Speedy Gonzales (song)
Encyclopedia
"Speedy Gonzales" is a 1961 David Dante song (RCA 8056) about Speedy Gonzales
, "the fastest mouse in all Mexico
". It was written by Buddy Kaye
, Ethel Lee and David Hess
. The David Dante original went top three in the Philippines in July 1961.
by Pat Boone
The Pat Boone version peaked at the #6 Billboard Hot 100
position in 1962 during a total chart run of 13 weeks. The female voice ("La-la-la...") on this song was of Robin Ward. It also incorporated Mel Blanc
voicing Speedy Gonzales as he did in the Warner Brothers cartoon
s.
Other language versions
in a television commercial.
Speedy Gonzales
Speedy Gonzales is an animated caricature of a mouse in the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. He is portrayed as "The Fastest Mouse in all Mexico" with his major traits being the ability to run extremely fast and speaking with an exaggerated Mexican accent...
, "the fastest mouse in all Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
". It was written by Buddy Kaye
Buddy Kaye
Jules Leonard "Buddy" Kaye was an American award-winning songwriter, musician, producer, author and publisher. His songs were recorded by top performers, including Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Perry Como, Elvis Presley and Dusty Springfield...
, Ethel Lee and David Hess
David Hess
David Alexander Hess was an American actor, singer, and songwriter.-Music career:In 1956, Hess recorded the original version of the Otis Blackwell composition "All Shook Up" under the stage name David Hill...
. The David Dante original went top three in the Philippines in July 1961.
Pat Boone version
The song was popularised in the United States as a 1962 singleSingle (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...
by Pat Boone
Pat Boone
Charles Eugene "Pat" Boone is an American singer, actor and writer who has been a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He covered black artists' songs and sold more copies than his black counterparts...
The Pat Boone version peaked at the #6 Billboard Hot 100
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
position in 1962 during a total chart run of 13 weeks. The female voice ("La-la-la...") on this song was of Robin Ward. It also incorporated Mel Blanc
Mel Blanc
Melvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
voicing Speedy Gonzales as he did in the Warner Brothers cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
s.
Other versions
English language versions- Speedy Gonzales was also covered by The WurzelsThe WurzelsThe Wurzels are a British Scrumpy and Western band...
on their 1975 album The Wurzels Are Scrumptious. - In 1969 the song was recorded by the Hep StarsHep StarsThe Hep Stars was a Swedish rock group, formed in 1963. During 1965-1966 the band was the most successful of contemporary 1960s Swedish pop groups performing in English language...
and became their last single. - In 1977, CharoCharoMaría del Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Gutiérrez de los Perales Santa Ana Romanguera y de la Hinojosa Rasten , better known as Charo, is a Spanish-American actress, comedienne, and flamenco guitarist, best known for her flamboyant stage presence, her provocative outfits, and her trademark phrase...
and The Salsoul Orchestra made a cover on the album Cuchi Cuchi. - In 2002, the Belgian band SwoopSwoop (Belgian band)Swoop is a Belgian party band, with Filip D'haeze as lead singer. It was formed in 2001 and continued until 2006. Additional members included Iris Maschelein, Kim Gyselinck, Nathalie Taling. They were signed to RELI Records and starting 2005 ARS Entertainment.The band was revived in 2010 after 4...
had a hit with a cover version.
Other language versions
- In Spanish: Manolo MuñozManolo MuñozManolo Muñoz was a Mexican singer and actor, who was famous for an interpretation of the song "Speedy Gonzales" in the 1960s...
, The Sacados. "Speedy Gonzales" was sung by A.B. QuintanillaA.B. QuintanillaAbraham Isaac Quintanilla III better known as A.B. Quintanilla III or simply A.B. Quintanilla, is an American songwriter, record producer and musician. He is the older brother of "The Queen of Tejano music" Selena...
Y Los Kumbia All StarzKumbia All StarzKumbia All Starz are a Mexican cumbia music group from Corpus Christi, Texas, created by A.B. Quintanilla. Kumbia All Starz are not to be confused with Los Kumbia Kings although some members are originally from Los Kumbia Kings...
being their third single from the album Ayer Fue Kumbia Kings, Hoy Es Kumbia All StarzAyer Fue Kumbia Kings, Hoy Es Kumbia All StarzAyer Fue Kumbia Kings, Hoy Es Kumbia All Starz is the debut studio album by A.B. Quintanilla Y Los Kumbia All Starz. It was released on October 3, 2006. A fan edition called From Kumbia Kings To Kumbia All Starz: Fan Edition was released on October 2, 2007...
. - In German ("Kleiner Gonzales"): Rex GildoRex GildoRex Gildo was a German singer of Schlager ballads who reached the height of his popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, selling over 25 million records and starring in film and television roles....
- In French ("Le Petit Gonzales"): Danyel GerardDanyel GérardDanyel Gérard is a French pop singer and composer.Gérard was born in Paris to an Armenian father and an Italian mother, but grew up mainly in Rio de Janeiro. In 1953 he returned again to Paris and became a choir boy at Notre Dame. Following this he played in the rock and roll band The Dangers...
, DalidaDalidaDalida , born with Italian name of Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti, was a world-famous singer and actress born in Egypt with Italian origins but naturalised French with the name Yolanda Gigliotti. She spent her early years in Egypt amongst the Italian Egyptian community, but she lived most of her adult...
and Pierre LalondePierre LalondePierre Lalonde is a singer and television host from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.Pierre attended high school in the United States but returned to Canada in 1960, where he worked at radio station CKJL with his father in Saint-Jérôme, Quebec... - In Italian: Johnny DorelliJohnny DorelliJohnny Dorelli is an Italian actor, singer and showman.Born as Giorgio Guidi in Meda, he debuted as singer in the late 1950s for CGD label. In 1958 he won the Sanremo Festival in duo with Domenico Modugno, with the songs "Nel blu dipinto di blu" and "Piove "...
.
In popular culture
In 2010, the song was used by Canadian cellular telephone company TelusTELUS
Telus is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, video, and satellite television. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver...
in a television commercial.