| "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 | ||||
|
||||
| "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 That a Shame" is a song by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew, recorded in New Orleans, Louisiana, for Imperial Records and released in 1955. The original recording ("Ain't It a Shame") was a regional hit for Domino, eventually selling a million copies. It reached #1 on the "Black Singles" chart and #10 on the "Pop Singles" chart.[1] 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. 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". [2]
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.[3] Despite his suggestion being rejected, Boone had his first Billboard number-one single in 1955. This song is played from the Jimmy Clanton show at the Boomtown Casino. 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."[4]
Contents |
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, School Ties and Mischief. As of April 2007 the song can be heard in commercials for Dr Pepper. It can also be heard at the end of the Season Four finale of the television series The Shield.
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 At Budokan album. (Reportedly Fats Domino's favorite cover)
- Brownsville Station in 1977 on Brownsville Station album.
- Tanya Tucker in 1976 on Lovin' and Learnin'.
- John Lennon in 1975 on Rock 'n' Roll.
- Four Seasons in 1963. It was a mild hit, though a drastic rearrangement. It charted at #22.
- Pat Boone in 1955. It hit #1 for two weeks on the Billboard Most Played in Jukeboxes charts.
See also
Notes and references
- ^ Ain't That a Shame at Allmusic
- ^ 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
| 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 |
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