Number of weeks? 2
What else was going on? Dwight Eisenhower reinforces the US commitment to expanding its nuclear arsenal
Download Hey Joe
from amazon.com
from amazon.comFrankie returned to the top spot for the second time in 1953 with a significantly more jaunty and upbeat number than I Believe. "Hey Joe" certainly doesn't win any prizes for demonstrating prescient feminist enlightenment ("Hey Joe, where d'ya find that purdy girly?/Where'd ya get that jolly dolly?/How'd ya rate that dish I wish was mine"). Indeed, this is about as sophisticated as the lyrics get. The song nominally tells the story of the singer falling out with his friend Joe over Joe's new girlfriend. It's not exactly deep and meaningful stuff.
But... It is fun. It rumbles along quite nicely and Laine's quick-fire lyrical delivery in the verses, juxtaposed with his elongated "Heeeeeeeeeeey Jooooooooe"s works quite nicely and it's a fairly infectious song. The guitar solo in the middle of the song is absolutely sublime and is, in itself, a great piece of musicianship which lends what is quite a throwaway song (at least lyrically) a bit of musical gravitas.
A world away from the melodrama of I Believe, Hey Joe demonstrates the versatility which no doubt was a strong part of Laine's appeal, and which say him dominate the number open spot in '53.
What happened next? Well, to put it simply, Frankie took a one-week vacation from the top spot before returning to pole position as part of one of the strangest sequences of number ones in history.
What happened next? Well, to put it simply, Frankie took a one-week vacation from the top spot before returning to pole position as part of one of the strangest sequences of number ones in history.
