"Kansas City" is a rhythm and blues song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller in 1952. First recorded by Little Willie Littlefield the same year, the song later became a chart-topping hit when it was recorded by Wilbert Harrison in 1959. "Kansas City" is one of Leiber and Stoller's "most recorded tunes, with more than three hundred versions," with several appearing in the R&B and pop record charts.
Original song
"Kansas City" was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, two nineteen-year-old rhythm and blues fans from Los Angeles. Neither had been to Kansas City, but were inspired by Big Joe Turner records. Through a connection to producer Ralph Bass, they wrote "Kansas City" specifically for West Coast blues/R&B artist Little Willie Littlefield. There was an initial disagreement between the two writers over the song's melody: Leiber preferred a traditional blues song, while Stoller wanted a more distinctive vocal line; Stoller ultimately prevailed. They taught the song to Littlefield at Maxwell Davis' house, who arranged and provided the tenor sax for the song. Littlefield recorded the song in Los Angeles in 1952, during his first recording session for Federal Records, a King Records subsidiary. Federal's Ralph Bass changed the title to "K. C. Loving", which he reportedly considered to sound "hipper" than "Kansas City". Littlefield's record had some success in parts of the U.S., but it did not reach the national chart.
In 1955, Little Richard recorded two rather different versions of "Kansas City": on September 13, and on November 29. The first version, which was very close to the original song, was released much later, in November 1970, on the compilation album Well Alright!. This version was the first to bear the new title "Kansas City". Richard's second version which had the same name, but which had been substantially re-worked by Little Richard was released in late 1958 on The Fabulous Little Richard and in April 1959 as a single. Later, this particular version was covered by the Beatles. On May 9, 1956, Little Richard recorded his own song "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey", also known as "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey! " which turned out to be very similar to a part of the second version of "Kansas City" recorded six months earlier. So a new song had been introduced—it included most of the changes made by Little Richard to the second version of "Kansas City" and had a new name and new writer, Richard Wayne Penniman. This song was released in January 1958 as the B-side of "Good Golly, Miss Molly" and in July 1958 on Little Richard. So it happened that the public perceived the song "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey" as an earlier work than "Kansas City" and as its predecessor. This allowed Little Richard to claim co-authorship with respect to this version of the song. In 1964, when The Beatles released their album featuring their version "Kansas City" as performed by Little Richard, the attorneys representing Venice Music made a complaint, and as a result the record label was revised to read: "Medley: Kansas City 1964 Macmelodies Ltd./KPM; Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey Venice Mus. Ltd. 1964." Formally, however, this song could hardly be called a medley, as by definition a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces. Moreover, when Little Richard was recording "Kansas City", the song "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey" did not yet exist.
Wilbert Harrison version
In 1959, after several years of performing Littlefield's "K. C. Loving", Wilbert Harrison decided to record the song. In March 1959, just when the version of Little Richard was released on album, Harrison, with a trio including guitarist Wild Jimmy Spruill, recorded it in a New York studio for producer Bobby Robinson of Fury Records. "Kansas City" was released on a single by Fury, catalog number 1023, later that year. Although the song's arrangement varied little from Littlefield's, it "struck such a solid shuffle groove that it was unforgettable", with inspired rhythm and solo guitar work by Spruill. Harrison's song was issued with Leiber and Stoller's original name, "Kansas City", but changed the refrain to "They got some crazy little women there, and I'm gonna get me one" and dropped one twelve-bar section. Shortly after the song's release, several other versions appeared. Billboard magazine's pop song pick of the week for March 30, 1959 listed five different releases of "Kansas City": Harrison's and versions by Hank Ballard and The Midnighters, Rocky Olson, Rockin' Ronald & the Rebels, and a reissue by Littlefield. A week later, the magazine announced the single release of a version by Little Richard. Although Ballard's and Richard's versions both appeared in the lower reaches of the Billboard charts, Harrison's was a runaway hit, reaching number one in both the R&B and pop charts, where it remained for seven weeks, and became one of the top selling records of 1959. It was also the final number one single in the U.S. to be released on a 78 record. Harrison also recorded an answer song to the same tune as "Kansas City", called "Goodbye Kansas City", which was released on a single by Fury Records in 1960. After each loss at Kauffman Stadium, the Kansas City Royals play Harrison’s version over the stadium speakers.
Charts
The Beatles version
In October 1964, the Beatles recorded Little Richard's "Kansas City", a song they began performing in their early Hamburg days. They had already played it during a September 17 concert at Kansas City Municipal Stadium, a one-time addition to their usual setlist. Their version, which uses somewhat different lyrics, appears on the albums Beatles for Sale and Beatles VI and was the B-side of the October 1965 single "Boys" as part of Capitol Records' Star Line series. Piano on the track was played by George Martin. An alternate take was released on Anthology 1 and a live version, recorded in Hamburg in 1962, was released on Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962. Other live versions appear on the albums Live at the BBC and On Air - Live at the BBC Volume 2 and in the film Let It Be. The Beatles were also seen on the American television program Shindig! performing the medley live in October 1964. Personnel
The Beatles version is also played following a Kansas City Royals victory at Kauffman Stadium.
James Brown version
recorded a version of "Kansas City" in 1967 which charted number 21 R&B and number 55 Pop. A later, funkier version appears on the 1975 album Everybody's Doin' the Hustle & Dead on the Double Bump. Brown recorded live performances of the song for his albums Live at the Apollo, Volume II and Say It Live and Loud, and in his concert films and Live at the Boston Garden. This was also James Brown's first single to be reissued by Polydor Records. At Brown's request, singer Marva Whitney performed "Kansas City" at the conclusion of his public funeral in Augusta, Georgia in 2006.
Other versions
"Kansas City" has been recorded by hundreds of performers, including Bill Haley & His Comets from the album Bill Haley and His Comets, Brenda Lee from All the Way, Peggy Lee from Blues Cross Country and Miss Peggy Lee Sings the Blues, Ace Cannon did an instrumental version on his debut 1962 album Tuff Sax, Trini Lopez as a #23 pop chart single, Dion DiMucci on his album "Runaround Sue", Jan & Dean from Surf City And Other Swingin' Cities, Jay and the Americans from At the Cafe Wha?, Fats Domino as a single, Sammy Davis Jr. from Sammy Davis, Jr. Sings the Big Ones for Young Lovers, The Everly Brothers from Rock & Soul, Tom Jones from From the Heart, Albert King from Born Under A Bad Sign, Muddy Waters from Muddy "Mississippi" Waters – Live, and Dean Reed from the album Rock'n'Roll Country Romantic". Ten versions of the song are featured on the 1994 album, The Best of Kansas City. In 1995, it was included in Smokey Joe's Cafe, the musical revue about the songs of Leiber and Stoller. Also, the Grateful Dead played the song on October 28, 1985 the day after the Kansas City Royals won their first World Series.
Recognition and influence
In 2001, Harrison's "Kansas City" received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award and it is included on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll." In 2005, Kansas City adopted "Kansas City" as its official song, dedicating "Goin' to Kansas City Plaza" in the historic 18th and Vine Jazz district. Due to redevelopment, the "12th Street and Vine" intersection mentioned in the song no longer exists, but a park roughly in the shape of a grand piano and with a path in the shape of a treble clef exists at the former location, marked by a commemorative plaque. Some versions have substituted "Eighteenth and Vine" for "12th Street and Vine," which sings just as well, and recognizes Kansas City's jazz history.
