Ain't That a Shame
| "Ain't It a Shame" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Fats Domino | ||||
| from the album Rock and Rollin' with Fats Domino | ||||
| B-side | La-La | |||
| Released | 1955 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll, blues, jazz | |||
| Length | 2:16 | |||
| Label | Imperial | |||
| Writer(s) | Antoine Domino, Dave Bartholomew | |||
| Fats Domino singles chronology | ||||
|
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| "Ain't That a Shame!" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The Four Seasons | ||||
| from the album Ain't That a Shame and 11 Others | ||||
| B-side | Soon (I'll Be Home Again) (from the same album) | |||
| Released | April 1963 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 2:36 | |||
| Label | Vee-Jay Records | |||
| Writer(s) | Antoine Domino, Dave Bartholomew | |||
| Producer | Bob Crewe | |||
| The Four Seasons singles chronology | ||||
|
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| "Ain't It a Shame" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
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| Single by Cheap Trick | ||||
| from the album Cheap Trick at Budokan | ||||
| B-side | ELO Kiddies | |||
| Released | 1979 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Genre | Rock and Roll | |||
| Length | 5:10 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Writer(s) | Antoine Domino, Dave Bartholomew | |||
| Cheap Trick singles chronology | ||||
|
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"Ain't That a Shame" is a song recorded by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew, in New Orleans, Louisiana, for Imperial Records and released in 1955. It was previously recorded in 1901 by Silas Leachman[1]. The recording ("Ain't It a Shame") was a hit for Domino, eventually selling a million copies. It reached #1 on the "Black Singles" chart and #10 on the "Pop Singles" chart.[2] The song is ranked #431 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
The song gained national fame after being re-recorded by white recording artist Pat Boone.[3] Domino's version soon became more popular, bringing Domino's music to the mass market a half dozen years after his first major recording, "The Fat Man".[4]
After "Ain't It a Shame", mainstream artists began covering Domino's songs. Teresa Brewer, for instance, performed the Domino rewrite of a folk song called "Bo Weevil".
According to legend, Pat Boone suggested the title and lyrics be altered to "Isn't That A Shame" to make it more appealing to a broader audience but was dissuaded by his producers.[5] Despite his suggestion being rejected, Boone had his first Billboard number-one single in 1955. Domino complimented Boone's cover of the song.[3] Boone likes to tell the story about a Fats Domino concert and Domino invited Boone on stage. Domino showed a big gold ring and said "Pat Boone bought me this ring."[6]
This was the first song that John Lennon learned to play. He later covered it on Rock 'n' Roll.[7]
Contents |
[edit] On the screen
Fats Domino can be seen performing this song in a 1956 film Shake, Rattle & Rock!. The song is heard in American Graffiti, and is used in the movies October Sky, L.A. Story, School Ties and Mischief. As of April 2007, the song can be heard in commercials for Dr Pepper. It can be heard at the end of the Season Four finale of the television series The Shield. It was also included in the soundtrack for the 2010 video game Mafia II.
[edit] Chart positions (Cheap Trick version)
| Chart (1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 35 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 10 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 25 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 24 |
[edit] Covers
- Pat Torpey in 1999 on Y2K.
- Paul McCartney in 1990 on Tripping the Live Fantastic. Recorded live during his Japanese tour.
- Cheap Trick in 1979. It charted at #35 after being released on their live album At Budokan. (Reportedly Fats Domino's favorite cover[citation needed])
- Brownsville Station in 1977 on Brownsville Station album.
- Tanya Tucker in 1976 on Lovin' and Learnin'.
- John Lennon in 1975 on Rock 'n' Roll. Lennon's version is also the opening track on the 2007 tribute album Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino (Vanguard Records).
- Gary Glitter in 1972 on the LP Glitter.
- The Four Seasons in 1963 on Ain't That A Shame and 11 Others
- Pat Boone in 1955. It hit #1 for two weeks on the Billboard Most Played in Jukeboxes charts.
- Sea Monk Seven in 2006
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/recordings/detail/id/7088
- ^ Fats Domino Billboard Singles at Allmusic
- ^ a b Show 6 - Hail, Hail, Rock 'n' Roll: The rock revolution gets underway. [Part 2] : UNT Digital Library
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1988). Top R&B Singles 1942-1988, p. 122. Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-068-7
- ^ Cavallo, Dominick (1999). A Fiction of the Past: The Sixties in American History, p. 151. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-21930-X.
- ^ Patboone.com
- ^ Ain't That a Shame Songfacts
| Preceded by "Unchained Melody" by Roy Hamilton |
Billboard R&B Best Sellers in Stores number-one single June 11, 1955 - August 13, 1955 |
Succeeded by "Maybellene" by Chuck Berry |
- Fats Domino songs
- The Four Seasons songs
- Songs about New Orleans, Louisiana
- 1955 singles
- 1963 singles
- 1979 singles
- Pat Boone songs
- Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients
- Songs written by Dave Bartholomew
- Cheap Trick songs
- Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs number-one singles
- Vee-Jay Records singles
- Epic Records singles
- Songs produced by Bob Crewe
