Here’s the lowdown on ‘The Clapping Song’ E.P. – track by track.
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The Clapping Song
Made famous by Shirley Ellis in 1965, The Rebelles have made this thunderously joyful track unmistakably their own. The backing track was recorded live in a single take, an army of guitars, percussion, hammond organ and brass blending into a thoroughly modern wall of sound. Lead vocals by our super soprano section – Rhonda, Reba, Ginger, Lulu, Frenchie and Sooki.
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I Met Him On A Sunday
A great song from one of the few girlgroups to pen their own material, The Shirelles, who composed this little known gem while still at school and released it as their first Decca single in 1958. It packs a tale of love and betrayal into a compact 2 minute blast, while still leaving room for plenty of those signature doo-wop harmonies. Lead vocals – everyone gets a turn!
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Baby I Love You
Flip the disc over and you’re rewarded with another epic track, a song first cut by the immortal Ronettes. Baby I Love You is the result of putting 20 instrumentalists in a confined space and pitting them against the mighty vocal power of The Rebelles. Lead vocal duties are handled by the fabulous altos – Cherry, Kitty, Lil’ Edie, Trixie, Connie and Yelle – and look out for a scorching solo by lead guitarist Warren ‘Potsie’ Rebelle.
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I Want Some More
Even by Rebelles standards this one is short and sharp! Usually featured as a live encore, The Rebelles leave this one til last when the crowd can literally take no more! Driven by Thumper Rebelle’s powerful backbeat – don’t be surprised if you hear these big tubs sampled over the coming years – every singer takes centre stage to deliver a sensationally ribald lead vocal. Just like everyone’s first romance, Chan Romero’s paean to the joys of love and late night strolls in the park is over before you even open your eyes … but still leaves you breathless and wanting more.
Which is exactly how you’ll feel after enjoying these four chunks of sonic gold, whether you’re spinning the ruby-red vinyl or decoding those wonderful downloaded bits and bytes into the joyous and rocking sound of The Rebelles!
