"Martian Hop"
"Martian Hop" 45
Single by The Ran-Dells
B-side"Forgive Me Darling (I Have Lied)"
ReleasedJune 1963
StudioBell Sound (New York City)[1]
GenreDoo-wop, novelty, pop
LabelChairman
Songwriter(s)John Spirit, Robert Lawrence Rappaport, Steve Rappaport[2]

"Martian Hop" is a song written by The Ran-Dells, and released in 1963. It has been described as a one-hit wonder novelty song and reached #27 on the black singles chart and #16 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3] The song was later covered by artists as diverse as Rocky Sharpe and the Replays, Joanie Bartels and soul group The Newcomers. Versions in French included comedian Henri Salvador and the group Les Champions.

Creation

The song is the product of the three band members joking around in John Spirt's living room at his residence in Wildwood, New Jersey. It tells of Martians throwing a dance party for "all the human race,"[3] and "theorized Martians were probably great dancers."[4] It is one of many songs recorded during the 1950s and 1960s that capitalized on space exploration and the possibility of threatening aliens.[4] While Steve Rappaport worked on the song in the studio, Gerry Goffin heard it and recommended to Don Kirshner it be picked up and released on the new label, Chairman. The master tape cost over $300 and "Martian Hop" became the third single Chairman released.[1]

Early electronic music

Though the Ran-Dells have been recognized for innovative and pioneering use of a sine wave generator (a first for the pop music genre), the musicians actually responsible for the sine wave tones heard in "Martian Hop" received no credit for the composition. The twelve-second introduction at the beginning of the song is an uncredited sample from the first 30 seconds of "Moon Maid" by Tom Dissevelt and Dick Raaymakers, aka Kid Baltan. It appeared on their experimental album, The Electrosoniks - Electronic Music in 1962, a year before "Martian Hop" was recorded.

Chart positions

The Ran-Dells

Charts (1963) Peak

Position

U.S. Billboard Hot 100[3] 16
Chart (1974) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 44

Rocky Sharpe and the Replays version

Charts (1980) Peak

Position

UK Singles Chart(Official Chart Company)[6] 55

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Thompson, Dave (2011). 1000 songs that rock your world. Iola, WI: Krause Publications. p. 39. ISBN 978-1440214226.
  2. ↑ Jancik, Wayne (1998). The Billboard book of one-hit wonders (Rev. and expanded ed.). New York: Billboard Books. p. 161. ISBN 0-8230-7622-9.
  3. 1 2 3 "Lyrics: Martian Hop by The Ran-Dells". Top40db.net. Retrieved 2016-09-27.
  4. 1 2 Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music - 4th ed. Oxford University Press. p. 760. ISBN 0-19-531373-9.
  5. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 246. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. ↑ "ROCKY SHARPE & THE REPLAYS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2016-09-27.
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