Runaway (Del Shannon song)

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“Runaway”
“Runaway” cover
Runaway by Del Shannon
Single by Del Shannon
B-side "Jody"
Released February 1961
Format 7" single
Recorded 21 January 1961
Length 2:20
Label BigTop 45-3067 (USA) London HLX 9317 (UK) Heliodor

453099 (Germany) London HL-1796
Writer(s) Del Shannon; Max Crook
Del Shannon singles chronology
-- "Runaway"
(1961)		 "Hats Off to Larry"
(1961)
Audio sample
Info (help·info)

"Runaway" was a number one Billboard Hot 100 song in the spring of 1961 by Del Shannon. It was written by Shannon and keyboardist Max Crook, and became a major international hit.

It is #466 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Contents

[edit] Original recording

Singer-guitarist Charles Westover and keyboard player Max Crook performed together as members of "Charlie Johnson and the Big Little Show Band" in Battle Creek, Michigan, before their group won a recording contract in 1960. Westover took the new stage name "Del Shannon", and Crook, who had invented his own clavioline-based synthesiser, the Musitron, became "Maximilian".

After their first recording session for Big Top Records in New York had ended in failure, their manager Ollie McLaughlin persuaded them to rewrite and re-record an earlier song they had written, "Little Runaway", to highlight Crook's unique instrumental sound. On January 21, 1961, they recorded "Runaway" at the Bell Sound recording studios, with Harry Balk as producer, session musician Al Caiola on guitar, and Crook playing the central Musitron break. "Runaway" was released in February 1961 and was immediately successful. In April, Shannon appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand helping to catapult it to the #1 spot on the Billboard charts where it remained for four weeks. Two months later, it also reached #1 in the UK.[1]

[edit] Other versions

The following year champagne music maker Lawrence Welk who hosted a music tv series released and had a hit with the song. The next notable cover of "Runaway" was by the Small Faces in 1967, appearing on the From the Beginning album. Elvis Presley also covered it in 1970, while the Beach Boys were known to have played it live. Charlie Kulis charted with a cover of "Runaway" on Playboy Records in 1975 at #46[2] while two years later Bonnie Raitt's cover performance of the song reached #57 in 1977[3] and was included album Sweet Forgiveness and later on her 1990 greatest hits album.

Country versions of the song have been recorded by Narvel Felts in the 70s, the bluegrass-based group The Cox Family in 1996, the latter produced by Alison Krauss, and by Gary Allan on his album Smoke Rings in the Dark. "Runaway" was covered by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band on The Penthouse Tapes album. Marty Friedman and Rolly covered "Runaway" on Rock Fujiyama. The song was covered in French by Dutch singer Dave; the cover was called "Vanina". The song was later covered by the punk rock group Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on their Blow in the Wind, as well as horrorpunk band The Misfits on their covers album Project 1950. 1986 brought a rock cover by Luis Cardenas.

It was also recorded by the Traveling Wilburys during sessions for their second album, released as Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 in 1990. The Wilburys had all been involved in sessions or production for Shannon's last album, released posthumously as Rock On, and had it not been for his tragic death in 1990, there was some speculation that he would have played and sung on their album as well, perhaps as a replacement for Roy Orbison, a former Wilbury who had died in 1988. However, this has never been documented.

In 1988, influential Chicago punk band, Screeching Weasel, covered the song on their 'Boogooda, Boogooda, Boogooda' album. The Misfits cover "Runaway" on their album Project 1950. Blood For Blood cover "Runaway" on their album Serenity. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes cover "Runaway" on the album Blow In The Wind. Samhain drummer Steve Zing, with some members of the band Mourning Noise, recorded a cover of "Runaway" that was released as a single in 1986.

John Frusciante, guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, is known to do a live version of "Runaway" at his solo concerts.

"Runaway" briefly returned in 1986 when Shannon recorded a revised version for the theme song of the television show Crime Story. Coincidentally, one episode of the show's second season featured Bonnie Raitt's cover of the song.

The Disco/Soul band Eruption covered this song in 1981 with new lead singer Jane Jochen

Queen + Paul Rodgers will cover the song as part of the promotion for their new album.

[edit] Cultural references

In the movie Born on the Fourth of July, Tom Cruise sings a parody of “Runaway” about the Vietnam War, and mentions Del Shannon.

Both the song and Del Shannon are mentioned in Tom Petty's song "Runnin' Down a Dream." In the song "Over the Wall" by Echo and the Bunnymen, Ian McCulloch sings some of "Runaway", ad-libbing a bit, while Will Sergeant plays the vocal line on guitar. It is also referenced in the Genesis song In The Cage. The song “My Little Runaway” by the Stone Coyotes mentions both Del Shannon and the song “Runaway.” The Barenaked Ladies song, "When You Dream", features the lyric, "Do you hear Del Shannon's 'Runaway' playing on transistor radio waves?" The song Goodbye to You, by Scandal replicates the musitron solo from "Runaway" for its own instrumental break. Also the Potential Breakup Song by Aly and AJ was modeled after this.

In the music video for the Luis Cardenas cover of “Runaway,” Del Shannon has a guest appearance as a cop.

[edit] Movie appearances

The song "Runaway" has appeared in the following movies:

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ DELSHANNON.COM - Full Length Biography
  2. ^ Top Songs from 1975
  3. ^ Top Songs from 1977

[edit] Lyrics

As I walk along, I wonder what went wrong, With our love, a love that was so strong. And as I still walk on, I think of the things we've done Together, a-while our hearts were young.

I'm a-walkin' in the rain, Tears are fallin' and I feel the pain, Wishin' you were here by me, To end this misery And I wonder-- I wah-wah-wah-wah-wonder, Why, Why, why, why, why, why she ran away, Yes, and I wonder, A-where she will stay-ay, My little runaway, Run, run, run, run, runaway.

I'm a-walkin' in the rain, Tears are fallin' and I feel the pain, Wishin' you were here by me, To end this misery And I wonder-- I wah-wah-wah-wah-wonder, Why, Why, why, why, why, why she ran away, Yes, and I wonder, A-where she will stay-ay, My little runaway, Run, run, run, run, runaway. Run, run, run, run, runaway. Run, run, run, run, runaway.

[edit] External links

Preceded by
"Blue Moon" by The Marcels		 Billboard Hot 100 number one single
April 24, 1961		 Succeeded by
"Mother-in-Law" by Ernie K-Doe
Preceded by
"Surrender" by Elvis Presley		 UK number one single
June 29, 1961 (3 weeks)		 Succeeded by
"Temptation" by The Everly Brothers