"Searchin" is a song written by
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller specifically for
the Coasters.
[ Atco Records released it as a single in March 1957, which topped the R&B Chart for twelve weeks. It also reached number three on the ''Billboard'' singles chart.
Although the Coasters had previously done well on the R&B charts, it was "Searchin" (along with " Young Blood" on the flip side) that sparked the group's ]rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
fame.
Composition
The lyrics, written by Leiber, use vernacular
Vernacular is the ordinary, informal, spoken language, spoken form of language, particularly when perceptual dialectology, perceived as having lower social status or less Prestige (sociolinguistics), prestige than standard language, which is mor ...
phrasing. The plot revolves around the singer's determination to find his love wherever she may be, even if he must resort to detective work. The song's gimmick was to cite law-enforcement figures from popular culture such as Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan, Joe Friday, Sam Spade, Boston Blackie
Boston Blackie is a fictional character created by author Jack Boyle (1881–1928). Blackie was originally depicted as a jewel thief and safecracker in Boyle's stories, and became a private detective in adaptations for films, radio and televisi ...
, Bulldog Drummond, and the North-West Mounted Police (the Mounties).[
]
Personnel
The song was recorded in Los Angeles on February 15, 1957.
* Mike Stoller, piano
* Gil Bernal, saxophone
* Barney Kessel, guitar/mandolin
* Adolph Jacobs, guitar
* Ralph Hamilton, bass
* Jesse Sailes, drums
* A.L. “Abe” Stoller, drums
* Joe Oliveria, congas
Other versions
Otis Blackwell released a version of this song on his 1977 album titled ''These are my songs!''. Blackwell attributed the track to Lieber/Stoller, however the album brought to light many tracks that Blackwell was the original composer for. This was the only song on the album that was not a Blackwell composition
Johnny Rivers released a version of the song as a medley with " So Fine" which reached number 113 on the U.S. pop chart in 1973.Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
chose "Searchin" as one of his Desert Island Discs in 1982. McCartney performed the song with the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
during their audition for Decca Records on January 1, 1962 (with somewhat mangled lyrics that included a mention of ''Peter Gunn
''Peter Gunn'' is an American detective fiction, private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens (actor), Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, lounge singer Edie Hart. The series was broadcast by NBC from Sept ...
'').
The song was performed by Floyd Pepper in an episode of '' The Muppet Show''. It was famously used in Brad Bird's 1999 animated film, '' The Iron Giant''.
The song was also recorded and performed by Sharon, Lois & Bram for both of their children's television series Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show (1987) and Skinnamarink TV (1997).
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Searchin'
Songs written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
1957 singles
The Coasters songs
The Beatles songs
The Hollies songs
The Spencer Davis Group songs
Atco Records singles
The Crickets songs