Pop Rock Music
The sixties pop rock song “Hang On Sloopy” by The McCoys has prompted some questions. Have you ever met anyone named Sloopy? Probably. Was there a real Sloopy? Actually, yes. Dorothy Sloop aka Dorothy Sloop Heflick was a jazz musician from Steubenville, Ohio, and she went by the nickname Sloopy. She performed as a pianist with mostly female bands in New Orleans between the 1930s and 1950s. Supposedly, she was the inspiration for the song “Hang on Sloopy” by The McCoys. Be that as it may, in 1964, “Hang on Sloopy” went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cashbox as well as #5 in the U.K. The song was written in 1964 by songwriters, musicians, record producers Wes Farrell and Bert Russell. The Los Angeles soul vocal group The Vibrations recorded if first in 1964. Their recording went to #10 on the R&B Chart and #26 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. There have been many covers of the song, including versions by Little Caesar and the Consuls, Ramsey Lewis Trio, The Lettermn, Rick Derringer, The Sandpipers, Jan & Dean, The Newbeats, The Ventures, The Vogues, The Beau Brummels, The Supremes, The Kingsmen, Arron Carter, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Yardbirds, and so many more. Many a garage band had it in their repertoire. The song has gone on to become the official rock song of the state of Ohio and The Ohio State University. It is also the officle song of Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians.
The McCoys were a rock group, who formed in Union City, Indiana. They were Rick Derringer, Randy Zehringer, Ronnie Brandon,and Randy Jo Hobbs. Brandon left the group in 1965 and Boibby Peterson replaced him. They were active as a group from 1962 to 1969.
