Kansas City (Leiber and Stoller song)

"Kansas City"
Single by Wilbert Harrison
B-side	"Listen, My Darling"
Released	April 1959 (1959-04)
Format	7" 45 rpm record
Recorded	New York March 1959
Genre	R&B, Rock and roll
Length	2:22
Label	Fury (Cat. no. 1023)
Writer(s)	Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Producer	Bobby Robinson
Wilbert Harrison singles chronology
"Gonna Tell You a Story"/ "Letter Edged in Black" (1959) "Kansas City" (1959) "Cheating Baby"/ "Don't Wreck My Life" (1959)

"Kansas City" is a rhythm and blues song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller in 1952.^[1] First recorded by Little Willie Littlefield the same year, the song later became a #1 hit when it was recorded by Wilbert Harrison in 1959. "Kansas City" became one of Leiber and Stoller's "most recorded tunes, with more than three hundred versions,"^[2] with several appearing in the R&B and pop record charts.

Original song [edit]

"Kansas City" was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, two nineteen year-old rhythm and blues fans from Los Angeles, who had their first success writing Charles Brown's #7 R&B chart hit "Hard Times". Neither had been to Kansas City, but were inspired by Big Joe Turner records.^[3]

I'm goin' to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come (2x)

They got a crazy way of lovin' there, and I'm gonna get me some

I'm gonna be standing on the corner, of Twelfth Street and Vine (2x)

With my Kansas City baby, and a bottle of Kansas City wine...

Through a connection to producer Ralph Bass, they wrote "Kansas City" specifically for West Coast blues/R&B artist Little Willie Littlefield.^[2] There was an initial disagreement between the two writers over the song's melody: Leiber (who wrote the lyrics) preferred a traditional blues song, while Stoller wanted a more distinctive vocal line; Stoller ultimately prevailed. They taught the song to Littlefield at Maxwell Davis' house, who arranged and provided the tenor sax for the song.^[2] Littlefield recorded the song in Los Angeles in 1952, during his first recording session for Federal Records, a King Records subsidiary. Federal's Ralph Bass changed the title to "K. C. Lovin'", which he reportedly considered to sound "hipper" than "Kansas City". Littlefield's record had some success in parts of the U.S., but it did not reach the national chart.

Wilbert Harrison version [edit]

In 1959, after several years of performing Littlefield's "K. C. Lovin'", Wilbert Harrison decided to record the song. In March 1959 Harrison, with a trio including guitarist Wild Jimmy Spruill, recorded it in a New York studio for producer Bobby Robinson of Fury Records.^[4] "Kansas City" was released on a single by Fury, catalog number 1023, later that year.^[5]

Although the song's arrangement varied little from Littlefield's, it "struck such a solid shuffle groove that it was unforgettable", with inspired rhythm and solo guitar work by Spruill.^[3][6] Harrison's song was issued with Leiber and Stoller's original name, "Kansas City", but changed the refrain to "They got some crazy little women there, and I'm gonna get me one" and dropped one twelve-bar section.

Shortly after the song's release, several other versions appeared. Billboard magazine's pop song pick of the week for March 30, 1959 listed five different releases of "Kansas City": Harrison's and versions by Hank Ballard and The Midnighters (King 5195), Rocky Olson (Chess 1723), Rockin' Ronald & the Rebels (End 1043), and a reissue by Littlefield (Federal 12351). A week later, the magazine announced the release of a version by Little Richard (Specialty 664), which was a medley of "Kansas City"^[7] with some new lyrics and an earlier Richard song "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey". Although Ballard's and Richard's versions both appeared in the lower reaches of the Billboard charts, Harrison's was a runaway hit, reaching number one in both the R&B and pop charts, where it remained for seven weeks,^[8] and became one of the top selling records of 1959.^[9]

Harrison also recorded an answer song to the same tune as "Kansas City", entitled "Goodbye Kansas City", which was released on a single by Fury Records in 1960 (catalog number 1028).^[5]

The Beatles version [edit]

In 1964, The Beatles' recorded Little Richard's medley of "Kansas City" and "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey", a song they began performing in their early Hamburg days. Their version, which uses somewhat different lyrics, appears on the albums Beatles for Sale (UK) and Beatles VI (US) and was the B-side of the October 1965 single "Boys" as part of Capitol Records' Star Line series. A live version, recorded in Hamburg in 1962, was released on Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962. Other live versions appear on the album Live at the BBC and in the film Let It Be. The Beatles were also seen on the American television program Shindig! performing the medley live in October 1964.

James Brown version [edit]

James Brown recorded a version of "Kansas City" in 1967 which charted #21 R&B and #55 Pop.^[10] Brown recorded live performances of the song for his albums Live at the Apollo, Volume II (1968) and Say It Live and Loud (1998; recorded 1968), and in his concert films James Brown: Man to Man and Live at the Boston Garden.

At Brown's request, singer Marva Whitney performed "Kansas City" at the conclusion of his public funeral in Augusta, Georgia in 2006.^[11]

Other versions [edit]

"Kansas City" has been recorded by hundreds of performers, including Bill Haley & His Comets from the album Bill Haley and His Comets (1960),^[12] Brenda Lee from All the Way (1961), Peggy Lee from Blues Cross Country (1962) and Miss Peggy Lee Sings the Blues (1988), Trini Lopez as a #23 pop chart single (1963), Jay and the Americans from At the Cafe Wha? (1963), Sammy Davis Jr. from Sammy Davis, Jr. Sings the Big Ones for Young Lovers (1964), The Everly Brothers from Rock & Soul (1965), Tom Jones from From the Heart (1966) and Muddy Waters from Muddy "Mississippi" Waters – Live (1979). Ten versions of the song are featured on the 1994 album, The Best of Kansas City. In 1995, it was included in Smokey Joe's Cafe, the musical revue about the songs of Leiber and Stoller.

Recognition and influence [edit]

In 2001, Harrison's "Kansas City" received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award ^[13] and it is included on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll."^[14] In 2005, Kansas City adopted "Kansas City" as its official song, dedicating "Goin' to Kansas City Plaza" in the historic 18th and Vine Jazz district. Due to redevelopment, the "12th Street and Vine" intersection mentioned in the song no longer exists, but a park roughly in the shape of a grand piano and with a path in the shape of a treble clef exists at the former location, marked by a commemorative plaque.^[15][16][17] After each Kansas City Royals win at Kauffman Stadium, The Beatles' version of Kansas City is played over the sound system, while the Wilbert Harrison version is played after each loss.^{[citation needed]}

See also [edit]

• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1959 (U.S.)
• List of number-one R&B singles of 1959 (U.S.)

References [edit]

Notes

v t e Little Richard Studio albums Here's Little Richard Little Richard The Fabulous Little Richard Pray Along with Little Richard Pray Along with Little Richard (Vol 2) The King of the Gospel Singers Little Richard Is Back (And There's a Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On!) Little Richard's Greatest Hits The Wild and Frantic Little Richard The Explosive Little Richard The Rill Thing Mr. Big The King of Rock and Roll The Second Coming Southern Child Friends from the Beginning - Little Richard and Jimi Hendrix Right Now! Talkin' 'bout Soul Little Richard Live God's Beautiful City Lifetime Friend Shake It All About Live albums The Incredible Little Richard Sings His Greatest Hits - Live! Little Richard's Greatest Hits: Recorded Live! Singles "Tutti Frutti" "Long Tall Sally" "Slippin' and Slidin'" "Rip It Up" "Ready Teddy" "She's Got It" "Heeby-Jeebies" "The Girl Can't Help It" "All Around the World" "Lucille" "Send Me Some Lovin'" "Jenny, Jenny" "Miss Ann" "Keep A-Knockin'" "Good Golly Miss Molly" "Ooh! My Soul" "True Fine Mama" Baby Face" "Kansas City" "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" "He's Not Just A Soldier" "He Got What He Wanted (But He Lost What He Had)" "Crying in the Chapel" "Bama Lama Bama Loo" "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On" "Goodnight, Irene" "I Don't Know What You've Got (But It's Got Me)" "Poor Dog" "Commandments Of Love" "Freedom Blues" "Greenwood, Mississippi"" "In The Middle of The Night" "Call My Name" "Great Gosh A-Mighty!" "Operator" "Somebody's Comin'" "Twins" Related topics Discography Songs Albums Songs by Little Richard Billy Wright Robert Blackwell Art Rupe Esquerita Jimi Hendrix James Brown Larry Williams Little Richard (miniseries) Book:Little Richard