Barbara Ann
"Barbara Ann" is a song written by Fred Fassert and performed (as "Barbara Anne") by The Regents in 1961. The recording reached a peak position of #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 record chart.
The most famous cover version is by the American pop band The Beach Boys. The song was released as a single on December 20, 1965, with the B-side "Girl Don't Tell Me". The song peaked at #2 in the U.S. and at #3 in the U.K. The song was also released on the 1965 album Beach Boys' Party!. Brian Wilson and Dean Torrence, who had previously recorded the song as one half of Jan and Dean, are featured on lead vocals. Dean is not credited on the album jacket but "Thanks, Dean" is said by Carl at the end of the track.
On "An All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson (2001)" Brian Wilson sang this song with the ensemble.
The song has become a popular song for marching bands and pep bands to play in the bleachers at sporting events.
Cultural references
The song was also covered by The Who (released in November 1966 on the "Ready Steady Who" 7" e.p.), sung by Keith Moon, and was a highlight of the film The Kids are Alright. Blind Guardian also covered the song on the album Follow the Blind. A version recorded by the Beach Boys without the Party effects can be found on the Hawthorne album. The Beach Boys made a false start on the Party album by singing "Baa Baa Black Sheep" instead of "Baa Baa Baa Baa Barbara Ann". The Beach Boys sang this song as an encore on their Live In London album and Brian Wilson has a rendition on his live Roxy CD. The song was also featured during the 4th season episode, "My Ocardial Infarction", of the sitcom Scrubs, being sung by the Janitor's fake band, "Hibbleton." The song was also featured in the 1993 film, Surf Ninjas, in which it is performed twice by Ernie Reyes Jr. The first time is in the early beginning of the film and then (this time joined by Rob Schneider and Nicholas Cowan) he performs it again, this time in the closing segment and film credits. In 1975, the Martin Cicus group performs a French version named "Marylène". In the late 1970's series Welcome Back Kotter, the character Vinnie Barbarino (John Travolta) sings a version with the lyrics "Baa-baa-baa Baa-Barbarino". In the "House Party" episode of the early 1990's television series Saved by the Bell, Zach, Slater and Screech lip-sync to the song while "cutting loose" at Screech's house when his parents are away on vacation. In the television series Home Improvement Wilson sings this song with the Beach Boys in his backyard since they were his cousins. In episode of Full House called Beach Boy Bingo the Tanner family went to the Beach Boys concert and got to sing this song with them on stage. The first line of the chorus to Barbara Ann was used in an advertising jingle for cheese snack Mini Babybel. Brian Griffin mentions the song in the Family Guy episode Ocean's Three and a Half.
The song is also featured in the film "American Graffiti" (1973).
Parodies
The song was later parodied as "Bomb Iran" by Vince Vance and the Valiants, written during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. A different parody version was a viral during 2006, courtesy of Adam Kontras, and the idea was sourced into a number of flash animations that same year. John McCain referenced the song, and attempted a line or two of the refrain as "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" in an answer to a question at a campaign stop on April 19, 2007. A viral video parody of "Barbara Ann" inspired by McCain surfaced the following day, courtesy Alex Arrowsmith.
The Capitol Steps parodied it with the new title of "Taliban" on their 2002 album When Bush Comes To Shove. Released during America's invasion of Afghanistan, it is told from the perspective of an American soldier describing his plans to drive out the Taliban.
The song is also parodied on Los Angeles radio as the commercial jingle for a local car dealership in the San Fernando Valley on Van Nuys Boulevard, called Keyes on Van Nuys: Keyes Keyes Keyes--Keyes on Van Nuys/Keyes Keyes Keyes--Keyes on Van Nuys/Two thousand cah-ah-ars/Cars trucks and va-a-ans/We make it ha-a-ppen/'Cause we're rockin' and a-rollin', wheelin' and a-dealin' at Keyes Keyes Keyes--Keyes on Van Nuys!
Details for the first Beach Boys cover
Written by: Fred Fassert
Album: Beach Boys' Party!
Time: 3 min 23 sec
Produced by: Brian Wilson
Performers
Brian Wilson: Lead Vocals,Bass
Dean Torrence: Lead Vocals
Al Jardine: Backing Vocals,Guitar
Bruce Johnston: Backing Vocals
Mike Love: Backing Vocals
Carl Wilson: Backing Vocals,Guitar
Dennis Wilson: Backing Vocals
Tributes
Blind Guardian - Follow the Blind (1989)
Translation
The phrase "Barbara Ann" occurs as such in the following languages: English, French, Italian, Norwegian (Nynorsk).
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