Little Bitty Pretty One
| "Little Bitty Pretty One" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Thurston Harris and the Sharps | |
| B-side | "I Hope You Won't Hold It Against Me" |
| Released | September 1957 |
| Format | 7", 10" |
| Length | 2:22 |
| Label | Aladdin |
| Writer(s) | Bobby Day |
"Little Bitty Pretty One" is a rock and roll song written and originally recorded by Bobby Day, and popularized by Thurston Harris in 1957.[1] Produced by Aladdin Records (located in Los Angeles, CA), and featuring The Sharps on backing vocals,[2] Harris' version reached No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard Best-Sellers chart and No. 2 on the R&B chart.[3]
Frankie Lymon recorded a version of the tune, reaching No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1960.[4] Clyde McPhatter returned the song to the top 40 in the US, when his version peaked at No. 25 on the Hot 100 in 1962.[5] Ten years later, the Jackson 5 covered the song for their album, Lookin' Through the Windows, and took the song to No. 13 on the Hot 100.[6][7] The Paramounts (later Procol Harum) made a powerful version of the song in 1964. The song was covered by The Doobie Brothers in 2004 on their Live at Wolf Trap album. Checkmates, Ltd. released a version of the song as part of a medley on their 1967 debut album, Live! At Caesar's Palace.[8] Aaron Carter covered "Little Bitty Pretty One" for the 2001 Disney movie The Princess Diaries. In 1996, the song was used in the film Matilda.
Reception
Bryan Thomas writes that the song "has gone on to become one of the best loved oldies of the late '50s."[9]
"Wiggle, Wiggle"
"Little Bitty Pretty One" was the inspiration for the Accents' sole hit "Wiggle Wiggle" in 1958, and though the similarities were evidently not sufficient to warrant a lawsuit, Aladdin took the expedient step of covering the song with a group called the Chestnuts.[10]
References
- ↑ Dave Marsh, The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made (Da Capo Press, 1999), 429.
- ↑ The Lamplighters at Allmusic
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 246.
- ↑ "Frankie Lymon - Chart history". Billboard. 1960-08-20. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2009). Top Pop Singles (12th ed.). p. 645.
- ↑ Soulsation! (1995), liner notes
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2009). Top Pop Singles (12th ed.). p. 482.
- ↑ "The Checkmates Ltd. - Live! At Caesar's Palace (Vinyl, LP, Album)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
- ↑ Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra, John Bush, and Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide to Soul: The Definitive Guide to R&B and Soul (Backbeat Books, 2003), p. 297.
- ↑ "The Great Doo Wop Vocal Groups....". Pinterest.com. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
