Bristol Stomp

"Bristol Stomp" is a song written in 1961 by Kal Mann and Dave Appell, two executives with the Cameo-Parkway record label, for The Dovells, an a cappella singing group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who recorded the song for Cameo-Parkway late that year. Appell also produced and arranged the song and his Cameo-Parkway's house band served as the studio musicians on the song.[1]

"Bristol Stomp"
Single by The Dovells
B-side
ReleasedAugust 21, 1961
GenreDoo-wop
Length2:18
LabelParkway Records 31348
Songwriter(s)Kal Mann, Dave Appell
The Dovells singles chronology
"No, No, No"
(1961)		 "Bristol Stomp"
(1961)		 "Do the New Continental"
(1962)

Background

The song was written about teenagers in 1961 who were dancing a new step called "The Stomp" at Good Will Hose Company dances in Bristol. It refers to Bristol, Pennsylvania, a blue collar suburb of Philadelphia.

The refrain of the song:

"The kids in Bristol are sharp as a pistol
When they do the Bristol Stomp
Really somethin' when the joint is jumpin'
When they do the Bristol Stomp"

This song makes reference to the "Pony" and the "Twist".

Chart performance

The Dovells' recording made the #2 spot on the Billboard magazine Hot 100 singles chart in 1961 behind "Runaround Sue" by Dion.[2] "Bristol Stomp" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.[3] "The Bristol Stomp" also peaked at #7 on the Hot R&B Sides chart.[4]

Other versions
  • In 1962, under the Columbia record label, Chubby Checker released his version of "Bristol Stomp" on his album Don't Knock the Twist. In this version, Chubby Checker performs lead vocals with the Dovells providing backup. Though it was not as instrumentally polished as the Dovells's original version, the Checker version added more pep to the song. The album title is the same name as the movie starring Checker.[5]
  • On the live performance of Gary U.S. Bonds's "Seven Day Weekend" found on Johnny Thunders's live soundtrack album Stations of the Cross, Walter Lure begins singing the chorus of the song, playing on the fact that the two songs share the same chord sequence, although the chord sequence was used on many songs from the era.
  • A version of the song by UK group The Late Show peaked at number 40 on the official UK chart [6] in March 1979.

References
  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20070317034052/http://www.daveappell.com/biography.html
  2. Joel Whitburn, The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits
  3. Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 134. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  4. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 170.
  5. "Don't Knock the Twist (1962)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  6. https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19790318/7501/
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