Musical Monday - Elvira by the Oak Ridge Boys

#1 on the Billboard Hot 100: Never.

#1 on the Cash Box Top 100: The week of August 1, 1981.

#1 on the U.K. Chart: Never.

Elvira is a song that became popular because of the bass part. Nothing else about the song is particularly notable - the lyrics are kind of insipid, the harmonies are ordinary, and the backing music is bland. But I recollect that when the bass man sang "Bap-a-mmm, bap-a-mmm, bap-a-mau-mau" everyone would stop what they were doing and say "What's that song?" The little bass interlude was such a critical element of the song, that I remember some people thinking that it happened more often in the song than the four times it actually does.

On a side note, the "southern" accent that the lead singer Joe Bonsall has here is probably an affectation as he was born and raised in Philadelphia. The bass singer Richard Sterban was born in New Jersey, but he doesn't really seem to be trying to sound "southern" in the song.

Previous Musical Monday: Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield

Subsequent Musical Monday: Green Door by Shakin' Stevens

Previous #1 on the Cash Box Top 100: Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield

Subsequent #1 on the Cash Box Top 100: Theme from the Greatest American Hero by Joey Scarbury

List of #1 Singles from the Billboard Hot 100 for 1980-1989
List of #1 Singles from the Cash Box Top 100 for 1980-1989
List of #1 Singles on the U.K. Chart for 1980-1989

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