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Difference between revisions of "A little Spanish flea"
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| − | Blood-sucking insect from Spain who becomes a singing, guitar-playing sensation in the 1965 earworm, "Spanish Flea," by [ | + | Blood-sucking insect from Spain who becomes a singing, guitar-playing sensation in the 1965 earworm, "Spanish Flea," by [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28538-2005Apr5_3.html Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass]. The song was written by [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-feb-04-mn-4895-story.html Julius Wechter], a collaborator of Alpert's who played on Alpert's 1962 hit, "The Lonely Bull." Orginally the song was just an instrumental, possibly named to be similar to the Spanish song "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Cucaracha La Cucaracha]" ("The Cockroach"). When it became a hit, lyrics were quickly added by Wechter's wife Cissy for some unknown reason. |
The lyrics namecheck [[The Chipmunks]] and [[:Category:The Beatles|The Beatles]], and has the flea travel to the city and become a singing/guitar playing star, thanks to the help of a mysterious unnamed man. | The lyrics namecheck [[The Chipmunks]] and [[:Category:The Beatles|The Beatles]], and has the flea travel to the city and become a singing/guitar playing star, thanks to the help of a mysterious unnamed man. | ||
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The song was also used as the theme for tv game show ''The Dating Game''. | The song was also used as the theme for tv game show ''The Dating Game''. | ||
| − | The flea is never given a name, alas. | + | The flea is never given a name, alas. Or... is it [https://archive.org/details/variety195-1954-09/page/n215/mode/2up?view=theater&q=%22spanish+flea%22 Felipe]? |
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
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==External Links== | ==External Links== | ||
| − | *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Flea | + | * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Flea |
| − | *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-_2QpbXMbw Herb Alpert, 1967] | + | * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-_2QpbXMbw Herb Alpert, 1967] |
| − | *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z0pP8FqYvk Herb Alpert] | + | * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z0pP8FqYvk Herb Alpert] |
| − | *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvTpnvFJENg Soupy Sales version] | + | * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvTpnvFJENg Soupy Sales version] |
| − | *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2HXXybk92o Version by Kathy Kirby, 1966, with different lyrics, where the flea is a circus act instead, YouTube] | + | * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2HXXybk92o Version by Kathy Kirby, 1966, with different lyrics, where the flea is a circus act instead, YouTube] |
| − | *[ | + | * [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28538-2005Apr5_3.html ''Washington Post'' article on Alpert] |
{{#ev:youtube|9-_2QpbXMbw}} | {{#ev:youtube|9-_2QpbXMbw}} | ||
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[[Category:Songs|little Spanish flea]] | [[Category:Songs|little Spanish flea]] | ||
[[Category:Pop|little Spanish flea]] | [[Category:Pop|little Spanish flea]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Fictional animals|little Spanish flea]] | ||
Revision as of 16:29, 19 February 2025
Blood-sucking insect from Spain who becomes a singing, guitar-playing sensation in the 1965 earworm, "Spanish Flea," by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. The song was written by Julius Wechter, a collaborator of Alpert's who played on Alpert's 1962 hit, "The Lonely Bull." Orginally the song was just an instrumental, possibly named to be similar to the Spanish song "La Cucaracha" ("The Cockroach"). When it became a hit, lyrics were quickly added by Wechter's wife Cissy for some unknown reason.
The lyrics namecheck The Chipmunks and The Beatles, and has the flea travel to the city and become a singing/guitar playing star, thanks to the help of a mysterious unnamed man.
There was a little Spanish flea.
A record star he thought he'd be.
He'd heard of singers like Beatles
The Chipmunks he'd seen on TV
The song was a hit, reaching #24 and earning a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental. It was subsequently recorded by many others, some of which, like Soupy Sales' version, used a Chipmunk-like sped up voice for the flea.
The song was also used as the theme for tv game show The Dating Game.
The flea is never given a name, alas. Or... is it Felipe?
