The song \u201cShout\u201d was written and originally recorded by the Isley Brothers in 1959. The song actually started as an improvisation during a live performance. Once, when the Isleys were singing Jackie Wilson\u2019s \u201cLonely Teardrops\u201d at the Uptown Theater in Philadelphia, lead singer Ronald Isley noticed that the audience was standing and going wild, so he spontaneously extended the song by improvising a call-and-response around the words \u201cYou know you make me wanna…\u201d \u201cShout!\u201d 🎤<\/p>
This essay continues below: (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)<\/strong><\/em><\/h6>Shout, Pts. 1 & 2 (MP3 Music)<\/a><\/h1>![\"Buy](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/9402e7ce-7a4d-449a-8386-57579b2293d2_500x500.jpeg?w=640&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>The group developed the song further in later performances, using a drawn-out \u201cWe-eee-ll\u201d copied from Ray Charles\u2019 \u201cI Got a Woman.\u201d Then, they started performing it night after night, but didn\u2019t even consider it a real song at first\u2014it was just a \u201cthing\u201d they would do onstage, and the crowd would go nuts. Pretty cool origin story! 😄<\/p>
Soon, the Isleys\u2019 producers suggested they record \u201cShout\u201d by itself as a single. The recording took place on July 29, 1959, at RCA Victor Studios in New York City, and lots of friends were invited to the studio to generate a \u201cparty\u201d atmosphere. 🎉<\/p>
Chart Performance & Impact<\/strong> 📊<\/h2>Released in August 1959, the song was split over both sides of the disk\u2014the first part on the A side, and the second half on the B side. It reached number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the Isleys\u2019 first chart hit and later their first gold single.<\/p>
While it wasn\u2019t a huge chart hit initially, it eventually went gold, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, and Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at number 119 on its list of \u201cThe 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.\u201d So eventually, it became a massive cultural touchstone<\/strong> over time! 🌟<\/p>Cover Versions & Crossover<\/strong> 🎵<\/h2>The song had incredible crossover appeal and was covered extensively:<\/p>
Joey Dee and the Starliters reached number 6 with their recording in 1962. In 1964 in the UK, Scottish pop singer Lulu (with the Luvvers) reached number 7 with her version. She re-recorded it in 1986 and it reached number 8 again! That\u2019s some serious staying power! 💪<\/p>
The Beatles Connection<\/strong> 🎸<\/h2>As shown in the video at the top of this post, the Beatles recorded \u201cShout\u201d on April 19, 1964, for the British television special \u201cAround The Beatles\u201d at IBC Studios in London. It had been in their repertoire for a long time, according to Beatles biographer Mark Lewisohn, who says the Beatles performed \u201cShout\u201d regularly between 1960 and 1961. The Beatles loved performing it, and the crowd reaction was always strong. ❤️<\/p>
Why did the Beatles choose to perform it?<\/strong> The Isley Brothers were a huge influence on the Beatles, like other American R&B and rock and roll artists. Ever since their first paid gigs, the Beatles covered tons of songs from their American heroes, and \u201cShout\u201d was a perfect high-energy party song that showcased all four members. And, incidentally, perhaps the Beatle\u2019s most famous cover song of all time is the Isleys\u2019 \u201cTwist and Shout.\u201d But their performance of \u201cShout\u201d is among their most dynamic, allowing each Beatle to have a vocal spotlight, and it was eventually released on Anthology 1<\/strong> in 1995. 🎼 (Into the weeds: \u201cTwist and Shout\u201d was written by The Top Notes<\/strong> in 1961.<\/em><\/p>Animal House & Cultural Immortality<\/strong> 🎬<\/h2>Otis Day and the Knights <\/strong>was a fictional R&B band created specifically for the 1978 movie \u201cNational Lampoon\u2019s Animal House.\u201d The character Otis Day was played by actor DeWayne Jessie, who lip-synched to vocals actually sung by Lloyd G. Williams. 🎭<\/p>The fictional band performed \u201cShout\u201d at the famous toga party scene in Animal House, with John Belushi hamming for the camera, and the song has been featured heavily in connection with the film ever since. This scene became iconic<\/strong> and introduced \u201cShout\u201d to a whole new generation! 🎊<\/p>
<\/figure>The group developed the song further in later performances, using a drawn-out \u201cWe-eee-ll\u201d copied from Ray Charles\u2019 \u201cI Got a Woman.\u201d Then, they started performing it night after night, but didn\u2019t even consider it a real song at first\u2014it was just a \u201cthing\u201d they would do onstage, and the crowd would go nuts. Pretty cool origin story! 😄<\/p>
Soon, the Isleys\u2019 producers suggested they record \u201cShout\u201d by itself as a single. The recording took place on July 29, 1959, at RCA Victor Studios in New York City, and lots of friends were invited to the studio to generate a \u201cparty\u201d atmosphere. 🎉<\/p>
Chart Performance & Impact<\/strong> 📊<\/h2>Released in August 1959, the song was split over both sides of the disk\u2014the first part on the A side, and the second half on the B side. It reached number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the Isleys\u2019 first chart hit and later their first gold single.<\/p>
While it wasn\u2019t a huge chart hit initially, it eventually went gold, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, and Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at number 119 on its list of \u201cThe 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.\u201d So eventually, it became a massive cultural touchstone<\/strong> over time! 🌟<\/p>Cover Versions & Crossover<\/strong> 🎵<\/h2>The song had incredible crossover appeal and was covered extensively:<\/p>
Joey Dee and the Starliters reached number 6 with their recording in 1962. In 1964 in the UK, Scottish pop singer Lulu (with the Luvvers) reached number 7 with her version. She re-recorded it in 1986 and it reached number 8 again! That\u2019s some serious staying power! 💪<\/p>
The Beatles Connection<\/strong> 🎸<\/h2>As shown in the video at the top of this post, the Beatles recorded \u201cShout\u201d on April 19, 1964, for the British television special \u201cAround The Beatles\u201d at IBC Studios in London. It had been in their repertoire for a long time, according to Beatles biographer Mark Lewisohn, who says the Beatles performed \u201cShout\u201d regularly between 1960 and 1961. The Beatles loved performing it, and the crowd reaction was always strong. ❤️<\/p>
Why did the Beatles choose to perform it?<\/strong> The Isley Brothers were a huge influence on the Beatles, like other American R&B and rock and roll artists. Ever since their first paid gigs, the Beatles covered tons of songs from their American heroes, and \u201cShout\u201d was a perfect high-energy party song that showcased all four members. And, incidentally, perhaps the Beatle\u2019s most famous cover song of all time is the Isleys\u2019 \u201cTwist and Shout.\u201d But their performance of \u201cShout\u201d is among their most dynamic, allowing each Beatle to have a vocal spotlight, and it was eventually released on Anthology 1<\/strong> in 1995. 🎼 (Into the weeds: \u201cTwist and Shout\u201d was written by The Top Notes<\/strong> in 1961.<\/em><\/p>Animal House & Cultural Immortality<\/strong> 🎬<\/h2>Otis Day and the Knights <\/strong>was a fictional R&B band created specifically for the 1978 movie \u201cNational Lampoon\u2019s Animal House.\u201d The character Otis Day was played by actor DeWayne Jessie, who lip-synched to vocals actually sung by Lloyd G. Williams. 🎭<\/p>The fictional band performed \u201cShout\u201d at the famous toga party scene in Animal House, with John Belushi hamming for the camera, and the song has been featured heavily in connection with the film ever since. This scene became iconic<\/strong> and introduced \u201cShout\u201d to a whole new generation! 🎊<\/p>
Cover Versions & Crossover<\/strong> 🎵<\/h2>The song had incredible crossover appeal and was covered extensively:<\/p>
Joey Dee and the Starliters reached number 6 with their recording in 1962. In 1964 in the UK, Scottish pop singer Lulu (with the Luvvers) reached number 7 with her version. She re-recorded it in 1986 and it reached number 8 again! That\u2019s some serious staying power! 💪<\/p>
The Beatles Connection<\/strong> 🎸<\/h2>As shown in the video at the top of this post, the Beatles recorded \u201cShout\u201d on April 19, 1964, for the British television special \u201cAround The Beatles\u201d at IBC Studios in London. It had been in their repertoire for a long time, according to Beatles biographer Mark Lewisohn, who says the Beatles performed \u201cShout\u201d regularly between 1960 and 1961. The Beatles loved performing it, and the crowd reaction was always strong. ❤️<\/p>
Why did the Beatles choose to perform it?<\/strong> The Isley Brothers were a huge influence on the Beatles, like other American R&B and rock and roll artists. Ever since their first paid gigs, the Beatles covered tons of songs from their American heroes, and \u201cShout\u201d was a perfect high-energy party song that showcased all four members. And, incidentally, perhaps the Beatle\u2019s most famous cover song of all time is the Isleys\u2019 \u201cTwist and Shout.\u201d But their performance of \u201cShout\u201d is among their most dynamic, allowing each Beatle to have a vocal spotlight, and it was eventually released on Anthology 1<\/strong> in 1995. 🎼 (Into the weeds: \u201cTwist and Shout\u201d was written by The Top Notes<\/strong> in 1961.<\/em><\/p>Animal House & Cultural Immortality<\/strong> 🎬<\/h2>Otis Day and the Knights <\/strong>was a fictional R&B band created specifically for the 1978 movie \u201cNational Lampoon\u2019s Animal House.\u201d The character Otis Day was played by actor DeWayne Jessie, who lip-synched to vocals actually sung by Lloyd G. Williams. 🎭<\/p>The fictional band performed \u201cShout\u201d at the famous toga party scene in Animal House, with John Belushi hamming for the camera, and the song has been featured heavily in connection with the film ever since. This scene became iconic<\/strong> and introduced \u201cShout\u201d to a whole new generation! 🎊<\/p>
As shown in the video at the top of this post, the Beatles recorded \u201cShout\u201d on April 19, 1964, for the British television special \u201cAround The Beatles\u201d at IBC Studios in London. It had been in their repertoire for a long time, according to Beatles biographer Mark Lewisohn, who says the Beatles performed \u201cShout\u201d regularly between 1960 and 1961. The Beatles loved performing it, and the crowd reaction was always strong. ❤️<\/p>
Why did the Beatles choose to perform it?<\/strong> The Isley Brothers were a huge influence on the Beatles, like other American R&B and rock and roll artists. Ever since their first paid gigs, the Beatles covered tons of songs from their American heroes, and \u201cShout\u201d was a perfect high-energy party song that showcased all four members. And, incidentally, perhaps the Beatle\u2019s most famous cover song of all time is the Isleys\u2019 \u201cTwist and Shout.\u201d But their performance of \u201cShout\u201d is among their most dynamic, allowing each Beatle to have a vocal spotlight, and it was eventually released on Anthology 1<\/strong> in 1995. 🎼 (Into the weeds: \u201cTwist and Shout\u201d was written by The Top Notes<\/strong> in 1961.<\/em><\/p> Otis Day and the Knights <\/strong>was a fictional R&B band created specifically for the 1978 movie \u201cNational Lampoon\u2019s Animal House.\u201d The character Otis Day was played by actor DeWayne Jessie, who lip-synched to vocals actually sung by Lloyd G. Williams. 🎭<\/p> The fictional band performed \u201cShout\u201d at the famous toga party scene in Animal House, with John Belushi hamming for the camera, and the song has been featured heavily in connection with the film ever since. This scene became iconic<\/strong> and introduced \u201cShout\u201d to a whole new generation! 🎊<\/p>Animal House & Cultural Immortality<\/strong> 🎬<\/h2>