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The 'In' Crowd

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"The 'In' Crowd"
Single by Dobie Gray
from the album Dobie Gray Sings for "In" Crowders That Go "Go-Go"
B-side"Be a Man"
ReleasedNovember 1964[1]
RecordedOctober 1964
StudioGold Star Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA
GenreRhythm and blues
Length2:35
LabelCharger
Songwriter(s)Billy Page
Producer(s)Fred Darian
Dobie Gray singles chronology
"Look at Me"
(1963)
"The 'In' Crowd"
(1964)
"See You at the Go-Go"
(1965)
Official audio
"The 'In' Crowd" on YouTube
"The 'In' Crowd"
Single by Ramsey Lewis Trio
from the album The In Crowd
B-side"Since I Fell for You"
ReleasedJune 1965
RecordedMay 1965
VenueBohemian Caverns, Washington, D.C.
GenreJazz
Length3:00 (single version)
5:50 (album version)
LabelArgo
Songwriter(s)Billy Page
Producer(s)Esmond Edwards
Official audio
The "In" Crowd (Live At The Bohemian Caverns, Washington, D.C., 1965) on YouTube

"The 'In' Crowd" is a 1964[2] song written by Billy Page[2] and arranged by his brother Gene and originally performed by Dobie Gray on his album Dobie Gray Sings for "In" Crowders That Go "Go-Go". It appeared on an episode of Dick Clark's Rock, Roll & Remember, featuring in the last week of November 1964, the month Gray's rendition was released.

Chart performance

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In the US, Gray's powerful Motown-like version, complete with brass section, reached number 11 on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart[3] and number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 20 February 1965.[4] Outside the US, "The 'In' Crowd" went to number 25 on the UK Singles Chart[5] and number 8 in Canada.[6] Gray's Shindig! performance of the song aired on 10 March 1965.[7]

Ramsey Lewis instrumental (1965)

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The Ramsey Lewis Trio recorded an instrumental version of the tune in May 1965. Performed live at Bohemian Caverns nightclub in Washington, D.C., their jazzy take was released in June[8] and reached number 5 on the Hot 100 on 9 October 1965,[9] as well as peaking at number 2 for three weeks on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart.[10] In Canada, the record reached number 6 in the RPM charts.[11] A longer edit of the song provides the title track for the Trio's successful live album.[12]

Writing in 2015, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead said: "As Lewis has told a couple of interviewers, the trio met at a nearby eatery to discuss repertoire. Their kibitzing waitress Nettie Gray suggested a current pop hit, "The 'In' Crowd" by Dobie Gray. Ramsey Lewis didn't know that tongue-in-cheek ode to hipster self-congratulation, so they dropped a coin in the jukebox. ... I hope they left Nettie Gray a very good tip. Ramsey Lewis liked "The 'In' Crowd" enough to work up an arrangement in the unjazzy key of D major so bassist Eldee Young could work his open strings. And the trio really amped up the groove. Opening night, the audience instantly locked in with drummer Redd Holt."[13]

The Lewis Trio Argo single was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009.[14]

Other versions

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References

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  1. ^ "The 'In' Crowd / Be A Man - Dobie Gray". 45cat. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
  2. ^ a b "Second Hand Songs - Recording: The 'In' Crowd - Dobie Gray". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved 2012-09-12.
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 236.
  4. ^ "The Hot 100: Week of February 20, 1965". Billboard.com. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  5. ^ "Drift Away and In Crowd singer Dobie Gray dies at 71". BBC News. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  6. ^ "RPM Magazine - February 8, 1965 (page 5)" (PDF).
  7. ^ "Shindig! Show 27: March 10, 1965 - Beau Brummels, Tony Bennett, The Drifters, Aretha Franklin, Dobie Gray, Mickey Rooney Jr". tv.com. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
  8. ^ "The 'In' Crowd / Since I Fell For You - Ramsey Lewis Trio". 45cat. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
  9. ^ "The Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.
  10. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 348.
  11. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - September 27, 1965" (PDF).
  12. ^ "50 Years Ago, Ramsey Lewis Joined 'The In Crowd'". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  13. ^ Whitehead, Kevin (13 May 2015). "The In Crowd': An Audience-Fueled Jazz-Pop Crossover Hit". npr.org. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  14. ^ "Grammy awards". grammy.com. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  15. ^ "UK Charts - Bryan Ferry". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  16. ^ Staff, Best Classic Bands (2020-12-06). "Mamas & the Papas' 'Toilet' Cover Gets Reissue". Best Classic Bands. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
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