"Speedy Gonzales" is a 1961 song by David Hess (RCA 8056),[1] who recorded it under the name David Dante, about Speedy Gonzales, "the fastest mouse in all Mexico". It was written by Buddy Kaye, Ethel Lee and Dante/Hess. The David Dante original version briefly entered the U.S. Music Vendor chart in April 1961.
| "Speedy Gonzales" | |
|---|---|
| Single by David Dante | |
| B-side | "K-K-K-Katy" |
| Released | April 1961 |
| Recorded | 1961 |
| Genre | Pop |
| Length | 2:28 |
| Label | RCA Victor |
| Songwriter(s) | Buddy Kaye, Ethel Lee, David Hill |
| Producer(s) | Hugo & Luigi |
Pat Boone version edit
| "Speedy Gonzales" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Pat Boone | |
| from the album Pat Boone's Golden Hits Featuring Speedy Gonzales | |
| B-side | "The Locket" |
| Released | 1962 |
| Recorded | 1962 |
| Genre | Pop |
| Length | 2:30 |
| Label | Dot |
| Songwriter(s) | Buddy Kaye, Ethel Lee, David Hill |
| Producer(s) | Randy Wood |
The song was popularized in the United States as a 1962 single by Pat Boone.[2] The Boone version peaked at the No. 6 Billboard Hot 100 position in 1962 during a total chart run of 13 weeks, doing better in many national charts in Europe, where it sold a million copies.[3] The female voice ("La-la-la...") on this song was of Robin Ward.[3] It also incorporated Mel Blanc voicing Speedy Gonzales as he did in the Warner Brothers cartoons.
Dante's version details a demand from a girl named Consuela to Speedy to stop roving about and take care of his neglected household. Boone's song adds a spoken introduction stating that he was wandering between some old adobe haciendas on a moonlit night in Mexico, where he heard the voice of a Mexican girl calling to Speedy, and Mel Blanc's inserts replace a recurring line from Dante's lyrics.
Warner Bros. Pictures sued Boone and Dot Records for $850,000 over Blanc's performance of Speedy's voice on Boone's record without their authorization. The case was later dropped.
Charts edit
Pat Boone version
| Chart (1962) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Argentina[4] | 1 |
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] | 3 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] | 1 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[7] | 7 |
| France (IFOP)[8] | 8 |
| Ireland (Evening Herald)[9] | 4 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[10] | 1 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[11] | 1 |
| Sweden (Kvällstoppen)[12] | 1 |
| Sweden (Tio i Topp)[13] | 1 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[14] | 2 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[15] | 6 |
| West Germany (Official German Charts)[16] | 1 |
Kumbia All Starz version edit
| "Speedy Gonzales" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by A.B. Quintanilla y Los Kumbia All Starz | ||||
| from the album Ayer Fue Kumbia Kings, Hoy Es Kumbia All Starz | ||||
| Released | June 22, 2007 | |||
| Recorded | 2006 | |||
| Genre | Cumbia | |||
| Length | 3:24 | |||
| Label | EMI Latin | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Buddy Kaye, David Hess, Ethel Lee | |||
| Producer(s) | A.B. Quintanilla | |||
| A.B. Quintanilla y Los Kumbia All Starz singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Speedy Gonzales" by A.B. Quintanilla y Los Kumbia All Starz is the third single from the album Ayer Fue Kumbia Kings, Hoy Es Kumbia All Starz. The song was covered in Spanish.
Personnel edit
- Written by Buddy Kaye, David Hess, and Ethel Lee
- Produced by A.B. Quintanilla III
- Lead vocals by Pee Wee
- Background vocals by Roque Morales and Memo Morales
- Intro by A.B. Quintanilla III
Other versions edit
English-language versions edit
- In 1965, Soupy Sales recorded the song on his album "Soupy Sales Sez Do The Mouse"
- Recorded in English, but with a Cantonese spoken section: "墨西哥女郎" ("Mexican Girl") by The Fabulous Echoes featuring Tang Kei Chan (鄧寄塵) (Hong Kong, 1965)
- In 1969, the song was recorded by the Hep Stars and became their last single[17]
- In 1973, the song was recorded by the Navajo Sundowners on their album "Navajo Sundowners, Volume 3, and re-released in 1974 on Volume 8.[18][19]
- Covered by The Wurzels on their 1975 album The Wurzels Are Scrumptious and later featured as a B-Side to their single Give Me England in 1977.
- In 1977, Charo and the Salsoul Orchestra made a cover on the album Cuchi Cuchi
- In 1980, Lena Zavaroni covered the song on her album Songs Are Such Good Things
- In 2002, the Belgian band Swoop had a hit with a cover version.
- In 2014, the Ubisoft-based band Los Pimientos Locos covered this song for the game Just Dance 2015.
Other-language versions edit
- In Spanish: Manolo Muñoz, The Sacados
- In Spanish: Klasse (Venezuelan band) (1987)[20]
- In German ("Kleiner Gonzales"): Rex Gildo, Caterina Valente with her brother Silvio Francesco, Dalida, and Lou van Burg
- In French ("Le Petit Gonzales"): Danyel Gérard, Dalida, Jean Chabrier and Pierre Lalonde
- In Serbo-Croatian ("Mali Gonzales"): Dušan Jakšić (1963)
- In Italian: Johnny Dorelli, Peppino Di Capri, Catullo e gli Enigmisti (Nuova Enigmistica Tascabile, N. 424) (1962)
- In Greek: "Kakosalesi" by Yannis Miliokas (1986)
- In Norwegian: "Fisking i Valdres" (Fishing in Valdres) by Viggo Sandvik (1988)
- In Hungarian: János Koós
- In Korean: 바람둥이 아가씨 by The Key Boys (1964)
- In Estonian: "Viimane vaatus" ("Last act") by Anne Veski (1983)
- In Czech: "Speedy Gonzales" Hana Ulrychová (1971)
- In Finnish: "Hiiri Gonzales" by Erkki Liikanen (1962)
See also edit
- Crocodile Rock (a song by Elton John with a similar chorus)
- Putin khuilo! (a Russian/Ukrainian football chant, as assumed by Artemy Troitsky,[21] inspired by "Speedy Gonzales" chorus)
References edit
- ^ "Dot Records Story, Part 3". Bsnpubs.com. 1999-11-10. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
- ^ Norwegiancharts.com Pat Boone
- ^ a b "Pat Boone". Archived from the original on 2008-04-24. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
- ^ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 17 November 1962. p. 30. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ "4BC Official Top 40 - 19 August 1962 - Brisbane QLD Australia - RYM/Sonemic".
- ^ "Pat Boone – Speedy Gonzales" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "Pat Boone – Speedy Gonzales" (in French). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "InfoDisc : Les Chansons (Auteur, Compositeur, Classements, Ventes, Certifications, les Tops, les N° 1...)".
- ^ "Irish Top Ten 1959-1962". UKMIX Forums. 7 March 2006.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Pat Boone" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
- ^ "Pat Boone – Speedy Gonzales". VG-lista.
- ^ Hallberg, Eric (1993). Eric Hallberg presenterar Kvällstoppen i P 3: Sveriges radios topplista över veckans 20 mest sålda skivor 10. 7. 1962 - 19. 8. 1975. Drift Musik. p. 243. ISBN 9163021404.
- ^ Hallberg, Eric; Henningsson, Ulf (1998). Eric Hallberg, Ulf Henningsson presenterar Tio i topp med de utslagna på försök: 1961 - 74. Premium Publishing. p. 313. ISBN 919727125X.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
- ^ "Pat Boone Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Pat Boone – Speedy Gonzales" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON Pat Boone"
- ^ Oldham, A, Calder, T & Irvin, C: "ABBA: The Name of the Game", page 227. Sidgwick & Jackson, 1995
- ^ Navajo Sundowners (1973). Navajo Sundowners, Volume 3 (compact cassette). Canyon Records Productions. OCLC 43190235.
- ^ Navajo Sundowners (1974). Navajo Sundowners, Volume 8 (compact cassette). Canyon Records Productions. OCLC 39281030.
- ^ "Klasse". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-03-31.
- ^ Ольга Бычкова (June 18, 2014). "Особое мнение: Артемий Троицкий" [Special opinion: Artemy Troitsky (An interview with Artemy Troitsky)] (in Russian). Echo of Moscow. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2015.