When formed in 1955, the band included Willie Williams on rhythm guitar (replaced in late 1956 by Paul Peek), Jack Neal on upright bass, Dickie Harrell on drums, and Cliff Gallup on lead guitar. The band quickly gained a reputation playing in various country bars in Norfolk, Virginia (where Vincent was born. There they won a talent contest organized by a local radio DJ, "Sheriff Tex" Davis, who then became Vincent's manager.
After "Be-Bop-a-Lula" became a hit, Vincent & His Blue Caps were unable to follow it up with the same level of commercial success, although they released critically acclaimed songs like "Race with the Devil" (number 96 on the US Billboard chart and number 50 on the US Cash Box chart) and "Bluejean Bop" (number 49 on the US Billboard chart and another million-selling disc).
Cliff Gallup left the band in 1956, and Russell Williford joined as the new guitarist for the Blue Caps. Williford played and toured Canada with Vincent in late 1956 but left the group in early 1957. Gallup came back to do the next album and then left again. Williford came back and exited again before Johnny Meeks joined the band. The group had another hit in 1957 with "Lotta Lovin'" (highest position number 13 and spending 19 weeks on the Billboard chart and number 17 and 17 weeks on the Cashbox chart). Vincent was awarded gold records for two million sales of "Be-Bop-a-Lula", and 1.5 million sales of "Lotta Lovin'".
On November 17, 1957, Vincent & His Blue Caps performed "Be-Bop-a-Lula" on the nationally broadcast US television program The Ed Sullivan Show. The song spent nine weeks on the Billboard chart and peaked at number 23 on January 23, 1958 and reached number 36 and spent eight weeks on the US Cashbox chart. It was Vincent's last American hit single. The song was used in the movie Hot Rod Gang for a dance rehearsal scene featuring dancers doing the West Coast Swing.
Vincent & His Blue Caps also appeared several times on Town Hall Party, California's largest country music barn dance, held at the Town Hall in Compton, California. They appeared on October 25, 1958, and July 25 and November 7, 1959.
By the end of 1959 the Blue Caps were no longer part of the billing on Gene Vincent records. The late 1959 single "Wild Cat" was credited solely to Gene Vincent, and this would be the case on all subsequent Gene Vincent releases.
Gene Vincent, real name Vincent Eugene Craddock, (February 11, 1935 – October 12, 1971) was an American rockabilly pioneer musician, best known for his hit “Be-Bop-A-Lula”.
Early life:
His parents, Ezekiah Jackson and Mary Louise Craddock, were shop owners in Norfolk, Virginia. He grew up in Virginia under the influence of country, Rhythm and Blues and Gospel music. He received his first guitar as a gift from a friend at the age of 12.
In 1952 Gene left school and joined the Navy. In 1955 he was stationed in Korea, where he suffered a severe motorcycle accident that shattered his left leg. He refused to have it amputated, the leg was saved, but left him with a permanent limp and considerable chronic pain for the rest of his life.
Early career:
He left the Navy and started playing in various country bands in his native Norfolk, Virginia. In 1956 he wrote "Be-Bop-A-Lula", which helped him sign a contract at Capitol Records with his backing band The Blue Caps.
After "Be-Bop-A-Lula" had become a huge hit, Gene Vincent & the Blue Caps were unable to follow it up with the same level of commercial success but recorded critically acclaimed songs like "Bluejean Bop" and "Race with the Devil". That year, Vincent was reputedly convicted of public obscenity and fined $10,000 by the state of Virginia for his live performance of the erotic song, "Woman Love", although this is now believed to have been just a rumor.
The group had another hit with 1957's "Lotta Lovin'." Vincent also became one of the first rock stars to star in a film, The Girl Can't Help It together with Jayne Mansfield.
There were numerous changes of personnel in his backing group, The Blue Caps. However, a dispute with the US Tax Authorities and The American Musicians' Union over payments to his band and his having sold the band's equipment to pay a tax bill led him to leave the USA and try his hand in Europe.
Following a tour through Europe in 1959, Vincent managed to attract a new huge and discerning audience there, especially in England and France. By that time his career had mostly ended in the US. Consequently, he moved to England in 1960. His stage shows became "must see" events and his bands through those years were to spawn some of the most respected players in the world today. It was during his early tours of Britain that he adopted the trademark leather outfit, at the suggestion of British Rock 'n' Roll impressario, Jack Good.
In 1960, while on tour in Britain, Vincent and songwriter Sharon Sheeley were seriously injured in a high-speed traffic accident in a private hire taxi travelling through Chippenham, Wiltshire on the A4. The car, a Ford Consul, suffered a blowout causing it to swerve and crash into a lamp post. Vincent broke his ribs, collarbone, and added further damage to his already weak leg, and Sheeley suffered a broken pelvis. Both Vincent and Sheeley survived, but the accident killed Vincent's tourmate and Sheeley's fiancé, Eddie Cochran.
Later career:
His attempts to re-establish his American career by recording in folk rock and country-rock styles proved unsuccessful, and he is most remembered today for his recordings of the 1950s and early 1960s which originally appeared on the Capitol Records label.
On the album "I'm Back and I'm Proud" recorded for long-time fan John Peel's Dandelion label, Gene was backed by members of The Doors, whose lead singer, Jim Morrison, copied Gene's 'Leather Look'.
He has achieved a genuine legendary status and his work is respected, and often copied, by singers and groups worldwide. His major hit, Be-Bop-A-Lula has become what is considered to be one of the top three rock'n'roll records of all time and has rightly earned Gene a place in the history of modern music. Had he managed to survive through the Punk years, he would undoubtedly still be a leading figure in contemporary rock'n'roll.
On his final tour of the UK, he was backed by The Wild Angels, a British band who had previously worked at the Royal Albert Hall with Bill Haley & the Comets and Duane Eddy. Because of pressure from his ex-wife, the Inland Revenue and promoter Don Arden, Gene had to return rather swiftly to the USA.
Gene Vincent died from a ruptured stomach ulcer while visiting his father in California, and is interred in the Eternal Valley Memorial Park, Newhall, California.
He was the first inductee into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame on its formation in 1997. The following year he was also posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Ain't She Sweet
Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well see her walking down that street.
Yes I ask you very confidentially:
Ain't she sweet?
Oh ain't she nice,
Well look her over once or twice.
Yes I ask you very confidentially:
Just cast an eye
In her direction.
Oh me oh my,
Ain't that perfection?
Oh I repeat
Well don't you think that's kind of neat?
Yes I ask you very confidentially:
Ain't she sweet?
Oh ain't she sweet,
Well see her walking down that street.
Well I ask you very confidentially:
Ain't she sweet?
Oh ain't that nice,
Well look it over once or twice.
Yes I ask you very confidentially:
Ain't she nice?
Just cast an eye
In her direction.
Oh me oh my,
Ain't that perfection?
Oh I repeat
Well don't you think that's kind of neat?
Yes I ask you very confidentially:
Ain't she sweet?
Oh ain't she sweet,
Well see her walking down that street.
Well I ask you very confidentially:
Ain't she sweet?
Well I ask you very confidentially:
Ain't she sweet?
In Gene Vincent's 1956 version of "Ain't She Sweet," the singer waxes poetic about a charming and stunning woman he sees walking down the street. The song is light and playful, as Vincent repeats his admiration for the girl with a simple yet catchy melody. The lyrics of the song celebrate a woman's beauty and charisma, and express the singer's smitten feelings.
Vincent first asks, "Ain't she sweet?" and marvels at her appearance as she walks by. He then asks the same question, but this time about her niceness, and remarks on her perfection. The singer seems almost entranced by the woman he sees, and repeats again how neat he thinks she is. The song's upbeat music and catchy lyrics, combined with Vincent's natural charm, make it easy for listeners to sing along and appreciate the beauty of a lovely woman.
One interpretation of "Ain't She Sweet" is that it is a tribute to the collective "sweetness" of women, rather than one specific person. In this interpretation, the song's lyrics celebrate the inherent qualities of women that make them endearing, attractive, and special. Vincent's charming and flirtatious delivery adds to the song's appeal, making it a timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh ain't she sweet,
The singer is admiring a woman and begins his song by expressing his love.
Well see her walking down that street.
The woman is walking down a street and the singer is pointing out her beauty.
Yes I ask you very confidentially:
The singer is being quiet about his admiration and is asking the listener their opinion as well.
Ain't she sweet?
The singer thinks the woman is sweet and is asking the listener if they agree.
Oh ain't she nice,
The singer continues to admire the woman and now is stating that she is nice.
Well look her over once or twice.
The singer is telling the listener to take a good look at the woman and see her beauty.
Just cast an eye
Once again, the singer is telling the listener to look at the woman.
In her direction.
The singer is specifying that the listener should look at the woman's direction.
Oh me oh my,
The singer is expressing his amazement at the woman's beauty.
Ain't that perfection?
The singer believes the woman is perfect and is asking if the listener agrees.
Oh I repeat
The singer is repeating his admiration of the woman.
Well don't you think that's kind of neat?
The singer is asking the listener if they think the woman's beauty is impressive.
Oh ain't she sweet?
The singer is once again stating his admiration of the woman and asking the listener to agree.
Oh ain't that nice,
The singer is continuing his admiration of the woman by saying that it is nice to see her.
Well look it over once or twice.
The singer is repeating his advice to the listener to take a good look at the woman's beauty.
Well I ask you very confidentially:
The singer is still being secretive about his admiration and is continuing to ask the listener for their opinion.
Ain't she nice?
The singer is asking if the listener agrees with him that the woman is nice.
Well don't you think that's kind of neat?
The singer is repeating his question about whether the listener thinks the woman's beauty is cool.
Oh ain't she sweet?
The singer is once again expressing his love for the woman and asking the listener to agree as well.
Well see her walking down that street.
The singer is pointing out the woman's beauty and repeating his admiration of her.
Well I ask you very confidentially:
The singer is repeating his method of asking the listener's opinion in a secretive and quiet manner.
Ain't she sweet?
The singer is once again asking the listener if they think the woman is sweet.
Well I ask you very confidentially:
The singer is repeating his secretive questioning method.
Ain't she sweet?
The singer is again expressing his adoration for the woman and asking the listener to agree as well.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jack Yellen, Milton Ager
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
n00se
Oh ain't she sweet
Well see her walking down that street
Yes I ask you very confidentially:
Ain't she sweet?
Oh ain't she nice
Well look her over once or twice
Now I ask you very confidentially:
Ain't she nice?
Just cast an eye
In her direction
Oh me oh my
Ain't that perfection?
Oh I repeat
Well don't you think she's kind of neat?
Yes I ask you very confidentially:
Ain't she sweet?
Oh ain't she sweet
Well see her walking down that street
Well I ask you very confidentially:
Ain't she sweet?
Oh ain't that nice
Well look it over once or twice
Now I ask you very confidentially:
Ain't she nice?
Eleuterio Pinedo Acosta
Que canción tan linda tengo 16 años soy de Barranquilla colombia y me parece una excelente versión a aparte de the beatles !
n00se
Oh ain't she sweet
Well see her walking down that street
Yes I ask you very confidentially:
Ain't she sweet?
Oh ain't she nice
Well look her over once or twice
Now I ask you very confidentially:
Ain't she nice?
Just cast an eye
In her direction
Oh me oh my
Ain't that perfection?
Oh I repeat
Well don't you think she's kind of neat?
Yes I ask you very confidentially:
Ain't she sweet?
Oh ain't she sweet
Well see her walking down that street
Well I ask you very confidentially:
Ain't she sweet?
Oh ain't that nice
Well look it over once or twice
Now I ask you very confidentially:
Ain't she nice?
arnarne
Wonderful old tune!
jeanmarie basset
A la première écoute,j'ai pensé que c'était une femme qui chantait;une voix unique
mike puckerburg
the Best version Sooo Cute ! Cherry Pop!
surfinwax58 wilson
Only cool version of this old chestnut is Gene Vincent's!
Kazuo Watanabe
It's So Cool Number For Me 😎 👍
Fermin Guerra Tello
Big Admiration Much Much Than Elvis
Geny Ridonate
GENE IS THE BEST AND BASTA
Frank LoPresti
Hamsteaky!!!