10 / 10
PREVIEW
10
Combo version became popular Aladdin
brought Gene & Eunice into their studio to
re-record it with pretty much the same
arrangement. The Aladdin version became
the bigger hit, probably due in part to
Aladdin’s being a bigger outfit with better
distribution. The song’s popularity soon got
noticed by lots of record companies. There
were at least 15 cover versions by such
varied singers as the Crew Cuts, Hawkshaw
Hawkins and Rita Robbins (country
singers), LouisArmstrong and Gary Crosby,
and Marvin & Johnny (a rhythm & blues
duo), but Perry Como’s was by far the most
popular and became a #2 hit.
In late 1954/early 1955, while rock ‘n’
roll was starting to make inroads into
popular music, the US was also very taken
with a Latin dance – the mambo. In late
1954, both Perry Como singing
Papa Loves
Mambo
and Rosemary Clooney singing
Mambo Italiano
were Top 10 records; in
mid-1955 Perez Prado’s instrumental
mambo record
Cherry Pink And Apple
Blossom White
was #1 for ten weeks. In
early 1955 Bill Haley had a Top 20 hit called
Mambo Rock
. But before there was
Mambo
Rock
there was
Ko Ko Mo
which combined
the two musical styles. Both of Gene &
Eunice’s recordings had the same structure
– mambo-based verses alternating with
straight rock ‘n’ roll refrains.
The Perry Como version ignores the
mambo altogether and tries to be nothing but
a rock ‘n’ roll record. It’s faster than either
of the Gene & Eunice originals but preserves
the original saxophone riff behind the refrain
and the three-note Yancey bass figure (the
one that opens the record) behind the verses.
Drummer James Crawford (who had
previously starred in the Jimmie Lunceford
orchestra) is heard often contributing
excitement, though Perry’s vocal is
comparatively easygoing (as was
characteristic for him). The saxophone solo
is pretty exciting too. It’s a pop record but,
despite the countervailing efforts of the Ray
Charles singers and despite the cornball
ending, it rocks nonetheless thanks to the
band.