"Somethin' Else" is a song by the

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western music ...

musician

Eddie Cochran Ray Edward Cochran (; October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an American rock and roll musician. Cochran's songs, such as "Twenty Flight Rock", "Summertime Blues", " C'mon Everybody" and " Somethin' Else", captured teenage frustration and desire ...

, co-written by his girlfriend

Sharon Sheeley Sharon Kathleen Sheeley (April 4, 1940 – May 17, 2002) was an American songwriter who wrote songs for Glen Campbell, Ricky Nelson, Brenda Lee, and Eddie Cochran. Biography Sheeley attended Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach, and ...

and his elder brother Bob Cochran, and released in 1959. It has been covered by a wide range of artists, including

Johnny Hallyday Jean-Philippe Léo Smet (; 15 June 1943 – 5 December 2017), better known by his stage name Johnny Hallyday, was a French rock and roll and pop singer and actor, credited for having brought rock and roll to France. During a career spanning 57 ...

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

, and the

Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...

Original version

Bob Cochran, Eddie's brother, and

share the song writing credit along with Eddie. The first-person lyrics describe how the singer wants a

convertible A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...

car he cannot afford, and a girl who he fears will not go out with him. But in the end, by saving money, he is able to buy an older car, and works up the confidence to ask the girl out. Musicians on the session were: Vocals/Guitar: Eddie Cochran, Drums: Gene Reggio, Electric Bass: Don Myers. The song peaked at No. 22 on the UK Singles Chart, and reached No. 58 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the U.S.

Renditions

French singer

recorded a version titled "Elle est terrible". A live version, recorded at the Olympia Hall in Paris, was first released in 1962 and spent one week at the top position on the singles sales chart in France (from December 15 to 21). In Wallonia (French Belgium), it spent 28 weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 4. It was a part of

The Move The Move were a British rock band of the late 1960s and the early 1970s. They scored nine top 20 UK singles in five years, but were among the most popular British bands not to find any real success in the United States. For most of their caree ...

's repertoire in the late sixties, featuring on the EP Something Else from The Move recorded in London's

Marquee Club The Marquee Club was a music venue first located at 165 Oxford Street in London, when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. Its most famous period was from 1964 to 1988 at 90 Wardour Street in Soho, and it finally closed whe ...

in 1968. The

recorded a version of "Something Else" for the album ''

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'' (1979). The

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d single was credited to "Sex Pistols: vocals

Sid Vicious John Simon Ritchie (10 May 1957 – 2 February 1979), better known by his stage name Sid Vicious, was an English musician, best known as the bassist for the punk rock band Sex Pistols. Despite dying in 1979 at age 21, he remains an icon of the ...

" and was released three weeks after Vicious died. It peaked at No. 3 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. The second side of the single was "

Friggin' in the Riggin' "Good Ship Venus", also known as "Friggin' in the Riggin", is a bawdy drinking song devised to shock with ever increasingly lewd and debauched sexual descriptions of the eponymous ship's loose-moraled crew. The tune usually used (especially for t ...

", also credited to "Sex Pistols: vocals Steve Jones". Canadian band Teenage Head recorded a version of "Somethin' Else" for their 1980 album ''

Frantic City ''Frantic City'' is the second studio album by Teenage Head. It was released in 1980. The album was certified Platinum in Canada in 1983. Track listing Personnel ;Teenage Head *Frankie Venom (Kerr) - vocals *Gordon Lewis - guitar *Steve ...

''. English hard rock band

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covered the song for their 1982 album ''

Mechanix "Mechanix" is a song by the American thrash metal band Megadeth. It is the eighth and final track from their debut studio album, '' Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!'', which released in 1985 under Combat Records. The song was writ ...

''.

References

{{Authority control 1959 singles 1979 singles Eddie Cochran songs Johnny Hallyday songs Sex Pistols songs Songs written by Sharon Sheeley Liberty Records singles Virgin Records singles 1959 songs