''41 Original Hits from the Soundtrack of American Graffiti'' is the official 1973 soundtrack album of the film ''

American Graffiti ''American Graffiti'' is a 1973 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by George Lucas, produced by Francis Ford Coppola, written by Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz and Lucas, and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard (billed as Ronny ...

''. It has been certified triple platinum in the U.S., where it peaked at #10 on the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart. Included in the film, but not on the soundtrack, are " Gee" by

the Crows The Crows were an American R&B singing group formed in 1951 who achieved commercial success in the 1950s. The group's first single and only hit, " Gee", released in June 1953, has been credited with being the first rock n’ roll hit by a rock ...

, "

Louie Louie "Louie Louie" is a rhythm and blues song written and composed by American musician Richard Berry in 1955, recorded in 1956, and released in 1957. It is best known for the 1963 hit version by the Kingsmen and has become a standard in pop and ...

" by

Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids, now known as Flash Cadillac, is an American retro rock 'n' roll band known for their appearance as the band "Herby and the Heartbeats" in the 1973 film '' American Graffiti'' and a 1975 episode of ''Happy Day ...

, and Harrison Ford's in-character '' a cappella'' rendition of "

Some Enchanted Evening "Some Enchanted Evening" is a show tune from the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical ''South Pacific''. It has been described as "the single biggest popular hit to come out of any Rodgers and Hammerstein show." Mast, Gerald''Can't Help Singin': ...

". (though the reason for the latter two's exclusion is due to the fact that those sequences weren't added to the film until the 1978 re-release, they were absent in the original 1973 released version) A second compilation, titled ''More American Graffiti'' (MCA 8007) (and not to be confused with the 1979 film sequel of that name) was issued by MCA in early 1975 with George Lucas's approval. It features more rock and doo-wop hits from the late 1950s and early 1960s (only one of which, the Crows' "Gee", ''was'' featured in the film), along with additional Wolfman Jack dialogue. A third and final oldies compilation, titled ''American Graffiti Vol. III'' (MCA 8008) was also issued by MCA in early 1976. All three albums were released as 2-record sets, or as a double-length tape and are now entirely out of print. All songs on the soundtrack album are presented in the order they appeared in the film. The UK version of the soundtrack album is slightly reordered and omits three tracks; both

Beach Boys A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shell ...

songs and " Teen Angel" by

Mark Dinning Max Edward Dinning (August 17, 1933 — March 22, 1986), known by his stage name Mark Dinning was an American pop music singer. In February 1960, the song " Teen Angel", written by his sister Jean (Eugenia) and her husband Red Surrey, reached nu ...

. The album is thus retitled "38 Original Hits from the Sound Track of American Graffiti".

Wolfman Jack Robert Weston Smith (January 21, 1938July 1, 1995), known as Wolfman Jack, was an American disc jockey active from 1960 till his death in 1995. Famous for his gravelly voice, he credited it for his success, saying, "It's kept meat and potatoes ...

appears on seven tracks: "That'll Be The Day", "Fannie Mae", "Barbara Ann", "The Book of Love", "To the Aisle", "Green Onions", and "Only You (And You Alone)".

Differences between vinyl and CD releases

Fats Domino Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...

's "

Ain't That a Shame "Ain't That a Shame" is a song written by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew. Domino's recording of the song, originally stated as "Ain't It a Shame", released by Imperial Records in 1955, was a hit, eventually selling a million copies. It reached n ...

": On the original vinyl release of the soundtrack, an alternate version including an overdubbed female chorus (created for Domino's 1963 LP ''Let's Dance with Domino'') is used. The CD issue uses the original hit single recording. " Love Potion No. 9" by

the Clovers The Clovers are an American rhythm and blues/ doo-wop vocal group who became one of the biggest selling acts of the 1950s.The Guinness Who's Who of Fifties Music. General Editor: Colin Larkin. First published 1993 (UK). . The Clovers p77. They ha ...

: The vinyl release features the LP version which concludes with the lyrics "I had so much fun that I'm going back again. I wonder what will happen with Love Potion No. 10." The CD features the single version of the song which concludes by repeating the verse "But when I kissed the cop at 34th and Vine, he broke my little bottle of Love Potion No. 9." "

Party Doll "Party Doll" is a 1957 rock 'n' roll song written by Buddy Knox and Jimmy Bowen. Bronson, Fred (2003). ''The Billboard Book of #1 Hits'', 5th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 19. It was performed by Buddy Knox with the Rhythm Orchids, rec ...

" by

Buddy Knox Buddy Wayne Knox (July 20, 1933 – February 14, 1999) was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his 1957 rock hit song, "Party Doll". Biography Knox was born in the tiny farming community of Happy, Texas, United States, and learn ...

: fades out earlier than the original version during the final chorus.

Track listing

LP

CD

Charts

Certifications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:41 Original Hits from the Soundtrack of American Graffiti 1973 soundtrack albums MCA Records soundtracks Rock soundtracks Comedy film soundtracks