Ya Ya


"Ya Ya" is a song by Lee Dorsey. The song was written by Dorsey, Clarence Lewis, Morgan Robinson, and Morris Levy. Levy's participation in the writing has been called into question. In fact, the Flashback release of the single lists only Dorsey and Lewis as writers, as do the liner notes to the American Graffiti soundtrack.
The track includes session guitar player Jimmy Spruill on it.
The song was inspired by a children's nursery rhyme.

Chart performance

The song reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the R&B singles chart in 1961.

Cover versions

Beatles connection

According to author Mark Lewisohn in "The Complete Beatles Chronicles", the Beatles regularly performed "Ya Ya", live from 1961 to 1962 in Hamburg, Liverpool and elsewhere. John Lennon was always the lead vocalist on this number but no recorded version is known to exist.
However, immediately after the Beatles left Polydor Records, their close associates Tony Sheridan and Roy Young cut a version of it for that label which was published in October 1962 for the A-side of an extended play. This 45RPM is credited to Tony Sheridan & "The Beat Brothers" and is often wrongly believed to be the Beatles but they had no involvement in recording this track, although the version of "Sweet Georgia Brown", included on this disc, is indeed recorded with the then unknown British group.

Track listing for ''Ya Ya – Tony Sheridan & The Beat Brothers''

7" EP Polydor – 21 485
Later on, "Ya Ya" was included as filler on the 1964 German compilation album "The Beatles' First !" and the complete recording can be heard on "The Early Tapes of the Beatles", the 1984 CD reissue of this album.
Much later, John Lennon included a snippet of the song by himself on vocals and piano, credited as "Dad", with his 11 year old son Julian on drums on the 1974 album Walls and Bridges. Lennon covered the song fully on his 1975 album Rock 'n' Roll.

Other covers

French singer Johnny Hallyday covered the song in French. His version, titled "Ya ya twist", reached no. 1 in Wallonia in 1962.

Track listing

7" EP Philips 432.739 BE

Charts

Other french language covers

"Ya Ya Twist"
"Yaya"