The Beat Goes On
Encyclopedia
"The Beat Goes On" is a Billboard Hot 100
top ten hit song written by Sonny Bono
and recorded by Sonny & Cher
. It was issued as a single
and appeared on their 1967 album In Case You're In Love
. It entered the Billboard Hot 100
chart on January 14, 1967, peaking at #2.
"The Beat Goes On" was sung at Sonny Bono's funeral, and the phrase also appears on his tombstone.
made a version with his daughter Cathy on vocals (Buddy was joking when he said she was only 12 at the time, she was actually 19). The song was covered by Gabor Szabo on his 1967 album "The Sorcerer". Other versions were recorded by jazz pianist/singer Patricia Barber
, Italian singer Mina
, and the French duo Casino Music.
In 1998 a version by British electronic music group All Seeing I
peaked at number 11 in the UK Singles Chart
. The group also produced a cover version of the song for Britney Spears
in November 1998, as the last track on ...Baby One More Time
. "The Beat Goes On" is the first track on Songs We Should Have Written (2004) by Firewater. In 2008, a version by the French acid jazz
group Le Cercle
was included on their album "Magnetic".
A variation on the song was used in 1968 to advertise the Plymouth
line of automobiles.
This song is incorrectly referred to as "And The Beat Goes On" due to the closing lyric adding the word "and" to the song's title. There was an unrelated song released in 1980 titled "And the Beat Goes On
" (recorded by The Whispers
).
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...
top ten hit song written by Sonny Bono
Sonny Bono
Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono was an American recording artist, record producer, actor, and politician whose career spanned over three decades.-Early life:...
and recorded by Sonny & Cher
Sonny & Cher
Sonny & Cher were an American pop music duo, actors, singers and entertainers made up of husband-and-wife team Sonny and Cher Bono in the 1960s and 1970s. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector....
. It was issued as a single
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...
and appeared on their 1967 album In Case You're In Love
In Case You're In Love
In Case You're in Love is the third studio album by American rock duo Sonny & Cher, released in 1967 by Atco Records.-Album information:It was released in 1967 and reached #4 on the Billboard album charts....
. It entered 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 on January 14, 1967, peaking at #2.
"The Beat Goes On" was sung at Sonny Bono's funeral, and the phrase also appears on his tombstone.
Live performances
Cher performed the song on the following concert tours:- Do You Believe? TourDo You Believe? TourThe Do You Believe? Tour, sometimes also known as The Believe Tour, was Cher’s third solo concert tour. The tour which took place in 1999 and 2000, was used to promote her album Believe.-History:...
(Instrumental during "Sonny & Cher Sequence") - The Farewell TourLiving Proof: The Farewell TourLiving Proof: The Farewell Tour is the seventh concert tour by American singer, Cher. The tour supported her twenty-fourth studio album, Living Proof and eleventh compilation album, The Very Best of Cher...
(2002-2005) (Video Interlude during "Sonny & Cher Medley") - Cher at the ColosseumCher at the Colosseum'Cher at the Colosseum was a series of concerts by Cher at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. For the three years engagement, Cher received $180 million. Performing at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, the first show occurred on May 6, 2008 and the last show was on February 5, 2011...
Cover versions
Over the years the song has been covered by numerous artists. In 1967, American jazz musician Buddy RichBuddy Rich
Bernard "Buddy" Rich was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Rich was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuosic technique, power, groove, and speed.-Early life:...
made a version with his daughter Cathy on vocals (Buddy was joking when he said she was only 12 at the time, she was actually 19). The song was covered by Gabor Szabo on his 1967 album "The Sorcerer". Other versions were recorded by jazz pianist/singer Patricia Barber
Patricia Barber
-Discography:* Split Premonition Records * Distortion of Love Antilles * Cafe Blue Blue Note, Premonition Records * Modern Cool Blue Note, Premonition Records...
, Italian singer Mina
Mina (singer)
Anna Maria Quaini, Grand Officer , known as Mina, is an Italian pop singer. She was a staple of Italian television variety shows and a dominant figure in Italian pop music from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s known for her three-octave vocal range, the agility of her soprano voice, and her image as an...
, and the French duo Casino Music.
In 1998 a version by British electronic music group All Seeing I
All Seeing I
The All Seeing I is an English electronic music group from Sheffield, comprising Dean Honer, Jason Buckle and DJ Parrot...
peaked at number 11 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The group also produced a cover version of the song for Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
in November 1998, as the last track on ...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time is the debut studio album of American recording artist Britney Spears, released on January 12, 1999, by Jive Records. In June 1997, while Spears was in a negotiation with manager Lou Pearlman to join female pop group Innosense, her mother asked family friend and entertainment...
. "The Beat Goes On" is the first track on Songs We Should Have Written (2004) by Firewater. In 2008, a version by the French acid jazz
Acid jazz
Acid jazz is a musical genre that combines elements of jazz, funk and hip-hop, particularly looped beats. It developed in the UK over the 1980s and 1990s and could be seen as tacking the sound of jazz-funk onto electronic dance: jazz-funk musicians such as Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd and Grant Green are...
group Le Cercle
Le Cercle
Le Cercle is a foreign policy think-tank specialising in international security. Set up after World War II, the group has members from twenty-five countries and meets at least bi-annually, in Washington, D.C....
was included on their album "Magnetic".
A variation on the song was used in 1968 to advertise the Plymouth
Plymouth (automobile)
Plymouth was a marque of automobile based in the United States, produced by the Chrysler Corporation and its successor DaimlerChrysler.-Origins:...
line of automobiles.
This song is incorrectly referred to as "And The Beat Goes On" due to the closing lyric adding the word "and" to the song's title. There was an unrelated song released in 1980 titled "And the Beat Goes On
And the Beat Goes On (song)
"And the Beat Goes On" is a 1980 single by the Los Angeles-based quintet, The Whispers. The song was their first of two number-one singles on the R&B chart, and their first Top 20 pop hit in the United States, peaking at number nineteen. "And the Beat Goes On" was The Whispers only number one on...
" (recorded by The Whispers
The Whispers
The Whispers are a long-established R&B-dance vocal group from Los Angeles, California, with a consistent track record of hit records dating back to the late 1960s.-Career:...
).
Weekly Charts
| Chart (1967) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| France singles chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
1 |
| Belgian singles chart | 1 |
| 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... (USA) |
2 |
| Veronica Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... (Netherlands) |
1 |
| RPM Top Singles RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... (Canada) |
1 |
| Music-Market-Hit-Parade Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... (Germany) |
1 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
2 |
| Worldwide sales | 9 million |
Annual Charts
| Country (1967) | Position |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | 4 |