Ya Ya

"Ya Ya" is a song by Lee Dorsey. The song was written by Dorsey, Clarence Lewis, Morgan Robinson, and Morris Levy. Levy's participation in the writing has been called into question. In fact, the Flashback release of the single lists only Dorsey and Lewis as writers, as do the liner notes to the American Graffiti soundtrack.[1]

For the film, see Ya Ya (film). For song by 6ix9ine, see Yaya (song).
"Ya Ya"
Single by Lee Dorsey
from the album Ya Ya
Released1961
GenreSoul, rock and roll
Songwriter(s)Lee Dorsey, Clarence Lewis, Morgan Robinson, and Morris Levy

The track includes session guitar player Jimmy Spruill on it.[2] The song was inspired by a children's nursery rhyme.

Chart performance

The song reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the R&B singles chart in 1961.[3]

Cover versions

Beatles connection

According to author Mark Lewisohn in "The Complete Beatles Chronicles" (p. 365), the Beatles regularly performed "Ya Ya", live from 1961 to 1962 in Hamburg, Liverpool and elsewhere. John Lennon was always the lead vocalist on this number but no recorded version is known to exist.

Ya Ya
EP by
Tony Sheridan & The Beat Brothers
ReleasedOctober 1962
Recorded1962, Hamburg
GenreRock and roll
LabelPolydor
ProducerBert Kaempfert

However, immediately after the Beatles left Polydor Records, their close associates Tony Sheridan and Roy Young cut a version of it for that label which was published in October 1962 for the A-side of an extended play[4][nb 1]. This 45RPM is credited to Tony Sheridan & "The Beat Brothers" and is often wrongly believed to be the Beatles but they had no involvement in recording this track, although the version of "Sweet Georgia Brown", included on this disc, is indeed recorded with the then unknown British group.[5]

Track listing for Ya Ya – Tony Sheridan & The Beat Brothers

7" EP Polydor – 21 485 (1962, Germany.)

A1. / A2. "Ya Ya Part 1 & 2"
B1. "Sweet Georgia Brown"
B2. "Skinny Minny" (sic)[4]

Later on, "Ya Ya" (Part 1) was included as filler on the 1964 German compilation album "The Beatles' First !" and the complete recording can be heard on "The Early Tapes of the Beatles", the 1984 CD reissue of this album.[6]

Much later, John Lennon included a snippet of the song by himself on vocals and piano, credited as "Dad", with his 11 year old son Julian on drums on the 1974 album Walls and Bridges.[7] Lennon covered the song fully on his 1975 album Rock 'n' Roll.[8]

Other covers

Johnny Hallyday (French version)
"Ya ya twist"
Single by Johnny Hallyday
from the album Retiens la nuit
Released1962 (1962)
LabelPhilips
Songwriter(s)French adaptation: Lucien Morisse, Georges Aber
Johnny Hallyday singles chronology
"Viens danser le twist"
(1961)		 "Retiens la nuit" / "Ya ya twist"
(1962)		 "Serre la main d'un fou"
(1962)

French singer Johnny Hallyday covered the song in French. His version, titled "Ya ya twist", reached no. 1 in Wallonia (French speaking part of Belgium) in 1962.[9]

Track listing

7" EP Philips 432.739 BE (1962, France etc.)

A1. "Retiens la nuit" (2:54)
A2. "Sam'di soir" (3:00)
B1. "Ya ya twist" (2:27)
B2. "La faute au twist" (1:50)[10][11]

Charts
Chart (1962) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[9] 1

Other french language covers

"Ya Ya Twist"

  • Petula Clark recorded the song (released in February 1962, #1[12]) almost simultaneously to Hallyday's version.
  • "Malika et les Golden Stars" released it on a Philips record in January 1963.[13]
  • Sylvie Vartan recorded her own cover for her album "Nouvelle Vague" in 2007[14]

"Yaya"

Covers in other languages
  • In 1962, Dalida covered the song in German under the title "Ya Ya Twist".
  • In 1980 a Norwegian retrorock band Vazelina Bilopphøggers released the song as "Gi Meg Fri i Kveld".
  • Toni Montano covered it on his first album "Tonny Montano" as "Svi se sada njišu i ubrzano dišu" in 1985
  • Goran Bregović covered the song as "Ringe ringe raja" in his soundtrack for the 1995 film Underground.

Notes
  1. According to Bill Harry in his liner notes for 1984's "The Early Tapes of the Beatles", if indeed both recordings are one and the same, the musicians involved are Tony Sheridan (guitar et vocals), Rikki Barnes (saxophone), Roy Young (piano), Peter Wharton (bass) and Johnny Watson (drums).

References
  1. 41 Original Hits from the Soundtrack of American Graffiti (CD Booklet). MCA. 1973.
  2. Spruill, Jimmy, Scratchin’ the Wild Jimmy Spruill Story, Great Voices of the Century (GVC) Recordings, Surrey, UK, 2014, liner notes
  3. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 169.
  4. "Tony Sheridan & The Beat Brothers– Ya Ya at Discogs". Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  5. https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/sweet-georgia-brown/
  6. "The Beatles / The Beatles With Tony Sheridan / Tony Sheridan And The Beat Brothers – The Early Tapes Of at Discogs". Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  7. Walls and Bridges (Booklet). John Lennon. Apple Records. 1974.CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. https://www.beatlesbible.com/people/john-lennon/songs/ya-ya/
  9. "Ultratop.be – Johnny Hallyday – Ya Ya Twist" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  10. "ultratop.be - Johnny Hallyday - Retiens la nuit". Retrieved 2017-11-11.
  11. "Johnny Hallyday - Retiens La Nuit at Discogs". Retrieved 2017-11-11.
  12. "Petula Clark in the French charts". Petulaclark.net. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
  13. https://www.discogs.com/Malika-11-Accompagn%C3%A9e-Par-Les-Golden-Stars-Ya-Ya-Twist/release/9564269
  14. https://www.discogs.com/Sylvie-Vartan-Nouvelle-Vague/release/2123445
  15. http://www.qim.com/artistes/biographie.asp?artistid=330
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