The Capitols
Encyclopedia
The Capitols were a Detroit, Michigan
-based soul
trio widely known in the late 1960s for their Billboard
hit single "Cool Jerk
".
group formed in 1962 as "The Caps," with Samuel George as the lead vocalist
and drummer
, Ralph Julius Jones as the newest vocalists and writer, Don Storball (birth name: Don Norman) on backup vocals and guitar
, and Richard Mitchell (birth name: Richard McDougall) on backup vocals and keyboard
. After playing predominantly small gigs, they were discovered by former Ann Arbor radio DJ Ollie McLaughlin after performing at a local dance headlined by Barbara Lewis
. After signing with the Karen record label, owned by McLaughlin, the group went on to record and release their first single in 1963, "Dog and Cat/The Kick". The record displayed the upbeat energy of their later work, however the juvenile nature and lyrics of the song couldn't find a substantial audience. In light of the disappointing performance of their debut single, the group dissolved and pursued other ventures.
crazes; one of the most popular ones was a dance called "the jerk." It consisted of holding the arms out in different positions and making thrusting motions with the hips. Though controversial for lewdness at the time, a particularly sexual version of the dance had become popular in Detroit clubs, called the "pimp jerk". Ralph Julius Jones married Alice, the cousin of Motown Records
founder and producer Berry Gordy
. Ralph helped raised Alice's son, who was named Berry after his famous uncle.
Seeking to capitalize on the popularity of the dance, and dance songs in general, Storball and Jones wrote a song about the pimp jerk, renaming it "Cool Jerk
" in order to prevent possible banning by radio station
s. Realizing that the song was a hit, the group re-formed and contacted McLaughlin in order to secure studio time to record the song.
The song was recorded at Golden World Studios in Detroit on March 14, 1966 with the legendary Motown house band The Funk Brothers
. Though the song was meant to include a horn
accompaniment, the contracted musicians failed to show up for the recording session and their parts were omitted from the track. "Cool Jerk" was released on July 2, 1966 and was a smash hit, reaching as high as #7 on the Billboard Hot 100
and #2 on the Billboard R&B charts.
, getting no higher than #65, relegating the group to a One-Hit Wonder
. In late 1969, the group broke up for the final time.
Storball went on to a career in the Higland Park, MI Police Department, and still lives in Detroit. Ralph Julius Jones died January 21, 2007 of lung cancer. Richard McDougall died on February 19, 1984 of unknown causes. Samuel George died March 17, 1982 after he was fatally stabbed in a domestic dispute.
" has stood the test of time. It has been used in Cool Whip
commercials (lyrics changed from "cool jerk" to "cool whip") and for many movie soundtracks, including More American Graffiti
(1979), Night and the City
(1992), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
(1992), and Calendar Girl
(1993).
Additionally, "Cool Jerk" has made many best-of lists, including "100 Greatest Rock Bass Performances" (#70) and "VH1
's 100 Greatest Dance Songs" (#48).
The song is still played in heavy rotation on oldies
and soul
stations across the world.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
-based soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
trio widely known in the late 1960s for their Billboard
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...
hit single "Cool Jerk
Cool Jerk
"Cool Jerk" is a popular song written by Donald Storball and originally performed by The Capitols. Released in 1966, it reached the number two position on the American R&B chart and number seven on the pop chart...
".
Formation and Disbandment
The R&BRhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
group formed in 1962 as "The Caps," with Samuel George as the lead vocalist
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
, Ralph Julius Jones as the newest vocalists and writer, Don Storball (birth name: Don Norman) on backup vocals and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, and Richard Mitchell (birth name: Richard McDougall) on backup vocals and keyboard
Electronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
. After playing predominantly small gigs, they were discovered by former Ann Arbor radio DJ Ollie McLaughlin after performing at a local dance headlined by Barbara Lewis
Barbara Lewis
Barbara Lewis , is an American singer and songwriter whose smooth style influenced rhythm and blues.-Career:Lewis was born in Salem, near Ann Arbor, Michigan...
. After signing with the Karen record label, owned by McLaughlin, the group went on to record and release their first single in 1963, "Dog and Cat/The Kick". The record displayed the upbeat energy of their later work, however the juvenile nature and lyrics of the song couldn't find a substantial audience. In light of the disappointing performance of their debut single, the group dissolved and pursued other ventures.
Re-formation and Cool Jerk
The mid-1960s saw many danceDance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
crazes; one of the most popular ones was a dance called "the jerk." It consisted of holding the arms out in different positions and making thrusting motions with the hips. Though controversial for lewdness at the time, a particularly sexual version of the dance had become popular in Detroit clubs, called the "pimp jerk". Ralph Julius Jones married Alice, the cousin of Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
founder and producer Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy, Jr. is an American record producer, and the founder of the Motown record label, as well as its many subsidiaries.-Early years:...
. Ralph helped raised Alice's son, who was named Berry after his famous uncle.
Seeking to capitalize on the popularity of the dance, and dance songs in general, Storball and Jones wrote a song about the pimp jerk, renaming it "Cool Jerk
Cool Jerk
"Cool Jerk" is a popular song written by Donald Storball and originally performed by The Capitols. Released in 1966, it reached the number two position on the American R&B chart and number seven on the pop chart...
" in order to prevent possible banning by radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s. Realizing that the song was a hit, the group re-formed and contacted McLaughlin in order to secure studio time to record the song.
The song was recorded at Golden World Studios in Detroit on March 14, 1966 with the legendary Motown house band The Funk Brothers
The Funk Brothers
The Funk Brothers was the nickname of Detroit, Michigan, session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown Records recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972...
. Though the song was meant to include a horn
Horn section
In music, a horn section can refer to several groups of musicians. It can refer to the musicians in a symphony orchestra who play the horn . In a British-style brass band it refers to the tenor horn players. In popular music, it can also refer to a small group of wind instrumentalists who augment a...
accompaniment, the contracted musicians failed to show up for the recording session and their parts were omitted from the track. "Cool Jerk" was released on July 2, 1966 and was a smash hit, reaching as high as #7 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...
and #2 on the Billboard R&B charts.
Decline and Dissolution
Attempting to exploit the success of their hit single, the Capitols released two albums in 1966, "Dance the Cool Jerk" and "We Got a Thing," both featuring mostly covers of popular Motown and soul songs. Both albums were somewhat of a commercial and critical failure, though "Dance the Cool Jerk" did spend one week in the Billboard Top 200 Albums at #95 in July 1966. The group released eight additional singles after "Cool Jerk", only two of which made the Billboard chartsBillboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
, getting no higher than #65, relegating the group to 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:...
. In late 1969, the group broke up for the final time.
Storball went on to a career in the Higland Park, MI Police Department, and still lives in Detroit. Ralph Julius Jones died January 21, 2007 of lung cancer. Richard McDougall died on February 19, 1984 of unknown causes. Samuel George died March 17, 1982 after he was fatally stabbed in a domestic dispute.
Legacy
Though the group had a fairly short career and limited commercial success, their hit "Cool JerkCool Jerk
"Cool Jerk" is a popular song written by Donald Storball and originally performed by The Capitols. Released in 1966, it reached the number two position on the American R&B chart and number seven on the pop chart...
" has stood the test of time. It has been used in Cool Whip
Cool Whip
Cool Whip is a brand of imitation whipped cream named a whipped topping by its manufacturer. It is used in North America as a dessert topping and in some no-bake pie recipes. It was generally described as "non-dairy" as it contained no cream or milk and no lactose; however, it did contain the milk...
commercials (lyrics changed from "cool jerk" to "cool whip") and for many movie soundtracks, including More American Graffiti
More American Graffiti
More American Graffiti is the 1979 sequel film to George Lucas's hit film American Graffiti. Whereas the first film followed a group of friends during the summer evening before they set off for college, this film shows us where the characters from the first film end up a few years later.Most of the...
(1979), Night and the City
Night and the City (1992 film)
Night and the City is a 1992 remake of the 1950 film noir of the same name, itself an adaptation of Gerald Kersh's novel of the same name. The film stars Robert De Niro and Jessica Lange and is directed by Irwin Winkler from a script by Richard Price....
(1992), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is a 1992 American Christmas comedy film written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus. It is the second film in the Home Alone series and the direct sequel to Home Alone. The film stars Macaulay Culkin in the lead role as Kevin McCallister, while...
(1992), and Calendar Girl
Calendar Girl (1993 film)
Calendar Girl is a 1993 film starring Jason Priestley, Gabriel Olds, and Jerry O'Connell. The movie, set in 1962, tells the story of three young men who go on a trip to Hollywood to fulfil their dream of meeting Marilyn Monroe....
(1993).
Additionally, "Cool Jerk" has made many best-of lists, including "100 Greatest Rock Bass Performances" (#70) and "VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's 100 Greatest Dance Songs" (#48).
The song is still played in heavy rotation on oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
stations across the world.
Singles
- "Dog And Cat" / "The Kick" (Karen 16) (1963)
- "Cool JerkCool Jerk"Cool Jerk" is a popular song written by Donald Storball and originally performed by The Capitols. Released in 1966, it reached the number two position on the American R&B chart and number seven on the pop chart...
" / "Hello Stranger" (Karen 1524) (1966) - "Zig Zaggin'" / "I Got To Handle It" (Karen 1525) (1966)
- "We Got A Thing That's In The Groove" / "Tired Of Runnin' From You" (Karen 1526) (1966)
- "Take A Chance On Me Baby" / "Patty Cake" (Karen 1534) (1967)
- "Cool Pearl" / "Don't Say Maybe Baby" (Karen 1536) (1967)
- "Afro Twist" / "Cool Jerk '68" (Karen 1537) (1968)
- "Ain't That Terrible" / "Soul Sister, Soul Brother" (Karen 1543) (1968)
- "When You're In Trouble" / "Soul Soul" (Karen 1546) (1969)
- "I Thought She Loved Me" / "When You're In Trouble" (Karen 1549) (1969)
Albums
- Dance the Cool Jerk (ATCO 33-190) (1966)
- We Got a Thing (ATCO 33-201) (1966)
- Golden Classics (Collectables) (1990)
- The Very Best of the Capitols (Marginal) (1997)
- Dance the Cool Jerk / We Got a Thing (Collectables) (2004)
- Cool Jerk (Collectables) (2006)
Covers
- "Cool Jerk" has been covered by many bands, most famously by the Go-Go'sThe Go-Go'sThe Go-Go’s are an all-female American rock band formed in 1978. They made history as the first all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the Billboard album charts....
, who recorded three studio versions of the song. - Todd Rundgren played a version of "Cool Jerk" as part of a medley on his A Wizard, A True Star album.
- The California RaisinsThe California RaisinsThe California Raisins were a fictional rhythm and blues musical group as well as advertising and merchandising characters composed of anthropomorphized raisins based on black caricatures. Lead vocals were sung by musician Buddy Miles...
did a cover of "Cool Jerk" on their album Meet the Raisins.