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 ‘1000 Best Songs List.’

The original version of ‘Shout’ was written, and first recorded by O’Kelly, (1937-1986) Rudolph, (1939-2023) and Ronald, who were the three performing members of the Isley Brothers in 1959 (see also best songs 823-681-382 and 176.) On stage in their pre-fame days the Isley Brothers would end their shows with a rendition of the Jackie Wilson (see also best songs 449) 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 into 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 in America on Billboard, it has become one of their best known songs, due to it’s many cover versions. Notably this cover by Lulu and the Luvvers, but also the 1959 recording by the Australian singer Johnny O’Keefe,’ (1935-1978) 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. In 1993 the British female duo of ‘Louchie Lou & Michie One’ recorded a ‘Ragga/Rap’ version of the song, titled ‘Shout (It Out,’) which reached number 7 in the UK.

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 after hearing her perform said, ‘Well, all I know is that she’s a real lulu of a kid.’ Lulu has had a long and varied career as a singer, actress, and television personality. Her musical career highlights include, achieving America’s best selling single of 1967, with the Billboard Number 1 ‘To Sir With Love,’ which was the theme tune to the film of the same name, in which she also starred in. In 1969 she won the ‘Eurovision Song Contest,’ representing the UK with the song ‘Boom Bang-a-Bang,’ and in 1974 she recorded the title song to the ‘James Bond’ film ‘The Man with the Golden Gun.’ Lulu has also worked with David Bowie, (1947-2016) and Mick Ronson, (1946-1993) when covering ‘The Man Who Sold the World,’ taking the song to Number 3 in the UK in 1974. Lulu has been married twice, to Maurice Gibb (1949-2003) of the Bee Gees between 1969-1973, and to the British celebrity hairstylist, John Frieda, between 1977-1991.

The discography of Lulu includes 15 studio Albums released between 1965-2015, and 69 singles released between 1964-2016, there are also 10 official compilation Albums available. In the UK, she has had 18 top 40 hit singles, with her featured appearance on ‘Relight My Fire,’ by the English Pop group ‘Take That’ in 1993, peaking the highest at Number 1, whilst her highest chart position as a solo artist is with ‘Boom Bang-a-Bang,’ which reached Number 2 in 1969. In America on the Billboard Hot 100, Lulu has had four top 40 singles, with ‘To Sir With Love,’ reaching Number 1 for five weeks in 1967. In the UK ‘To Sir With Love’ was only issued as the ‘B’ side to her 1967 single ‘Let’s Pretend’ (UK-Number 11.)

‘Shout’ was the debut single by Lulu from April 1964, and is credited to ‘Lulu and the Luvvers,’ the song was co-written by O’Kelly, Rudolph, and Ronald Isley, with the production being by Peter Sullivan (1933-2020) (see also best songs 969 and 129.) ‘Shout’ was later added to ‘Something to Shout About,’ which was the debut studio Album from Lulu from 1965. The ‘Luvvers’ who were originally called ‘Gleneagles,’ but had their name changed by Lulu’s manager Marion Massey, hailed from Scotland, and were the backing band for Lulu between 1964-1965, appearing on seven singles with her, including two other hits, ‘Leave a Little Love’ (1965-UK-Number 8) and ‘Try to Understand’ (1965-UK-Number 25.) The Luvvers split in 1966, when Lulu became a solo artist.

‘Shout’ was produced by the British born music producer Peter Michael Sullivan, who was born on September 28th, 1933, he died on November 17th, 2020, from leukaemia, at the age of 87. Sullivan is best remembered for his production work with the British Pop singers Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck, producing both of Tom Jones’ UK Number 1 singles ‘It’s Not Unusual,’ (see also best songs 129) and ‘Green, Green Grass of Home,’ (see also best songs 969) he also produced the 1967 UK Number one single by Engelbert Humperdinck, ‘The Last Waltz.’

‘I still remember when I used to be nine years old, yeah yeah, how I was over you from the bottom of my soul, yeah yeah. Now that’s old enough, enough to know, you wanna meet me, you wanna love me so.’