(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.)
The Hollywood Argyles - "Alley Oop"
Hit Number 1: July 11, 1960
Stay at Number 1: 1 Week
The Hollywood Argyles were not a real music group. They were a temporary music ensemble formed by Kim Fowley and his friend Gary S. Paxton. The group was formed almost at random, with Paxton taking some friends or other studio musicians who he paid $25 a piece to perform with him and Fowley on the track "Alley Oop", which was written by Dallas Frazier. Paxton came up with the name for this "band" because the studio was on the corner of Hollywood Blvd. and Argyle Street. There was no intentions of this ever getting anywhere, especially when you consider the fact that the whole group was drunk on cider when they recorded the song.
Paxton, who is said to be the one performing the lead vocals, said "Other than myself, there were no actual Hollywood Argyles. When 'Alley Oop' suddenly took off and people wanted to book concerts, there was no such group." Again, this was literally just a bunch of drunk friends who got together one night, and recorded a novelty song together about an old comic book cave man. They had never expected this to ever get anywhere. But even though that was the case, it isn't terribly hard to see why the public liked it so much. It's just a fun song!
All the song is, is Paxton drunkenly boasting about how cool this caveman "Alley Oop" really is, and that "he's the toughest man there is alive". After every sentence Paxton "sings", it's followed by the rest of the group chanting "Alley Oop! Oop! Oop! Oop! Oop!" And then there's a chorus too. It steadily builds up to the group letting all hell break loose, as they yell "Look at that caveman go! HEYYY!!" It's obvious that these guys were having the time of their lives recording this crazy song, and when it hit #1, it probably just made it that much better for all of them.
GRADE: 7/10
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