EPISODE · Aug 8, 2021 · 1H 39M
Go Go Gorilla
from In The Past: Garage Rock Podcast · host Weldon Hunter & Erik Komarnicki
In Episode 48, we go ape! The first in this week's troop of songs is the OG - the original "The Gorilla" - by none other than The Ideals, who had a hominid hit with the track back in 1962 (1:09). We present some wild theories; ask who is higher in the rock-roll hierarchy: monkeys or gorillas?, while also closely examining the song's elegant rhyme scheme and prosodic structure. The next King Kong song comes from The Shandells, whose on-the-loose version of "The Gorilla" is way wild for 1964 (42:11). A fist in the face riff! Bloodcurdling screams!! Actual gorillas in the studio?!? You decide, Clyde! The evolution of the song continues into 1966, when The Jaguars took "The Gorilla" on a tropical island vacation (1:07:05). Their version rolls, with drumfills that go Peart-shaped, and a rubber band bass line. Why didn’t Bo Diddley record this song?!?!?!
What this episode covers
In Episode 48, we go ape! The first in this week's troop of songs is the OG - the original "The Gorilla" - by none other than The Ideals, who had a hominid hit with the track back in 1962 (1:09). We present some wild theories; ask who is higher in the rock-roll hierarchy: monkeys or gorillas?, while also closely examining the song's elegant rhyme scheme and prosodic structure. The next King Kong song comes from The Shandells, whose on-the-loose version of "The Gorilla" is way wild for 1...
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Go Go Gorilla
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