From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, Link
| “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini” | |
|---|---|
| Single by Brian Hyland | |
| from the album The Bashful Blond | |
| B-side | “Don’t Dilly Dally, Sally” |
| Released | June 1960 |
| Genre | Bubblegum pop |
| Length | 2:19 |
| Label | Leader/Kapp |
| Songwriter(s) | Paul Vance Lee Pockriss |
| Brian Hyland singles chronology | |
| “Rosemary” (1959)”Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini” (1960)”Four Little Heels (The Clickety Clack Song)” (1960) |
“Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini” is a novelty song telling the story of a shy girl wearing a revealing polka dot bikini at the beach. It was written by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss and first released in June 1960 by Brian Hyland, with orchestra conducted by John Dixon. The Hyland version reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, selling a million copies in the US, and was a worldwide hit. The song has been adapted into French as “Itsy bitsy petit bikini” and into German as “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Honolulu-Strand-Bikini“, reaching number one on national charts in both languages. Several versions of the song have proved successful in various European countries. In 1990 a version by British pop band Bombalurina, titled “Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini“, reached number oneon the UK Singles Chart and in Ireland.
Hyland’s version hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 8, 1960 and sold over a million copies in the US. It also made the top 10 in other countries, including #8 on the UK Singles Chart. It also reached #1 in New Zealand.
In September 2006 Paul Vance, the song’s co-writer, read on TV his own mistaken obituary, as a consequence of the death of another man, Paul Van Valkenburgh, who claimed to have written “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini” under the name Paul Vance. The impostor had explained his lack of royalty payments for the song by claiming that he had sold the rights as a teenager. Vance, the song’s true co-author, has earned several million dollars from the song since 1960, describing it as “a money machine.”
The song is also used in films such as the 1981 Aparna Sen film 36 Chowringhee Lane as well as Sister Act 2 and Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise.
The song was going to be one of the tracks for Just Dance 2017, but was removed for an unknown reason. However, it has made an appearance on its sequel Just Dance 2018, performed by The Sunlight Shakers.
French versions
| “Itsy bitsy petit bikini” | |
|---|---|
| Single by Johnny Hallyday | |
| from the album Hello Johnny | |
| Released | 1960 |
| Label | Philips |
| Songwriter(s) | French adaptation: André Salvet and Lucien Morisse |
| Johnny Hallyday singles chronology | |
| “Souvenirs, souvenirs” (1960)”Itsy bitsy petit bikini” (1960)”Kili watch” (1960) |
| “Itsi bitsi petit bikini” | |
|---|---|
| Single by Dalida | |
| from the album Garde moi la dernière danse | |
| B-side | “O sole mio” |
| Released | 1960 |
| Label | Barclay |
| Songwriter(s) | French adaptation: André Salvet and Lucien Morisse |
| Producer(s) | Barclay |
| Dalida singles chronology | |
| “Les enfants du Pirée” (1960)”Itsi bitsi petit bikini” (1960)”24.000 baci” (1961) |
The song was adapted into French under the title “Itsy bitsy petit bikini” by André Salvet and Lucien Morisse. The French version was recorded in 1960 first by Dalida and then by Johnny Hallyday and Richard Anthony (Dalida also recorded a version in Italian titled “Pezzettini di bikini”). Sales of all three French versions as well as Brian Hyland’s English version were combined and reached number one in Wallonia (French-speaking Belgium), charting for nine months from September 1, 1960 to May 1, 1961.
Richard Anthony’s version of “Itsy bitsy petit bikini” appears in the 2006 film A Good Year.
Dalida version
Johnny Hallyday version
German version
In Germany the song was renamed “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Honolulu-Strand-Bikini” and with German lyrics written by Rudolf Günter Loose. It was recorded by Club Honolulu, an alias for French-born Italian singer Caterina Valente and her brother Silvio Francesco, and reached number one on the West German charts.
The teenage Danish brothers Jan & Kjeld also recorded a version in German, but although the duo were popular in West Germany, having already had several hits there, their version failed to chart in that country, and its only chart appearance was in the Netherlands.
Jan & Kjeld version
Albert West versions
Dutch singer Albert West collaborated with original singer Hyland on an updated version in 1988, which reached number 43 on the Dutch singles chart. In 2003 West recorded another version of the song with Band Zonder Banaan which reached number 36.
Bombalurina version
The song reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on August 19, 1990 and was certified silver for sales of 250,000 copies. The single also reached number one in Ireland, and the top ten in several other countries.
The country comedy duo Homer and Jethro did a parody version on their 1966 album “Songs To Tickle Your Funny Bone.”
Connie Francis included a version of the song on her 1966 album Connie Francis and The Kids Next Door.
With lyrics in Swedish by Karl-Lennart, Lill-Babs recorded the song.
Watch the movie “One, Two, Three”
The song was featured in the 1961 Billy Wilder film comedy One, Two, Three – in a key scene, the character Otto (Horst Buchholz), suspected of being a spy, is being tortured by East German police playing the song to him repetitively, eventually with the record off-center to create a weird howling variation of pitch. The actual recording was re-released in 1962 to capitalize on the film’s success, but it did not rechart.
){kind=link}
Comments