Gee (song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gee is a doo-wop song, written by William Davis and Viola Watkings, and recorded by the The Crows on the independent label, Rama Records, in New York City in February of 1953 and released in March. It charted in April of 1954, one year later. It took a year to to get recognized on Your Hit Parade. It landed No.2 on the rhythm and blues chart and No. 14 on the pop chart. It was the first 1950s doo-wop record to sell over one million records. Recorded on an independent label, it was one of the first such R&B records to crossover to the wider pop market.<ref name="rock">Jim Dawson, & Steve Propes (1992). What Was the First Rock'n'Roll Record. Boston & London: Faber & Faber, p. 124-127. ISBN 0-571-12939-0.</ref>
Contents |
[edit] Song
The song starts with a few bars of nonsense:<ref name="rock"/>
- duh-duda-duh-duda-duh-duda-duh-duh-duba
followed by the lead vocal;
- Oh-ho-ho-ho gee,my oh-oh gee-hee, well oh-ho gee, why I love that girl.
then the group:
- Love that girl!
The vocals are infectiously upbeat with wonderful harmonies and use of nonsense syllables, sounding like enthusiastic street-corner singing. The modified jump blues instrumental backup, with its infectious melody and Tiny Grimes guitar solo, is the perfect accompaniment.<ref name="history"/>
[edit] History
The Crows formed in 1951 as a typical street corner doo-wop group and were discovered at Apollo Theater's Wednesday night talent show by talent agent Cliff Martinez, and brought to independent producer George Goldner who had just set up tiny new indepent Rama Records label.<ref name="apollo">Fox, Ted (1993). Showtime at the Apollo, 2nd Ed., New York, N.Y.: Da Capo Press, p. 116. ISBN 0-306-80503-0.</ref>
The Crows were the first group signed and the first to record. The song "Gee" was the third song recorded during the first recording session. The song, "Gee", was put together in a few minutes by two of the group's members. It was written and recorded so crudely, that when released it sounded like it had been actually recorded on a street corner.<ref name="rock"/>
Although the song was a huge hit, the Crows were a one-hit wonder and broke up a few months after "Gee" dropped off the Hit Parade.<ref name="history">The Crows. history-of-rock. Retrieved on 2006-11-17.</ref>
[edit] Legacy
The Crows were of the first doo wop groups and one of the first "bird" groups. "Gee" was one of the first rock and roll hit records.<ref name="history"/> It has also been called the first rock and roll record because it was an original composition and had a quick dance beat.<ref name="gillett">Gillett, Charlie (1996). The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll, (2nd Ed.), New York, N.Y.: Da Capo Press, p. 76. ISBN 0-306-80683-5.</ref>
Although the Orioles song "Crying in the Chapel is frequently call the first R&B record to crossover to a big white audience, it is actually a cover of a country song. "Gee" and its b-side "I Love You So" are considered seminal, as it is an original song by an all but amateur group. It encapulated all that has been written later about neighborhood kids singing on corners, and retains that wondefully amateurish feel.<ref name="stone">Holly George-Warren &, Anthony Decurtis (Eds.) (1976). The RollingStone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll, 3rd Edition, New York: Random House, p. 94. ISBN 0-679-73728-6.</ref>
[edit] Notes
<references/>
