| "Yeh, Yeh" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames | ||||
| B-side | "Preach and Teach" | |||
| Released | 4 December 1964 | |||
| Recorded | 1964 | |||
| Genre | Latin soul | |||
| Length | 2:43 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Rodgers Grant, Pat Patrick, Jon Hendricks[1] | |||
| Producer(s) | Tony Palmer[1] | |||
| Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames singles chronology | ||||
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| Official audio | ||||
| "Yeh, Yeh" on YouTube | ||||
"Yeh, Yeh" is a Latin soul song originally written as an instrumental by Rodgers Grant and Pat Patrick, and first recorded by Mongo Santamaría on his album Watermelon Man! in 1963. Lyrics were written for it shortly thereafter by Jon Hendricks of the vocalese group, Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan and this version appeared on the LP, At Newport '63
The vocal version of the song was recorded by Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames (b/w Preach and Teach, Columbia DB 7428) and released on December 4th, 1964. UK demonstration records were titled Yeah, Yeh, Yeh and this eventually led to some countries: Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland and South Africa releasing the single using, Yeah, Yeh, Yeh and Greece using the title, Yeah, Yeh. Furthermore, some UK initial issues were also incorrectly titled as, Yeah, Yeah.
It was this version which rose to the top of the UK Singles Chart in January 1965, breaking the Beatles' five week hold on the number one spot with "I Feel Fine",[2] and a month later appeared on the US Billboard pop singles chart to peak at #21.[3] The saxophone solo was by Peter Coe,[4] but was edited out for the US single release. Interviewed after the 2003 Jools Holland Spring Hootennany, where he had played a "dynamite version" of the song, Fame explained that the arrangement had been written by Tubby Hayes.[5]
- ^ a b Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. pp. 86–87. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 173–174. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart UK Top 100 – 5th April 2014 | The UK Charts | Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
- ^ "Peter Coe: saxophonist, bandleader and designer". 22 February 2024. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ John L Walters (2 May 2003). "Jools Holland's wild Spring Hootenanny". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 April 2014.