View source for Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!

{{for|more detail on the Beatles' version|Kansas City/Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey
| cover      = Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey single label.jpg
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Little Richard]]
| A-side     = [[Good Golly, Miss Molly]]
| released   = {{Start date|1958|01}}
| recorded   = May 9, 1956
| studio     = [[J&M Recording Studio|J&M]] (New Orleans, Louisiana)
| genre      = [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]], [[rock and roll]]
| length     = 2:02
| label      = [[Specialty Records|Specialty]]
| writer     = Richard Penniman {{a.k.a.}} Little Richard
| producer   = [[Robert Blackwell|Bumps Blackwell]]
| prev_title = [[Keep A-Knockin']]
| prev_year  = 1957
| next_title = [[Ooh! My Soul]]
| next_year  = 1958
}}

The song "'''Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey'''", also known as "'''Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey! (Goin' Back to Birmingham)'''", was written by [[Little Richard]] and recorded on May 9, 1956 at J&M Studio, [[New Orleans]], Louisiana, (supervised by [[Robert Blackwell|Bumps Blackwell]]).

==Recording and releases==
In 1955, Little Richard recorded two different versions of "[[Kansas City (Leiber and Stoller song)|Kansas City]]" by [[Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller]]: one on September 13 (supervised by [[Robert Blackwell|Bumps Blackwell]]), and one on November 29 (with five vocalists, supervised by [[Art Rupe]]).<ref name="Ace"/> The first version, which adheres closely to the original 1952 recording by [[Little Willie Littlefield]] for the first two verses, was not released until November 1970, on the compilation album ''Well Alright!''{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} The second version, which had been substantially re-worked by Little Richard (in particular, it featured a new refrain starting with words, "Hey, hey, hey, hey; Hey baby, hey child, hey now") was released in March 1959 on ''[[The Fabulous Little Richard]]'' and in April 1959 as single<ref name="Ace"/> after the success of the [[Wilbert Harrison]] hit.<ref>{{cite magazine|title='Kansas City' Keeps Trade Fever Rising|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=April 6, 1959|page=4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TiAEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22kansas+city%22+%22little+richard%22+%22billboard%22+%22stoller%22&pg=PA4 |via=Google Books}}</ref>

"Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey" was recorded six months after the second version of "Kansas City", incorporating the same refrain. However, as "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey" was released in 1958{{snd}}with the writing credited solely to Richard Wayne Penniman (Little Richard){{snd}}the public perceived it as an earlier recording than "Kansas City".{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

In January 1958, [[Specialty Records]] released the song as B-side of "[[Good Golly, Miss Molly]]" and, in July 1958, on the compilation ''[[Little Richard (album)|Little Richard]]''.<ref name="White">{{cite book| last = White| first = Charles| title = The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Quasar of Rock| publisher = [[Da Capo Press]]| year = 1994| page = 259| isbn = 0-306-80552-9}}</ref>

===Personnel===
* [[Little Richard]] &ndash; vocal, piano 
* [[Lee Allen (musician)|Lee Allen]] &ndash; leader, tenor saxophone
* [[Alvin Tyler|Alvin "Red" Tyler]] &ndash; baritone saxophone
* [[Edgar Blanchard]] &ndash; guitar
* [[Ernest McLean]] &ndash; guitar
* [[Frank Fields]] &ndash; bass
* [[Earl Palmer]] &ndash; drums<ref name="Ace">{{cite AV media notes| title = Little Richard – The Specialty Sessions – 8 Album Set| type = Album set booklet| others = [[Little Richard]]| publisher = [[Ace Records (United Kingdom)|Ace Records]]| id = ABOXLP 1 (set), ABOXBK1 (booklet)}}</ref>

==Cover versions==
[[The Beatles]] performed the song as early as September 5, 1962, at the [[Cavern Club]] in Liverpool, and in December of that year at the [[Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962|Star-Club]] in Hamburg.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Unterberger|first1=Richie|author-link=Richie Unterberger|title=The Unreleased Beatles: Music & Film|date=November 15, 2006|publisher=[[Backbeat Books]]|isbn=978-0879308926|pages=34, 36–41}}</ref> In 1964, the group released the albums ''[[Beatles for Sale]]'' (UK) and ''[[Beatles VI]]'' (US) featuring an arrangement of "Kansas City" based on the issued Little Richard version.
[[Gene Vincent]] covered this song on his album ''[[Shakin' up a Storm]]'' in 1964, accompanied by the Shouts. 

"Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey" was recorded by [[Bob Seger]] during the recording session that produced his cover of [[Fats Domino]]'s "[[Blue Monday (1954 song)|Blue Monday]]" for the 1989 ''[[Road House (1989 film)|Road House]]'' [[soundtrack album]]. Seger's take remained unreleased until 2011, when it was released as the lead single on the retrospective album ''[[Ultimate Hits: Rock and Roll Never Forgets]]''.<ref name="BobSeger.com">{{Cite web| title = Ultimate Hits| website = BobSeger.com|url = http://www.bobseger.com/discography/index/album/albumId/23/tagName/Albums| access-date  = October 26, 2011| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120917034018/http://www.bobseger.com/discography/index/album/albumId/23/tagName/Albums| archive-date = September 17, 2012}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Little Richard}}
{{Beatles for Sale}}
{{Bob Seger}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Songs about cities]]
[[Category:Songs about Alabama]]
[[Category:1958 songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Little Richard]]
[[Category:1958 singles]]
[[Category:Little Richard songs]]
[[Category:The Beatles songs]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by George Martin]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Robert Blackwell]]