THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

508-Lulu and the Luvvers-Shout.

1964-Number 7 single.

Best Bit-At 0.01. Lulu was only 15 years old when she recorded ‘Shout,’ she is the youngest solo artist to place a song on this countdown.

The original version of ‘Shout’ was written, and first recorded by O’Kelly, Rudolph, and Ronald, who were the three performing members of the Isley Brothers in 1959 (see also best songs 823-382 and 176.) On stage in 1958 in their pre-fame days the Isley Brothers would end their shows with a rendition of the Jackie Wilson song ‘Lonely Teardrops.’ Ronald realised that the audience enjoyed participating, so he would improvise in a call and respond manner, with lines such as ‘You know you make me wanna…’Shout.’ The group took this idea in to the studio, and the original version of ‘Shout’ was born, with the production handled by Hugo Peretti, and Luigi Creatore (see also best songs 765.) Although the Isley Brothers version has never charted in the UK, and only reached Number 47 on Billboard, it has become one of their best known songs due to it’s many cover versions. Notably the cover by Lulu, but also the 1959 recording by Johnny O’Keefe, which reached Number 2 in Australia, and the most successful version in America from Joey Dee and the Starliters, which made Number 6 on Billboard in 1964.

Lulu was born Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie on November 3rd, 1948, in Lennoxtown, Stirlingshire, Scotland, she received her stage name ‘Lulu’ at the age of 14 from her future manager of 25 years Marion Massey, (1930-2014) who commented ‘Well, all I know is that she’s a real lulu of a kid.’ Lulu has had a long and varied career in entertainment as a singer, actress, and television personality. She has released 15 studio Albums between 1965-2015, and achieved 18 UK top 40 singles, including appearing as featured artist on the ‘Take That’ UK Number 1 single ‘Relight My Fire’ in 1992. In the States she has reached the Billboard top 40 on four occasions, including achieving America’s best selling song of 1967, with the Billboard Number 1 ‘To Sir With Love.’Other musical highlights of Lulu’s career include winning the ‘Eurovision Song Contest’ in 1969 with ‘Boom Bang-a-Bang,’ and recording the title song to the 1974 James Bond film ‘The Man with the Golden Gun.’ She has also worked with David Bowie, and Mick Ronson, when covering ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ in 1974, taking that song to Number 3 in the UK.

‘You been good to me baby, better than I been to myself, and if you ever leave me, I don’t want nobody else.’