"What" is a song and single written by H. B. Barnum, performed by

Melinda Marx Melinda Marie Marx (born August 14, 1946) is an American actress, singer, and musician who had a brief movie career. She is the daughter and only surviving child of Groucho Marx and his second wife, Kay Marvis Gorcey. Life and work Marx appear ...

and released in 1965. Marx, daughter of Groucho Marx was a reluctant pop singer and the

high notes ''High Notes'' is the thirty-fourth studio album by American musician Hank Williams Jr. It was released by Elektra/ Curb Records in April 1982, making it Williams' eighth studio album for Elektra/Curb and his ninth overall for the label. While no ...

on "What" found her straining. She recorded only one further single before leaving musical performing which had been foist upon her by her father.

Judy Street cover

In 1968 in Hollywood,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, Judy Street recorded "What", on the Strider label, as a B-side of "You Turn Me On". The record was exported to England and it was picked up by DJs at

Wigan Casino The Wigan Casino was a nightclub in Wigan, England. Operating between 1973 and 1981, it became known as a primary venue for Northern soul music. It carried forward the legacy created by clubs such as the Twisted Wheel in Manchester, the Chateau ...

, a major nightclub in the northern soul music scene. However, "What" became the track most played, going on to be a hit on the northern soul nightclub circuit and be ranked 23 of 500 northern soul singles. Following a resurgence of popularity for northern soul music in England in 1977, the song was re-released, and again in 1982 with a B-side by Hi-Fly. Street was unaware of the popularity of the song and did not tour the UK and from 1970 until 1990 she toured with her own bands, including The Swinging Society, in the US, singing and drumming. Finally, in 2005 the popularity of "What" was acknowledged when Street did several interviews for radio, magazines and books.

Soft Cell cover

British synth-pop/ new wave duo

Soft Cell Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo consists of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The band are primarily known for their 1981 hit version of "Tainted Love" and their pla ...

released a cover of the song in July 1982 as the only single from their remix album ''

Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing ''Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing'' is a 'mini' or 'remix' album by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell, released in the United Kingdom in June 1982, by Some Bizzare Records. In addition to remixes of the group's older material, it included a brand-new t ...

''. It became their fifth UK top-ten chart hit, peaking at number 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 ...

Track listings

7" # "What!" – 2:52 # "....So" – 3:45 7" (US) # "What!" – 2:52 # "Memorabilia" – 5:22 7" (Canada) # "What!" – 2:52 # "A Man Could Get Lost" – 4:05 12" # "What!" – 6:15 # "....So" – 8:45

Personnel

Marc Almond Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond, (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer. Almond first began performing and recording in the synthpop/ new wave duo Soft Cell where he became known for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. ...

– vocals * Dave Ball – backing vocals, synthesizers, producer ( only "....So") * Don Wershba – engineering (on "What!") * Harvey Goldberg – mixing (on "What!") * Bill Clarke – engineering (on "....So") *Mike Thorne – producer (only "What!") * Huw Feather – sleeve design and hand colouring * Eugene Adebari – cover photography *"What" recorded at The Camden Cell, London *"....So" recorded in The Box,

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

Charts

References

{{Soft Cell 1965 songs 1965 singles 1968 singles 1982 singles Songs written by H. B. Barnum Vee-Jay Records singles American soul songs Northern soul songs Soft Cell songs Some Bizzare Records singles