Martian Hop

"Martian Hop"

"Martian Hop" 45
Single by The Ran-Dells
B-side "Forgive Me Darling (I Have Lied)"
Released June 1963
Format 7-inch single
Recorded Bell Sound Studios, New York[1]
Genre Doo-Wop, Novelty, Pop
Label Chairman
Writer(s) John Spirit, Robert Lawrence Rappaport, Steve Rappaport[2]

"Martian Hop" is a song written by the Ran-Dells which was released in 1963. It has been described as a one-hit wonder novelty song and it reached #27 on the black singles chart and #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[3] The song was later covered by artists diverse as Rocky Sharpe and the Replays, Joanie Bartels, soul group The Newcomers and recorded in French by comedian and singer Henri Salvador.

Creation

The song is the product of the three band members joking around in John Spirt's living room at his residence in Wildwood, New Jersey. It tells of Martians throwing a dance party for "all the human race,"[3] and "theorized Martians were probably great dancers."[4] It is one of many songs recorded during the 1950s and 1960s that capitalized on space exploration and the possibility of threatening aliens.[4] While Steve Rappaport worked on the song in the studio, Gerry Goffin heard it and recommended to Don Kirshner it be picked up and released on the new label Chairman. The master tape cost over $300 and "Martian Hop" became the third single Chairman released.[1]

Early electronic music

Though the Ran-Dells have been recognized for innovative and pioneering use of a sine wave generator (a first for the pop music genre), the musicians actually responsible for the sine wave tones heard in "Martian Hop" received no credit for the composition. The twelve-second introduction at the beginning of the song is an uncredited sample from the first 30 seconds of "Moon Maid" by Tom Dissevelt and Dick Raaymakers, aka Kid Baltan. It appeared on their experimental album, The Electrosoniks - Electronic Music in 1962, a year before "Martian Hop" was recorded.

Chart positions

The Ran-Dells

Charts (1963) Peak

Position

U.S. Billboard Hot 100[3] 16

Rocky Sharpe and the Replays version

Charts (1980) Peak

Position

UK Singles Chart(Official Chart Company)[5] 55

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Thompson, Dave (2011). 1000 songs that rock your world. Iola, WI: Krause Publications. p. 39. ISBN 1440214220.
  2. ↑ Jancik, Wayne (1998). The Billboard book of one-hit wonders (Rev. and expanded ed.). New York: Billboard Books. p. 161. ISBN 0-8230-7622-9.
  3. 1 2 3 "Lyrics: Martian Hop by The Ran-Dells". Top40db.net. Retrieved 2016-09-27.
  4. 1 2 Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music - 4th ed. Oxford University Press. p. 760. ISBN 0-19-531373-9.
  5. ↑ "ROCKY SHARPE & THE REPLAYS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2016-09-27.
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