Medley met his singing partner Bobby Hatfield while attending California State University, Long Beach. The pair began singing as a duo in 1962. Their first single was "Little Latin Lupe Lu"; their first hit was "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", produced by Phil Spector in 1964. Follow-up hits included "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration" and "Unchained Melody".
The duo broke up in 1968, but returned with another hit in 1974, "Rock And Roll Heaven", and they continued to appear together until Hatfield's death in November 2003. The Righteous Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2003 by one of their biggest fans, Billy Joel.
Medley also had a moderately successful solo career. In 1987 his duet with Jennifer Warnes, "(I've Had) The Time of My Life", was included on the Dirty Dancing motion picture soundtrack album and the single reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also won a 1988 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Little Latin Lupe Lu
Bill Medley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's a hot footin' baby,there ain't no dance she couldn't do
She's my groovy little baby, little latin lupe lu
A bopa bopa lupe lu
A shake it shake it shake it,lupe
Wahtusi pretty baby,c'mon and do the who-chee-coo
Magic love,pretty baby, little latin lupe lu
If you wanna do the twist,lupe lu can put it down
If you wah wahtusi,she's the best for miles around
She's my mash potato baby, little latin lupe lu
A bopa bopa lupe lu
A shake it shake it shake it,lupe
Wahtusi pretty baby, c'mon and do the who-chee-coo
Magic love,pretty baby, little latin lupe lu
Waaaa.one more time
A shake it,shake it, shake it lupe
Wahtusi pretty baby, c'mon and do the who-chee-coo
Mash it up,pretty baby, little latin lupe lu
Little latin lupe lu (come on!)
Little latin lupe lu (come on!)
Little latin lupe lu (come on!)
Little latin lupe lu (come on
!)
In Bill Medley's song Little Latin Lupe Lu, the singer praises his Latin American girlfriend or dance partner, describing her as a skilled dancer who excels at various dance styles like the Twist and Wah Wah Watusi. He lovingly calls her his "hot footin' baby" and "groovy little baby," and thinks she is magical and beautiful. The repeated refrain of "A bopa bopa lupe lu / A shake it shake it shake it, lupe / Wah Wah Watusi pretty baby, come on and do the who-chee-coo / Magic love, pretty baby, little Latin Lupe Lu" creates a catchy, rhythmic chant that reinforces the song's focus on dance, movement, and rhythm.
Despite being a relatively simple and repetitive song, Little Latin Lupe Lu is an example of how the new rock 'n' roll genre of the 1960s brought various musical styles and cultures together, contributing to the emergence of multicultural musical fusion. The song blends Latin American musical elements with rock 'n' roll's upbeat and energetic rhythm, resulting in a lively and danceable tune that celebrates the joy of movement and physical expression. Moreover, the song reflects the rising popularity of Latin dance styles like the Twist, the Shake, and the Watusi, which signaled a shift in mainstream dance culture away from traditional ballroom dance to more informal and less restrictive forms of movement.
Line by Line Meaning
Talk about my baby, little latin lupe lu
I want to brag about my girlfriend, Little Latin Lupe Lu.
She's a hot footin' baby,there ain't no dance she couldn't do
My girlfriend is an amazing dancer who can groove to any beat.
She's my groovy little baby, little latin lupe lu
My girlfriend is my cool and funky little baby, Little Latin Lupe Lu.
A bopa bopa lupe lu
She has a fun and energetic personality that makes me want to dance and have fun with her.
A shake it shake it shake it,lupe
She has some killer dance moves that make me want to groove with her all night.
Wahtusi pretty baby,c'mon and do the who-chee-coo
My girlfriend is so beautiful and charming that everyone can't help but join in and dance with her.
Magic love,pretty baby, little latin lupe lu
My girlfriend has a special kind of love and charm that makes everyone around her feel magical and happy.
If you wanna do the twist,lupe lu can put it down
If you want to dance the twist, my girlfriend Little Latin Lupe Lu is the best and can show you how it's done.
If you wah wahtusi,she's the best for miles around
If you want to dance the wah-wahtusi, my girlfriend is the best for miles and can show you how it's done in style.
She's my mash potato baby, little latin lupe lu
My girlfriend is like mashed potatoes, warm and comforting, and Little Latin Lupe Lu is the perfect nickname to show off her Latin flair.
Waaaa.one more time
One more time, let's dance and groove to the beat with my girlfriend Little Latin Lupe Lu.
Mash it up,pretty baby, little latin lupe lu
Let's mix and match different dance moves and mash it up with my girlfriend Little Latin Lupe Lu.
Little latin lupe lu (come on!)
Let's dance and groove with my cool and funky girlfriend Little Latin Lupe Lu!
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BILL MEDLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DEE Mune
Just legendary iconic voices
Riyaz Pradhan
They just exude class. Absolutely brilliant!
John Wing Wo
They're so talented, I love seeing these clips of them singing live.
Linda Jones
I used to love that show Shindig. It used to air during the same era as Hullabaloo and I always preferred Shindig. They had their own band, the Shindogs, which I believe included Delaney Bramlett of Bonnie and Delaney.
Miroslava Rozman
These two are the best of all times, I can start dancing right now to them. Too bad this generation does not have such great singers where actually can understand what they are saging.. Miroslava M: Rozman Novkaovic.
Dan Nunya
bill medley's voice sounds like a cannon when he starts ripping it up. what a set of tubes
Mich Myers
@Captain Quirkl
Captain Quirk
I think the word is "pipes", but yeah. :-)
Rich Brown
Back when I was taking my R&R from Vietnam to Sydney Austria, I was walking down the street when 2 guys came up to me. They asked me if I was from America servicing in Vietnam, when I told them YES, they asked me if I would come and hear them or maybe sing with them? They told me just go the front desk and tell them you’re for America serving in Vietnam. WOW, I did Not know those 2 guy were the Righteous Brothers. Me and 5 other guys were announced to the crowd, FULLY greeted us (not the way we were treated when we got back from Nam). With 5 other guys sang this song then looked over seeing the Righteous Brothers standing off stage LAUGHING. Then that night the 6 of us were invited to their private party. WOW… WOW YES, I still have those pictures of us and them on stage autograph!!!
stanley davis
Wow