(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please refer to the "Poor Little Fool" post.)
Gene Chandler - "Duke of Earl"
Hit Number 1: February 17, 1962
Stay at Number 1: 3 Weeks
If you guys are familiar with singers, you know that they like to warm up by going "la" or "na" or "do" in different keys to get their voices ready. Well in 1962, a simple exercise like that would become a #1 hit for Gene Chandler, who's real name is Eugene Dixon. When Dixon was in his first group called the Dukays, they would always warm up with the word "do" in different keys. Dixon was in the group with a guy named Earl Edwards, and I guess Dixon one day decided to play around and have some fun with Edwards. So instead of "do", he changed it to "Duke" and incorporated Edwards' name into it and got "Du...du...du...Duke of Earl". Edwards was apparently impressed enough that the two started working on a potential song together with those words. However, the group's record company preferred to release a different song called "Nite Owl", and that left Dixon with the offer of releasing it as a solo artist. So, he did just that.
Since he became a solo artist in a sense, Dixon decided to have his own stage name. He came up with the name "Gene Chandler" because Gene was obviously just short for his real name, and Chandler was based off of the actor Jeff Chandler. After the release of "Duke of Earl" the song took off like a rocket, soaring up to the top spot on the charts for 3 weeks, and even being included on the list of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll". The song has been covered lots of times, and by pretty notable artists. Groups like Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, the Beach Boys, and the Four Tops have their own versions of the song, with the Beach Boys performing it sometimes at their live shows. (All of the named groups will eventually appear in this blog) Tonight Show Host Jimmy Fallon even performed the song with Led Zeppelin's front man Robert Plant in 2014. (Led Zeppelin will not appear in this blog. Instead, I'll mention a banger by them. In case you've been living under a rock, their best song IMO is "Stairway to Heaven". It's a 9)
In my eyes, "Duke of Earl" is kind of a cross between a novelty song, and a fun doo-wop song. It's hard to take the "dukes" seriously at the beginning, because they sound so ridiculous. And the song is about a guy who is the "Duke of Earl" and how no one can steal his girl and hurt her. No one can stop him and get in his way either. I'll admit, it's a pretty stupid song. But it's stupid in the best way possible, and that's why I like it. It truly is a happy sounding song, and the duke obviously thinks of himself as a real badass. That chorus too is one that will surely get stuck inside your head for hours, if not the rest of the day. Chandler actually sings the hell out of it too, reaching beyond the stars for those high notes in the chorus. Basically to sum it all up, they took a bunch of stupid and corniness, mixed it up with rock and roll and doo-wop, and the result was a very good song about a "Duke of Earl". Oh yeah, and it's aged like a fine wine too. It's pretty impressive to say the least.
GRADE: 8/10
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