"Blue Monday" is a song written by Dave Bartholomew, first recorded in 1953 by Smiley Lewis and issued as a single, in January 1954, on Imperial Records (catalog # 5268). The single, with a slow-rocking beat, features an instrumental electric guitar solo by Lewis. It was later popularized in a recording by Fats Domino in 1956, also on Imperial (catalog # 5417), on which the songwriting credit was shared between him and Bartholomew. Most later versions have credited Bartholomew and Domino as co-writers. The

baritone saxophone The baritone saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of instruments, larger (and lower-pitched) than the tenor saxophone, but smaller (and higher-pitched) than the bass. It is the lowest-pitched saxophone in common use - the bass, contra ...

solo is by

Herbert Hardesty Herbert Hardesty (March 3, 1925 – December 3, 2016) was an American musician who played tenor saxophone and trumpet. He is best known for his association with the New Orleans pianist Fats Domino and the producer Dave Bartholomew, beginning in 19 ...

. Domino's version was featured in the 1956 film '' The Girl Can't Help It''. It became one of the earliest rhythm and blues songs to make the Billboard charts, peaking at number five and reaching the number one spot on the R&B Best Sellers chart. The single reached number 23 on the UK Singles Chart It was included on the 1957 Liberty album ''This Is Fats'' and the 1959 Liberty album ''Fats Domino Sings 12,000,000 Records.'' The song title was used for a 2006 biography of Domino by Rick Coleman.

Cover versions

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas ...

was one of the first to cover the song and

Cat Stevens Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His musical style consists of folk, pop, rock, and, later in ...

also recorded a cover version. Tim Curry recorded the song for the theme of a 1986 British made-for-TV movie ''Blue Money''. Gene Summers included "Blue Monday" on his 1981 album ''

Gene Summers in Nashville ''Gene Summers In Nashville'' is a 10" vinyl album by Gene Summers. It was recorded at the Young 'Un Sound Studio Nashville, Tennessee in 1980 and contains rockabilly and country tracks performed by Summers. It was issued on the French Big Beat la ...

'' for the French Big Beat label.

Bob Seger Robert Clark Seger ( ; born May 6, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and The Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s, break ...

covered the song for the 1989 film '' Road House'' and

Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from t ...

covered the song for his 1992 album "

Goin' Back to New Orleans ''Goin' Back to New Orleans'' is an album by New Orleans singer and pianist Dr. John. It was released by Warner Bros. Records on June 12, 1992. The album won a Grammy award for Best Traditional Blues Album. Musicians and vocalists on the album i ...

Huey Lewis and the News Huey Lewis and the News are an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually achieving 19 top ten singles across the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, Adult Contempora ...

covered the song on their 1994 album ''

Four Chords & Several Years Ago ''Four Chords & Several Years Ago'' is the seventh album by American rock band Huey Lewis and the News, released in 1994. The title is a play on the first sentence in Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address ("Four score and seven years ago ..."). ...

''. Keith Almgren wrote lyrics in

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

, with the song named "Härliga Lördag", and it was sung live in 1994 by

Sten & Stanley Sten & Stanley are a dansband from Karlskoga, Sweden. Established in 1962, the band has scored several Svensktoppen ''Svensktoppen'' () is a weekly record chart airing at Sveriges Radio. Until January 2003, the songs had to be in the Swedis ...

. Georgie Fame picked up on Fats Domino's piano introduction to "Blue Monday" at the introduction of his hit recording of " The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde".

References

1954 songs 1956 singles Fats Domino songs Gene Summers songs Cat Stevens songs Songs about New Orleans Songs written by Dave Bartholomew Imperial Records singles The Crickets songs {{1950s-R&B-song-stub