The Olympics (band)
Encyclopedia
The Olympics were an American
doo-wop
group
, formed in 1957 by lead singer Walter Ward
(August 28, 1940 — December 11, 2006). The group included Eddie Lewis (tenor
, Ward's cousin), Charles Fizer (tenor), Walter Hammond (baritone
) and Melvin King (bass) and except for Lewis were friends in a Los Angeles
, California
, high school
. Their first record
was credited to Walter Ward and the Challengers ("I Can Tell" on Melatone Records).
After the name change, they recorded "Western Movies" (Demon Records) in the summer of 1958. Co-written
by Fred Smith and Cliff Goldsmith, "Western Movies" made it to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart
. The song
reflected the nation's preoccupation with western
themed movies
and television
programs. It told the story of a man who lost his girl to TV
westerns, and it included doo-wop harmonies as well as background gunshot
s and ricochet
sound effect
s.
In 1959 the group recorded
"(Baby) Hully Gully," which initiated the hully gully
dance
craze. "Big Boy Pete," which the group released in 1960, served as inspiration for The Kingsmen
's "Jolly Green Giant." Over the next ten years The Olympics recorded upbeat R&B
songs, often about dances popular at the time.
The Rascals
later covered
their song, "Good Lovin'", and took it to #1 on the US Hot 100.
Fizer was shot and killed during the Watts Riots
in 1965. Shortly thereafter, King left the group after his sister
died in an accidental shooting. A revamped group continued to record into the early 1970s but were unable to attain popular chart success after the mid 1960s. The Olympics continued to perform on the oldies circuit in the United States
and other countries.
chart)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, formed in 1957 by lead singer Walter Ward
Walter Ward (singer)
Walter Ward was an American R&B singer, and lead vocalist of The Olympics.Ward was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and began singing professionally as a child with his father and three uncles, in a gospel group known as 'The Ward Brothers'.Ward's family moved to Los Angeles in the 1950s...
(August 28, 1940 — December 11, 2006). The group included Eddie Lewis (tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
, Ward's cousin), Charles Fizer (tenor), Walter Hammond (baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
) and Melvin King (bass) and except for Lewis were friends in a Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. Their first record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
was credited to Walter Ward and the Challengers ("I Can Tell" on Melatone Records).
After the name change, they recorded "Western Movies" (Demon Records) in the summer of 1958. Co-written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
by Fred Smith and Cliff Goldsmith, "Western Movies" made it to #8 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
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....
. The song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
reflected the nation's preoccupation with western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
themed movies
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
programs. It told the story of a man who lost his girl to TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
westerns, and it included doo-wop harmonies as well as background gunshot
Gunshot
A gunshot is the discharge of a firearm, producing a mechanical sound effect and a chemical gunshot residue. The term can also refer to a gunshot wound caused by such a discharge. Multiple discharges of a firearm or firearms are referred to as gunfire. The word can connotate either the sound of a...
s and ricochet
Ricochet
A ricochet is a rebound, bounce or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. The possibility of ricochet is one of the reasons for the common firearms safety rule "Never shoot at a flat, hard surface."-Variables:...
sound effect
Sound effect
For the album by The Jam, see Sound Affects.Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media...
s.
In 1959 the group recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
"(Baby) Hully Gully," which initiated the hully gully
Hully Gully
The Hully Gully is a type of unstructured line dance often considered to have originated in the sixties, but is also mentioned some forty years earlier as a dance common in the black juke joints in the first part of the twentieth century. In its modern form it consisted of a series of "steps" that...
dance
Dance
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....
craze. "Big Boy Pete," which the group released in 1960, served as inspiration for The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen is a 1960s garage rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States. They are best known for their 1963 recording of Richard Berry's "Louie Louie", which held the #2 spot on the Billboard charts for six weeks...
's "Jolly Green Giant." Over the next ten years The Olympics recorded upbeat R&B
Rhythm 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...
songs, often about dances popular at the time.
The Rascals
The Rascals
The Rascals were an American blue-eyed soul group initially active during the years 1965–72. The band released numerous top ten singles in North America during the mid- and late-1960s, including the U.S. #1 hits "Good Lovin'" , "Groovin'" , and "People Got to Be Free"...
later covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
their song, "Good Lovin'", and took it to #1 on the US Hot 100.
Fizer was shot and killed during the Watts Riots
Watts Riots
The Watts Riots or the Watts Rebellion was a civil disturbance in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California from August 11 to August 15, 1965. The 5-day riot resulted in 34 deaths, 1,032 injuries, and 3,438 arrests...
in 1965. Shortly thereafter, King left the group after his sister
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
died in an accidental shooting. A revamped group continued to record into the early 1970s but were unable to attain popular chart success after the mid 1960s. The Olympics continued to perform on the oldies circuit in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and other countries.
Singles
(Chart positions, except were noted, listed are from the Billboard Hot 100Billboard 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)
- "Western Movies" (1958) #8; UKUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
#12 - "(I Wanna) Dance with the Teacher" (1958) #71
- "Private Eye" (1959) #95
- "(Baby) Hully Gully" (1960) #72
- "Big Boy Pete" (1960) #50
- "Shimmy Like Kate" (1960) #42; UK #40
- "Dance by the Light of the Moon" (1960) #47
- "Dooley" (1961) #94
- "Little Pedro" (1961) #76
- "The Bounce" (1963) #40
- "Good Lovin'" (1965) #81
Sources
- Music Web
- The Olympics
- [ Entry at Allmusic]
- Walter Ward's obituary in the Los Angeles Times
- Lyrics Freak