Contact
If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:
Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)
Artist: Big 3
Author: Tim Rose
Label: FM Records
Year: 1963
New York folk trio with Jim Hendricks and Tim Rose, feat. a pre Mamas & Papas' Mama Cass. Lyrical parody on Stephen Foster's Oh Susanna (see there).
Covers:
Gérard Brent [as Sans pitié pour toi]
Shocking Blue [total structure obviously copied in Venus, n°1 B & US]
Tom Jones [idem]
Stars On 45 [idem, as intro of Stars On 45 Medley; n°1 NL, B & US]
Claw Boys Claw [idem]
Bananarama [idem; n°1 US]
Charlottes [raw Venus]
Don Pablo's Animals [idem; top 5 UK]
Chipmunks [idem]
Sandra van Nieuwland [n°1 NL as Venus following her success in The Voice of Holland]
It is rare for a song to hit the n°1 US position twice. It is unique when such honour goes to a Dutch song. The intro of Venus even hit the top position three times if the intro of the Stars On 45 Medley counts; again hailing from Holland: the man behind the Stars On 45 project was ex Golden Earring drummer Jaap Eggermont. Author Tim Rose and singer Cass Elliott died, still it remains a mystery why no one sued Venus' author Robbie van Leeuwen or the song's copyright holder Jerry Ross. Unless it was clear The Banjo Song used an existing melody line anyway. Check out Betty O'Brien's She'll Be Gone ('61?) reissued on Girls Archiv Vol 13.
If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:
Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)