Pop Archives

Johnny Chester - Teeny (1963)

(Johnny Chester - Christian Bruhn)
Australia Australia
Original English language version
#4 Melbourne #4 Brisbane | #28 Australia

Single on W&G December 1963 by Melbourne singer, guitarist and songwriter who started out with the Chessmen in the late 50s, performing at dances he organised in the northern suburbs. Signed to Melbourne’s W&G label, he had a number of Top 10 hits in Melbourne from 1961. He later went into radio with 3UZ and Radio Australia, and built a successful country music career.

See, for example, his Shame And Scandal (In The Family) (1972, #1 Melbourne #2 Brisbane #2 Perth) and johnnychester.com.


A double-sided adaptation of a German single

English lyrics for Teeny are by Johnny Chester.

The backing track heard on Teeny had already been heard on the original version, recorded by German band Drafi Deutscher And His Magics (Germany, August 1963).

The same applies to Do The Stomp, the B-side of Teeny, which uses the backing track of Drafi Deutscher’s Shu-bi-du-bi-do The Slop, the B-side to his version of Teeny. Again, the German lyrics are replaced by Johnny Chester’s English lyrics.


The following year another W&G single, by Merv Benton, would use a backing track by Drafi Deutscher And His Magics from their German hit Shake Hands.

See under Merv BentonBe Sweet (1964) for more on this arrangement between W&G and its West German affiliates.


Drafi Deutscher And His Magics - Teeny (1963)

(Christian Bruhn - Georg Buschor )
Germany Germany
Original version

Single on Decca December 1963 by West German band from Berlin led by prolific and versatile singer-songwriter-producer Drafi Deutscher (1946-2006). He had several hit singles 1964-1966 but after a highly publicised court conviction in 1967 he often worked under pseudonyms until a comeback in the 1980s. He was involved in a number of international hits in a variety of genres.


Both sides of Drafi Deutscher’s single, Do The Stomp and Shu-bi-du-bi-do The Slop, were composed and produced by Christian Bruhn who composed nearly all of the tracks on Deutscher’s singles. The backing tracks of both sides were used for Johnny Chester’s Australian single Teeny / Do The Stomp.


Further reading: The Wikipedia article has comprehensive coverage of his recordings and projects. See also German Wikipedia for further details and a different perspective.
Leads from stereotom and Alan Karr via 45cat.com.