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"Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" is a novelty song telling the story of a shy girl wearing a revealing polka dot bikini at the beach. It was written by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss and first released in June 1960 by Brian Hyland, with an orchestra conducted by John Dixon. The Hyland version reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, selling a million copies in the US, and was a worldwide hit. The song has been adapted into French as "Itsy bitsy petit bikini" and into German as "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Honolulu-Strand-Bikini", reaching number one on national charts in both languages. Several versions of the song have proved successful in various European countries. In 1990 a version by British pop band Bombalurina, titled "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini", reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and in Ireland.

"Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini"
Single by Brian Hyland
from the album The Bashful Blond
B-side"Don't Dilly Dally, Sally"
ReleasedJune 1960
GenreBubblegum pop
Length2:19
LabelLeader/Kapp
Songwriter(s)Paul Vance
Lee Pockriss
Brian Hyland singles chronology
"Rosemary"
(1959)
"Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini"
(1960)
"Four Little Heels (The Clickety Clack Song)"
(1960)

History and lyric


The story told through the three verses of the song is as follows: (1) the young lady is too afraid to leave the locker where she has changed into her bikini; (2) she has made it to the beach but sits on the sand wrapped in a blanket; (3) she has finally gone into the ocean, but is too afraid to come out, and stays immersed in the water – despite the fact she's "turning blue" – to hide herself from view.[citation needed]

Trudy Packer recited the phrases "...two, three, four / Tell the people what she wore", heard at the end of each verse before the chorus; and "Stick around, we'll tell you more", heard after the first chorus and before the start of the second verse.[1]

In an interview and article by Greg Ehrbar in The Cartoon Music Book, edited by Daniel Goldmark and Yuval Taylor, Rankin-Bass musical director Maury Laws said he 'ghosted' the arrangement of the song for John Dixon, as Dixon had taken on more work than he could handle at that time.

At a time when bikini bathing suits were still seen as too risqué to be mainstream, the song prompted a sudden takeoff in bikini sales. It is credited as being one of the earliest contributors to the acceptance of the bikini in society. The early 1960s saw a slew of surf movies and other film and television productions that rapidly built on the song's momentum.[2]

Hyland's version hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 8, 1960,[3] and sold over a million copies in the US.[4][5] It also made the top 10 in other countries, including #8 on the UK Singles Chart.[6] It also reached #1 in New Zealand.[7]


Ownership controversy


In September 2006, Paul Vance, the song's co-writer, saw his own mistaken obituary on TV, as a consequence of the death of another man, Paul Van Valkenburgh, who claimed to have written "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" under the name Paul Vance. The impostor had explained his lack of royalty payments for the song by claiming that he had sold the rights as a teenager.[8] Vance, the song's true co-author, earned several million dollars from the song from 1960 until his own death in 2022, describing it as "a money machine."[9]


In other media


The song was featured in the 1961 Billy Wilder film comedy One, Two, Three – in a key scene, the character Otto (Horst Buchholz), suspected of being a spy, is being tortured by the East German police playing the song to him repetitively, eventually with the record off-center to create a weird howling variation of pitch. The actual recording was re-released in 1962 to capitalize on the film's success, but it did not rechart.

The song is also used in the films Aparna Sen film 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981), Sister Act 2 and Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise.

It was going to be one of the tracks for Just Dance 2017, but was removed for an unknown reason. However, it has made an appearance in its sequel Just Dance 2018, performed by The Sunlight Shakers.


Charts



French versions


"Itsy bitsy petit bikini"
Single by Johnny Hallyday
from the album Hello Johnny
Released1960 (1960)
LabelPhilips
Songwriter(s)French adaptation: André Salvet and Lucien Morisse
Johnny Hallyday singles chronology
"Souvenirs, souvenirs"
(1960)
"Itsy bitsy petit bikini"
(1960)
"Kili watch"
(1960)
"Itsi bitsi petit bikini"
Single by Dalida
from the album Garde moi la dernière danse
B-side"O sole mio"
Released1960 (1960)
LabelBarclay
Songwriter(s)French adaptation: André Salvet and Lucien Morisse
Producer(s)Barclay
Dalida singles chronology
"Les enfants du Pirée"
(1960)
"Itsi bitsi petit bikini"
(1960)
"24.000 baci"
(1961)

The song was adapted into French under the title "Itsy bitsy petit bikini" by André Salvet and Lucien Morisse.[22] The French version was recorded in 1960 first by Dalida and then by Johnny Hallyday and Richard Anthony (Dalida also recorded a version in Italian titled "Pezzettini di bikini"). Sales of all three French versions, as well as Brian Hyland's English version, were combined and reached number one in Wallonia (French-speaking Belgium), charting for nine months from September 1, 1960, to May 1, 1961.[22]

A version by the animated character Funny Bear also reached the top 30 in France in 2007.[23]

Richard Anthony's version of "Itsy bitsy petit bikini" appears in the 2006 film A Good Year.


Track listings



Dalida version

7" single Barclay 70345 (1960)

  1. "Itsi bitsi petit bikini" (2:13)
  2. "O sole mio" (2:51)

Johnny Hallyday version

7" single Vogue V. 45-775 (1960)

  1. "Itsy bitsy petit bikini" (2:15)
  2. "Depuis qu'ma môme" (2:25

Charts



Dalida/Johnny Hallyday/Richard Anthony/Brian Hyland versions

Chart (1960–1961) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[22] 1

Funny Bear version

Chart (2007) Peak
position
France (SNEP)[23] 30

German versions


In Germany, the song was renamed "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Honolulu-Strand-Bikini" and with German lyrics written by Rudolf Günter Loose. It was recorded by Club Honolulu, an alias for French-born Italian singer Caterina Valente and her brother Silvio Francesco,[24] and reached number one on the West German charts.[25]

The teenage Danish brothers Jan & Kjeld also recorded a version in German, but although the duo were popular in West Germany, having already had several hits there, their version failed to chart in that country, and its only chart appearance was in the Netherlands.[26]


Charts



Club Honolulu version

Chart (1960) Peak
position
West Germany (Official German Charts)[25] 1

Jan & Kjeld version

Chart (1960) Peak
position
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[26] 18

Albert West versions


Dutch singer Albert West collaborated with original singer Hyland on an updated version in 1988, which reached number 43 on the Dutch singles chart.[27] In 2003 West recorded another version of the song with Band Zonder Banaan which reached number 36.[28]


Charts



Albert West & Brian Hyland version

Chart (1988) Peak
position
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[27] 43

Band Zonder Banaan & Albert West version

Chart (2003) Peak
position
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[28] 36

Bombalurina version


"Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini"
Single by Bombalurina
from the album Huggin An'a Kissin'
B-side"Clap Yo Hands, Stamp Yo Feet"
ReleasedJuly 16, 1990 (1990-07-16)[29]
GenrePop
Length3:38
Label
  • Carpet
  • Polydor
Songwriter(s)
  • Paul Vance
  • Lee Pockriss
Producer(s)
Bombalurina singles chronology
"Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini"
(1990)
"Seven Little Girls"
(1990)

In July 1990, a version was released by Bombalurina, titled "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini", which featured Timmy Mallett, star of Wacaday, a popular UK children's television show of the time, along with two dancers, Dawn Andrews and Annie Dunkley.[30] Andrews later married Gary Barlow of the group Take That.[31] Mallett told the British pop magazine Smash Hits that the composer of popular theatre musicals Andrew Lloyd Webber had come up with the idea for making the single, and had asked Mallett to sing on it. The day after recording the song, Mallett took a copy of it on a tour of European clubs where he was making personal appearances, and asked the clubs' DJs to play the song, raising public awareness of the record.[30] In November 2008, schoolteacher and former singer Everton Barnes claimed that he was the real singer on the record, as Mallett had been unable to hit the right notes and sang flat.[32]

The song was released on Carpet Records, a subsidiary of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group. Lloyd Webber later admitted that he had produced the song because his wife had bet him that as a composer of musical theatre, he would not be able to make a pop song that was a big hit.[33] The band name "Bombalurina" was taken from the name of one of the characters in Lloyd Webber's musical Cats.[30]

The song reached number one on the UK Singles Chart on August 19, 1990, and was certified silver for sales of 200,000 copies.[34] The single also reached number one in Ireland and the top ten in Austria, Finland, Germany, New Zealand, and Norway.


Charts



Weekly charts

Chart (1990) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA Charts)[35] 66
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[36] 7
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[37] 29
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[38] 2
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[39] 4
France (SNEP)[40] 45
Germany (Official German Charts)[41] 9
Ireland (IRMA)[42] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[43] 3
Norway (VG-lista)[44] 3
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[45] 28
UK Singles (OCC)[46] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1990) Rank
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[47] 39
UK Singles (Gallup)[48] 16

Certifications


Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] Silver 200,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.


Other cover versions and parodies


There have been cover versions in many languages.


See also



References


  1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (8th ed.). Billboard Publications. p. 297. ISBN 978-0-82307-499-0.
  2. Rothaar, James (2004). "Bikinis Exposed: Happy 60th Anniversary!". JustLuxé. LuxeMont. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  3. Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of #1 Hits (5th ed.). Billboard Publications. p. 72. ISBN 978-0-82307-677-2.
  4. Larkin, Colin (2011). "Brian Hyland". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  5. Roberts, David, ed. (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). Guinness World Records. p. 264. ISBN 978-1-90499-410-7.
  6. "Official Charts Company - The Chart Archive". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  7. "flavour of new zealand - Lever hit parade". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  8. Leeds, Jeff (September 28, 2006). "Itsy-Bitsy Bikini, Big Mistake: Paul Vance Is Alive and Well". The New York Times. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  9. "Itsy Bitsy writer 'death' error". BBC News. September 28, 2006. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  10. "Brian Hyland – Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  11. "Brian Hyland – Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  12. "CHART NUMBER 168 – Monday, July 18, 1960". 1050 CHUM. July 21, 2006. Archived from the original on July 21, 2006.
  13. Brian Hyland - Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini, Dutch Charts. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  14. "flavour of new zealand - Lever hit parades". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  15. "Brian Hyland – Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini". VG-lista.
  16. "Brian Hyland: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  17. "Brian Hyland Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  18. "Cash Box Top 100 8/06/60". tropicalglen.com. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  19. "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1960". Rock.co.za. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  20. "Top 100 Hits of 1960/Top 100 Songs of 1960s". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  21. "Top 50 Hits of 1960 – Based on Results of the Cash Box Year End Juke Box Operator Poll". The Cash Box. December 24, 1960. p. 16.
  22. "Johnny Hallyday – Itsy bitsy petit bikini" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  23. "FunnyBear – Itsi bitsi petit bikini" (in French). Les classement single.
  24. Huber, Rupert (July 5, 2016). "'Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie': Der Bikini wird 70 Jahre alt". Augsburger Allgemeine (in German). Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  25. "Offiziellecharts.de – Club Honolulu – Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Honolulu Strand Bikini". GfK Entertainment charts.
  26. "Jan und Kjeld – Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Honolulu Strand-Bikini" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  27. "Albert West & Brian Hyland – Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  28. "Band Zonder Banaan & Albert West – Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  29. "New Singles". Music Week. July 14, 1990. p. 37. Misprinted as 9 July on source.
  30. Frith, Mark (August 22 – September 4, 1990). "I'm Utterly, Utterly Brilliant!!!". Smash Hits. pp. 10–11.
  31. Smith, Sean (2013). Gary: The Definitive Biography of Gary Barlow. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-47110-221-9.
  32. "Timmy Mallett accused of Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny porkie". Evening Standard. November 26, 2008. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  33. Rollo, Sarah (November 27, 2008). "Webber makes 'Itsy Bitsy' confession". Digital Spy. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  34. "British single certifications – Bombalurina – Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  35. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 36.
  36. "Bombalurina – Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  37. "Bombalurina – Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  38. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 36. September 8, 1990. p. IV. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  39. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  40. "Bombalurina – Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" (in French). Les classement single.
  41. "Bombalurina – Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  42. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Bombalurina featuring Timmy Mallett". Irish Singles Chart.
  43. "Bombalurina – Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini". Top 40 Singles.
  44. "Bombalurina – Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini". VG-lista.
  45. "Bombalurina – Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini". Swiss Singles Chart.
  46. "Bombalurina: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  47. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles – 1990" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 51. December 22, 1990. p. 36. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  48. "1990 Top 100 Singles". Music Week. March 2, 1991. p. 41.
  49. "Szandi - Kicsi Lány". Discogs. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  50. "Muito mais que um site oficial". Jovem Guarda. January 11, 2007. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  51. Duarte, Marcelo (January 2, 2015). "As versões da música 'Biquíni de Bolinha Amarelinha' – tem até uma de outra cor!". Blog do Curioso. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  52. "Cliquemusic : Disco : RADIOATIVIDADE". Cliquemusic.uol.com.br. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  53. bikini amarillo-- manolo muñoz on YouTube
  54. "John Spencer - John Spencer". Discogs.com. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  55. DeLay, Tom (January 1985). "For the Records". Theatre Organ. 27 (1): 20. ISSN 0040-5531.
  56. Viuda e hijas de Roque Enroll - Bikini a lunares amarillo diminuto justo justo on YouTube
  57. The Sacados Bikini A Lunares Amarillo Video Clip Oficial on YouTube
  58. "Bikini A Lunares Amarillos (letra y canción) - Viuda e Hijas de Roque Enroll". Musica. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  59. Бански на лалета on YouTube
  60. "Itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini / Lill-Babs" (in Swedish). Svensk mediedatabas. 1960. Retrieved May 13, 2011.
  61. Itsi Bitsi Bikini English Version - Gummibär The Gummy Bear on YouTube
  62. Itsy Bitsy Polka-dot Bikini ~ Itsi Bitsi Bikini English ~ Versão em Inglês on YouTube
  63. BIKINI AMARILLO Osito Gominola Gummibär The Gummy Bear Itsi Bitsi Bikini Spanish Espanol on YouTube
  64. Itsi Bitsi Bikini AUDIO TRACK Gummibär The Gummy Bear on YouTube
  65. ダニー飯田とパラダイス・キング ビキニスタイルのお嬢さん 1960 on YouTube
  66. "Storm Seeker – Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Honolulu Strand Bikini". Genius.com. Retrieved January 31, 2021.

На других языках


- [en] Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini

[es] Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini

«Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini» es una canción novedad que cuenta la historia de una chica tímida que lleva un revelador bikini de lunares en la playa. Fue escrito por Paul Vance y Lee Pockriss y lanzado por primera vez en junio de 1960 por Brian Hyland con una orquesta dirigida por John Dixon.

[ru] Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini

«Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini» — американская песня, в которой рассказывается о стеснительной девушке в жёлтом бикини в горошек. Песня написана Полом Вансом (Paul Vance) и Ли Покриссом (Lee Pockriss).



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