Martian Hop
Encyclopedia
"Martian Hop" is a song written by the Ran-Dells
which was released in 1963. It has been described as a one-hit wonder
novelty song
and it reached #27 on the black singles
chart
and #16 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart. The song was later covered by Rocky Sharpe and the Replays.
. John Glenn
orbited the Earth in 1962 and John F. Kennedy
had just announced the intention of the United States
to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. This excitement over space related material increased the song's popularity, assisting its rise as a one-hit wonder.
on the blog
Boing Boing
, the song is the product of impromptu beach jam sessions
of Ran-dell band members Robert Lawrence, Steven Rappaport, and John Spirt. The song, which tells of Martians throwing a dance party
for "all the human race
", is the product of the three band members joking around in John Spirt's living room at his residence in Wildwood, New Jersey
.
as it incorporates the use of a sine wave generator
for sounds at the beginning of the song and at the key change. Steve Rappaport wanted to attract the attention of radio
DJs so they would play the song. The song was the "first pop record to use additive synthesis
from sine wave generators."
The Ran-Dells
The Ran-Dells were an American musical ensemble from Villas, New Jersey. In 1963 their song "Martian Hop" peaked at #27 on the US Billboard black singles chart, and at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100...
which was released in 1963. It has been described as a one-hit wonder
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
novelty song
Novelty song
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
and it reached #27 on the black singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
and #16 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart. The song was later covered by Rocky Sharpe and the Replays.
Cultural climate
The pop culture of the late 50s and 60s was saturated with the beginnings of the Space AgeSpace Age
The Space Age is a time period encompassing the activities related to the Space Race, space exploration, space technology, and the cultural developments influenced by these events. The Space Age is generally considered to have begun with Sputnik...
. John Glenn
John Glenn
John Herschel Glenn, Jr. is a former United States Marine Corps pilot, astronaut, and United States senator who was the first American to orbit the Earth and the third American in space. Glenn was a Marine Corps fighter pilot before joining NASA's Mercury program as a member of NASA's original...
orbited the Earth in 1962 and John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
had just announced the intention of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. This excitement over space related material increased the song's popularity, assisting its rise as a one-hit wonder.
Creation
According to a post by Mark FrauenfelderMark Frauenfelder
Mark Frauenfelder is a blogger, illustrator, and journalist. He is editor-in-chief of MAKE magazine and co-editor of the collaborative weblog Boing Boing. Along with his wife, Carla Sinclair, he founded the bOING bOING print zine in 1988, where he acted as editor until the print version folded in...
on the blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
Boing Boing
Boing Boing
Boing Boing is a publishing entity, first established as a magazine, later becoming a group blog.-History:...
, the song is the product of impromptu beach jam sessions
Jam Sessions
Jam Sessions is a guitar simulation software title and music game for the Nintendo DS based on the Japan-only title Sing & Play DS Guitar M-06 originally developed by Plato. It was brought to North America and Europe, courtesy of Ubisoft...
of Ran-dell band members Robert Lawrence, Steven Rappaport, and John Spirt. The song, which tells of Martians throwing a dance party
Dance party
A dance party is a social gathering where dancing is the primary activity. Some dance parties are held in a casual setting and open to the public, such as a rave, or those held in nightclubs and discothèques...
for "all the human race
Human Race
Human Race refers to the Human species.Human race may also refer to:*The Human Race, 79th episode of YuYu Hakusho* Human Race Theatre Company of Dayton Ohio* Human Race Machine, a computer graphics device...
", is the product of the three band members joking around in John Spirt's living room at his residence in Wildwood, New Jersey
Wildwood, New Jersey
Wildwood is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area and is a popular summer resort destination. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's year-round population was 5,325...
.
Early electronic music
The song also stands as one of the earliest instances of popular electronic musicElectronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
as it incorporates the use of a sine wave generator
Electronic oscillator
An electronic oscillator is an electronic circuit that produces a repetitive electronic signal, often a sine wave or a square wave. They are widely used in innumerable electronic devices...
for sounds at the beginning of the song and at the key change. Steve Rappaport wanted to attract the attention of radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
DJs so they would play the song. The song was the "first pop record to use additive synthesis
Additive synthesis
Additive synthesis is a technique of sound synthesis that creates musical timbre by explicitly adding sinusoidal overtones together.The timbre of an instrument is composed of multiple harmonic or inharmonic partials , of different frequencies and amplitudes, that change over time...
from sine wave generators."