One-hit wonders? There was nothing more unlikely than the Champs, who weren't even the Champs when they recorded "Tequila'' as a last-minute B side.
As legend has it, some of the artists had already left the studio on Dec. 23, 1957, after recording "Train to Nowhere'' (now that would have been a fitting name for the band). The session players that remained included saxophonist Danny Flores, who wrote "Tequila'' on the spot and recorded it in three takes as a flip side.
Released by Challenge Records on Jan. 15, 1958, "Train to Nowhere'' was doing just that until a Cleveland DJ flipped the record and started playing "Tequila.'' It became a runaway locomotive, charting for 19 weeks and steaming to No. 1 on this date in 1958. It won the Grammy Award for best R&B record of the year.
The Champs tried to match their success with "Too Much Tequila'' and "Tequila Twist'', but spontaneity cannot be repeated or contrived.
And for those of you who enjoy the complete lyrics to these songs, I'm happy to oblige:
Tequila!
here's the hilarious scene of Pee Wee Herman dancing on the bar to "Tequila":
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVKsd8z6scw
I'm holding out for the lyrics to "Uno Mas Cerveza."
ReplyDeleteYouTube video of a performance from Arkansaw, Wis., optional