Shout (Isley Brothers song)

"Shout" is a popular song, written and originally recorded by American vocal group the Isley Brothers in 1959. Later versions include a UK top ten hit in 1964 by Scottish singer Lulu.

"Shout"
Single by the Isley Brothers
from the album Shout!
B-side"Shout – Part 2"
ReleasedAugust 1959
RecordedJuly 29, 1959
StudioRCA Victor Studio A, New York City
Genre
Length
  • 2:15 (part 1)
  • 2:10 (part 2)
LabelRCA Victor
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Hugo & Luigi
The Isley Brothers singles chronology
"I'm Gonna Knock on Your Door"
(1959)		 "Shout"
(1959)		 "Respectable"
(1960)

The Isley Brothers

In performances around 1958, the Isley Brothers would typically end their shows with a cover version of Jackie Wilson's hit "Lonely Teardrops". At one performance at the Uptown Theater in Philadelphia, lead singer Ronald Isley could see the audience standing and yelling their approval, so he extended the song by improvising a call-and-response around the words "You know you make me wanna..." "Shout!". The group developed the song further in later performances and rehearsals, using a drawn out "We-eee-ll" copied from Ray Charles' "I Got a Woman". On returning to New York City at the end of their engagement, they suggested to record producers Hugo & Luigi that they record the "Shout!" climax of the performance as a separate song. The producers agreed and suggested that the band invite friends to the recording studio to generate a party atmosphere.[2]

The recording took place on July 29, 1959, with Hugo and Luigi choosing the studio musicians and the Isley Brothers inviting organist Herman Stephens. Released in August 1959, with the song split over both sides of the record, the single reached number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the group's first chart hit,[3] and later the brothers' first gold single on the basis of its longevity. Ronald Isley later said that church groups wrote to radio stations asking them to stop playing the record, because of its use of a traditional black gospel sound.[2]

Other recordings

One month after the initial release, Johnny O'Keefe performed the song on his Australian TV show Six O'Clock Rock. He released it as a single, which reached number two in Australia – his 1964 re-recording was only a minor hit at number 49.[4] Joey Dee and the Starliters reached number six with their recording of the song in 1962 (they also reworked the chorus portion of the song into an even bigger hit, "Peppermint Twist"), while the Isley Brothers' version re-charted that same year at number 94.

In the U.K. in 1964, a version by Scottish pop singer Lulu reached number seven (attributed to Lulu and the Luvvers).[5] She re-recorded the song in 1986 and it reached number eight.[5] The Shangri-Las included a version of the song in their debut LP Leader of the Pack[6] in 1965. Tommy James and the Shondells recorded a version of the song on their 1967 album, I Think We're Alone Now.[7] The song was famously performed in its entirety for the 1978 hit movie National Lampoon's Animal House during the frat house toga party sequence.

Polaroid used a version of the song in a 1990s-era ad campaign.[8]

The National Football League (NFL)'s Buffalo Bills created a version of "Shout" in 1987 with modified lyrics sung by Scott Kemper; it has served as the team's official fight song ever since,[9] save for a brief period in 1993, after Polaroid's aforementioned licensing of the song led to a dispute over royalties, during which the team used a version of "Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out)" by Ernie Maresca.[10]

"Shout" was inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.[11]

Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at number 119 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[12]

References
  1. "The Isley Brothers - Inductees - The Vocal Group Hall of Fame Foundation". Vocalgroup.org. Archived from the original on December 23, 2010. Retrieved July 14, 2015.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. Myers, Marc (2016). Anatomy of a Song. Grove Press. pp. 23–27. ISBN 978-1-61185-525-8.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955-2002 (1st ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 339. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
  4. "Johnny O'Keefe with the Rajahs - Shout (Parts 1 & 2)". Where Did They Get That Song?. PopArchives.com.au. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  5. "UK Top 40 Hit Database". EveryHit.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2008. Retrieved October 17, 2011. Enter Lulu for Artist and Shout for Title and click Search.
  6. "The Shangri-Las Albums". TheShangri-Las.com. Leader of the Pack. Archived from the original on 2004-08-04. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  7. Tommy James and the Shondells, I Think We're Alone Now AllMusic Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  8. Githens, Lauri (May 14, 1993). "Bills reportedly rejected paying to the tune of $7,000-$10,000 a year for use of 'Shout'". The Buffalo News. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  9. Miller, Ryan (January 4, 2020). "Buffalo Bills 'Shout' song: Lyrics, videos, history of one of NFL's best fight songs". Democrat and Chronicle. Gannett Company. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  10. Githens, Lauri (May 7, 1993). "Critics wonder if new Bills' song is worth shouting about". The Buffalo News. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  11. "GRAMMY Hall Of Fame". The Recording Academy. Retrieved 14 Oct 2020.
  12. "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. 11 Dec 2003. Retrieved 14 Oct 2020.
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