of 440,000 it was the 11th best selling single of the year.[31] The song became Minogue's third top five rated single in the UK and remains one of her most successful single releases to date. Throughout Europe and Asia the song also performed well on the music charts, reaching number one in Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Israel, Japan, and South Africa.

During late 1988, Minogue traveled to the United States to promote "The Loco-Motion", where she did many interviews and performances on American television. The song was used in the hit film Arthur 2: On the Rocks starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli. "The Loco-Motion" debuted at No. 80 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and later climbed to No. 3 for two weeks. The song was Minogue's second single to chart in the U.S., but her first to reach the top ten. To this day, the song remains as her highest charting single in the United States; however, her second overall and most recent song to reach the top ten was 2002's "Can't Get You Out of My Head", which reached No. 7 on the chart, and ended up outselling "The Loco-Motion". In Canada, the song also reached the top spot in the pop sales charts.

In 2012, during her K25 anniversary, the song re-entered the Japanese Singles Chart at No. 83.[32]

Music video

The music video for "Locomotion" was filmed at Essendon Airport and the ABC studios in Melbourne, Australia. The video for "The Loco-Motion" was created out of footage from the Australian music video.

Near the end of 1988, the song was nominated for Best International Single at the Canadian Music Industry Awards.

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "The Loco-motion".

"The Loco-motion" (1988)

● UK 7" vinyl single
  1. "The Loco-motion" (7" mix) — 3:17
  2. "I'll Still Be Loving You" — 3:45
● UK 12" vinyl single
  1. "The Loco-motion" (Kohaku Mix) — 5:59
  2. "I'll Still Be Loving You" — 3:45
● UK 12" remix
  1. "The Loco-motion" (Sankie Mix) — 6:35
  2. "I'll Still Be Loving You" — 3:45
● USA 7" vinyl single/Cassingle
  1. "The Loco-motion" (LP version) — 3:17
  2. "I'll Still Be Loving You" — 3:45
● USA 12" vinyl single
  1. "The Loco-motion" (Kohaku Mix) — 5:59
  2. "The Loco-motion" (Sankie Mix) — 6:35
  3. "The Loco-motion" (LP version) — 3:17
  4. "I'll Still Be Loving You" — 3:45
● German CD single
  1. "The Loco-motion" (Kohaku Mix) — 5:59
  2. "I'll Still Be Loving You" — 3:45

iTunes digital release (2009)

●"Locomotion" (Australian version)
  1. "Locomotion"
  2. "Locomotion" (Chugga-Motion Mix)
  3. "Locomotion" (The Girl Meets Boy Mix)
  4. "Getting Closer"
  5. "Getting Closer" (UK mix) (previously unreleased)
  6. "Getting Closer" (UK instrumental) (previously unreleased)
  7. "Getting Closer" (Extended Oz Mix)
  8. "Getting Closer" (Extended Oz Instrumental) (previously unreleased)
  9. "Glad to Be Alive"
● "The Loco-Motion"
  1. "The Loco-Motion" (7" mix)
  2. "The Loco-Motion" (The Kohaku Mix)
  3. "The Loco-Motion" (7" instrumental) (previously unreleased)
  4. "The Loco-Motion" (7" backing track) (previously unreleased)
  5. "I'll Still Be Loving You"
  6. "I'll Still Be Loving You" (instrumental) (previously unreleased)
  7. "I'll Still Be Loving You" (backing track) (previously unreleased)

Live performances

Minogue performed the song on the following concert tours:

The song was also performed on:

She performed The Abbey Road Sessions version of the song on:

Charts and certifications

Other versions

  • Shelley Fabares recorded the song for her second album, The Things We Did Last Summer (1962).
  • Madelein Chartrand covered a French version titled "Ca sonne ca sonne Tony" (1974).
  • The fifth-season episode of The Cosby Show, "How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall" (1988), features Clair, Sondra and Vanessa Huxtable performing a version of this song.
  • La Toya Jackson recorded and performed the song in 1992 as part of her Moulin Rouge show Formidable. It was the only song in the show sung in English; the rest of the show features numbers entirely in French. Jackson also performed the song as part of her live sets throughout the early to mid 1990s.
  • In 1983, Mike Love of The Beach Boys covered the song on his and Dean Torrence's album Rock 'N' Roll City.[65]
  • The Kidsongs Kids in 1994 perform this song on their DVD Boppin' with the Biggles.
  • Atomic Kitten recorded the song for the soundtrack of the film Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000). [66]
  • Orange Range used the melody line of "The Loco-Motion" on their song "Locolotion" (2004), which became the number-one success on the Japanese singles chart. The commercially successful song engendered controversy because Goffin and King were not indicated on its songwriting credit; their names were later added as co-writers to avoid lawsuits when the song was featured on the band's musiQ album, released during the same year.

References

  1. 1 2 Sharp, Dee Dee. "Dee Dee Sharp Turns Down The Loco-Motion". Musk Mellon. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  2. ↑ Little Eva, "The Loco-Motion" Chart Positions Retrieved March 21, 2015
  3. ↑ Grand Funk Railroad, "The Loco-Motion" Chart Positions Retrieved March 21, 2015
  4. 1 2 "Kylie Minogue Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  5. ↑ Billboard Hot 100 Chart 50th Anniversary
  6. 1 2 3 4 Song title 46 - The Loco-Motion
  7. ↑ "Remembering Little Eva". April 15, 2003. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Little Eva (1943 - 2003): The girl from Railroad Street". Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  9. ↑ BBC Radio 4 Desert island Discs, 1995
  10. 1 2 "Official Charts > Little Eva". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  11. ↑ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, September 15, 1962
  12. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 178. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  13. 1 2 "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Locomotion". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  14. ↑ Musicoutfitters.com
  15. ↑ Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 29, 1962
  16. 1 2 InfoDisc : Tout les Titres N° 1 des 60's
  17. ↑ "Sylvie Vartan – Le Loco-Motion / Aussi Loin Que J'irai / Oui C'est Lui / Comme L'été Dernier". Retrieved 2017-11-24.
  18. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Sylvie Vartan – Le Loco-motion" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
  19. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 128. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  20. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Missing or empty |url= (help); |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  21. ↑ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  22. ↑ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, May 4, 1974
  23. ↑ Bac-lac.gc.ca
  24. ↑ Musicoutfitters.com
  25. ↑ Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 28, 1974
  26. ↑ Discography - Carole King
  27. ↑ Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin - UK singles chart
  28. 1 2 "Australian Music Report No 677 – 13 July 1987 > Singles: New Releases". Imgur.com (original document published by Australian Music Report). Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  29. ↑ ""The Loco-Motion" - Single information". Archived from the original on June 29, 2008. Retrieved 2009-04-04. - Kylie.com - Accessed November 22, 2008
  30. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 202. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and June 19, 1988.
  31. ↑ Kylie - The Biography, Sean Smith
  32. ↑ Kylie Minogue Chart Positions Retrieved March 21, 2015
  33. ↑ "This Week In... 1988". Australian Recording Industry Association. July 18, 2017. Archived from the original on July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  34. ↑ "Australian ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. August 23, 1987. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  35. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Kylie Minogue – The Loco-motion" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  36. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Kylie Minogue – The Loco-motion" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  37. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8683." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  38. ↑ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 8704." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  39. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Kylie Minogue – The Loco-motion" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  40. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 40, 1988" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  41. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. 5 (35). August 27, 1988. pp. 16–17. OCLC 29800226.
  42. ↑ "Kylie Minogue: The Loco-motion" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  43. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Kylie Minogue – The Loco-motion" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  44. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Kylie Minogue – The Loco-motion". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  45. ↑ "Kylie Minogue Chart History". RÚV. Archived from the original on January 31, 2018. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  46. 1 2 Okamoto, Satoshi (2006). Oricon Single Chart Book: Complete Edition 1968–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. ISBN 4-87131-076-0.
  47. ↑ "Charts.nz – Kylie Minogue – The Loco-motion". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  48. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Kylie Minogue – The Loco-motion". VG-lista. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  49. ↑ "SA Charts 1965 – 1989 (As presented on Springbok Radio/Radio Orion) > Acts M". Rock.co.za. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  50. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Kylie Minogue – The Loco-motion". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  51. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  52. ↑ "Kylie Minogue Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  53. ↑ "Cash Box Top 100". November 12, 1988. Archived from the original on 2014-10-22. Retrieved 2014-10-23.
  54. ↑ "Kylie Minogue Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  55. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 439. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  56. ↑ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts" (in German). Offiziellecharts.de. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
  57. ↑ "Top 100 Single-Jaaroverzichten" (in Dutch). Dutchcharts.nl. Archived from the original on June 17, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
  58. ↑ Scaping, Peter, ed. (1991). "Top 100 Singles: 1988". BPI YearBook 1989/90. London, England: British Phonographic Industry. pp. 64–65. ISBN 978-0-9061-5410-6.
  59. ↑ "1988 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. 100 (52): Y-20. December 24, 1988.
  60. ↑ "Chartifacts: The ARIA Report" (239). Australian Recording Industry Association. September 11, 1994. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
  61. ↑ "Japanese single certifications – Kylie Minogue – I Should Be So Lucky" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  62. ↑ "British single certifications – Kylie Minogue – The Loco-Motion". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 January 2015. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type The Loco-Motion in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  63. ↑ Myers, Justin (May 25, 2018). "Kylie Minogue's Official Top 40 biggest selling songs". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on April 6, 2017. Retrieved 2011-10-11.
  64. ↑ "American single certifications – Kylie Minogue – The Loco-Motion". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 10, 2015. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  65. ↑ "Rock 'N' Roll City". Discogs.
  66. ↑ Thomas and the Magic Railroad Gullane Pictures, dir. Britt Allcroft, 2000.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.