(Richard Penniman)
Australia
#8 Perth
Second single by band first formed in Sydney but also based
at times in Perth or Adelaide. This was a Clarion release, recorded by a fresh line-up of the Off Beats put together in
Perth by Ray Hoff. It was a double-sided hit with Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go.
For more on Ray Hoff & The Off Beats, see their 1966 single Tossin' And Turnin'.
View at YouTube: Ray Hoff sings "Bama Lama Bama Loo" on Dig We Must, December 1966
Australia 1966 or 1967
On album Dance, Dance, Dance.
Ray Brown & The Whispers were stars of the British Invasion era in Australia. For more about them see, for example, Pride, one of their big hits.
Sources are divided on whether this came out in 1966 or 1967. For example, Milesago has 1967, Ian McFarlane’s Encyclopedia has 1966, and Chris Spencer has 1967? in his Australian Rock Discography 1956-1969. According to Second Wave it was recorded in Sydney in 1966.
Some discographies (including Second Wave) list this as Bama Lama Lama Loo but the label shows that the spelling matches Little Richard’s Bama Lama Bama Loo.
Reference, further reading: Hank Facer’s page of label and sleeve shots for Ray Brown & The Whispers’ EPs and LPs.
(Richard Penniman)
UK
Live version on EP Tom Jones On Stage.
Reference: Details at PopMusicInfo database. See also sleeve shot at 45Cat: the artist is shown only as "Tom Jones".
(Richard Penniman)
Sweden
Popular Swedish beat band, previously known as The Beatchers (Beatles + Searchers).
On EP Fabulous Sounds From Southern Sweden. Released on Viking in Sweden (1964) and Columbia in UK (1965).
Reference: 1. Notes by nostalgoteket at YouTube (see also nostalgoteket’s blog). 2. Listings at PopMusicInfo database.
(Richard Penniman)
USA
Original version
Single on Specialty.
Little Richard's heyday on the charts was from 1956 to 1958 when he released a number of enduring and influential rock'n'roll songs that were to end up in the repertoires of 1960s artists. His biggest Billboard hits were Long Tall Sally (1956, #6), Jenny, Jenny (1957, #10), Keep A Knockin' (1957, #8) and Good Golly Miss Molly (1958, #10). The others, including such classics as Tutti Frutti and Lucille, were outside the Top 10.
Reference: Label shots, details at 45Cat.
View at YouTube: Little Richard plays "Bama Lama Bama Loo" on Shindig, July 1964
Pop Archives
Australia's premier song history site since 2004
Website by Lyn Nuttall. © Lyn Nuttall 2004-2021. Chart positions courtesy of Gavin Ryan’s Australian Chart Books and Dean Scapolo’s Complete NZ Music Charts. Special thanks to Terry Stacey for information, corrections and suggestions. Thanks also to Tony Watson, Joop Jansen, More…
