He formed “The Pharaohs” in 1961 in Dallas. The other members were Carl Medke, Russell Fowler, Omar "Big Man” Lopez and Vincent Lopez (not related to Omar). In 1962 the group made one record but it did not sell. Tired of playing for $5 per man per night, The Pharaohs disbanded in late 1962.
In May, 1963, Vincent Lopez was playing for a band named “Andy and The Nightriders” in Louisiana. When their organist quit, Sam joined the group as the new organist. “Andy and The Nightriders” was composed of Andy Anderson, David A. Martin, Vincent Lopez and Sam. “The Nightriders” became very popular as the house band at The Congo Club. It was here that Sam became the “The Sham” in a dual reference to the fact that the band’s name was “Andy and The Nightriders” and Andy Anderson was the leader but everyone came to hear Sam sing and the fact that Sam couldn’t really play the organ – he could only play chords.
In June of 1963, “The Nightriders” headed for Memphis, Tennessee and once again became a very popular house band at a club called The Diplomat. In late summer 1963, Andy Anderson and Vincent Lopez left the band to return to Texas. Sam and David A. Martin replaced them with Jerry Patterson and Ray Stinnett and changed the name of the band to “Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs”. Shortly thereafter, the band added saxophonist, Butch Gibson.
After paying to record and press their own records to sell at their gigs, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs wound up with the Pen label in Memphis. There, they recorded what would prove to be their first and biggest hit ever, "Wooly Bully". "Wooly Bully" was a worldwide sensation and sold 3 million copies, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard charts in the summer of 1965.
The lyrics of "Wooly Bully" were hard to understand, and some radio stations banned it. The song was originally called "Hully Gully". When told by the record company that they couldn't use that phrase, Sam changed the words to the name of cat - 'Wooly Bully'. It became the first American record to sell a million copies during the onslaught of the British Invasion, and was nominated for a Grammy Award.
Although the "Wooly Bully" single never reached #1 on the national charts, it had great "legs," lingering in the U.S. Top 40 for a then-impressive 18 weeks. It remains the only Billboard 'Record of the Year' not to have topped the Hot 100 chart.
The Pharoahs' next releases-- "Ju Ju Hand" and "Ring Dang Doo"-- were minor chart successes. In late 1965, 11 months after the release of "Wooly Bully", David Martin, Jerry Patterson, Ray Stinnett, and Butch Gibson left Sam over a financial dispute. Sam's business manager Leanord Stogal discovered a band called Tony Gee & The Gypsys playing at the Metropole Cafe in Times Square, New York City. The band personal were Tony "Butch" Gerace, bass/vocals, Frankie Carabetta sax, keys/vocals, Billy Bennett drums/vocals, and Andy Kuha guitar/vocals. It was this new set of Pharaohs that recorded "Lil' Red Riding Hood" which reached #1 at the top of the charts of Cashbox Magazine in the first week of August of 1966.
A series of mostly novelty tunes followed (all on the MGM label) and kept the group on the charts into 1967. The titles of these songs included "The Hair On My Chinny Chin Chin", "How Do You Catch A Girl", and "Oh That's Good, No, That's Bad". In 1967 3 girls joined the line up, Fran Curcio, Lorraine Genaro, and Jane Anderson. The new addition was called "The Shamettes". The group traveled to Asia as Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs and The Shamettes. In late 1967, Sam changed the name of the group to The Sam the Sham Revue. In 1970 Samudio went on his own and issued an album called Sam, Hard and Heavy on Atlantic. The album featured Duane Allman on guitar, the Dixie Flyers and the Memphis Horns. He formed a new band in 1974. The early 80s found Sam working with Ry Cooder on the soundtrack for the film The Border.
Sam continues to record, write, and do an occasional concert venue, while his adopted hometown of Memphis has adopted him an official ambassador of Memphis Rock and Roll.
Sam continues his motivational speaking events and will release a much anticipated book of poetry in early 2007. For more news about Sam, go to:
www.samthesham.com
Black Sheep
Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Readin' poetry and layin' in the grass,
Ask him for a drink, he'll give you a glass.
White sheep drinks one glass of beer a year,
Ask him for a shot, he says it's all he's got.
Not down from the cellar,
Can't help nobody.
Black sheep, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Three bags full.
For his friends he ain't got in the world.
Black sheep, he's got an old ragged coat of black,
Tell him you're cold, he'll take it off his back.
White sheep's got thirty coats or more,
Saved up from the last year and the year before,
Been savin' them up for a rainy day
And it rained yesterday, ain't got none left.
Black sheep, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yeah, three bags full.
White sheep he died a wealthy man,
Had five gold watches, six gold rings on his hands,
Had a million dollar funeral but it's a shame,
Nobody came.
Ain't not fair,
Alone, dead.
Black sheep left the world in a rough pine box,
Everybody came 'round
Laughing, telling jokes.
The old women cried 'cause the bad man he'd been,
But when they passed the casket
And everyone looked in,
Seemed like he grinned,
Like he knowed somethin'.
Black sheep, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Three bags full.
Just layin' up there dead,
Still grinnin' like he was holdin' out on everybody,
Like he knew all along where was there...
The song "Black Sheep" by Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs presents a contrast between two different types of people: the black sheep and the white sheep. The black sheep is a free spirit who spends his days drinking wine, reading poetry, and lounging in the grass. He's generous, offering his last glass of wine to anyone who asks for it, even if it means he'll go without. In contrast, the white sheep is much more reserved, drinking only one glass of beer per year and hoarding his possessions, including thirty coats which he's saved up for a rainy day. The song suggests that while the white sheep may die wealthy, he will still die alone and unloved, while the black sheep will be remembered fondly by all who knew him.
The song is ultimately a commentary on the value of material possessions versus the value of human connection. The black sheep may not have much in terms of material wealth, but he is rich in friendship and love. Meanwhile, the white sheep may have all the money in the world, but he has nobody to share it with. The black sheep's simple generosity and joie de vivre ultimately make him the more desirable character, even if society might view him as a "black sheep".
Line by Line Meaning
Black sheep lays around drinking wine all day,
The black sheep is lazy and spends his days drinking wine and lying in the grass, not contributing to anything productive.
Readin' poetry and layin' in the grass,
The black sheep spends his time indulging in artistic pursuits and enjoying nature's beauty, rather than working or being responsible.
Ask him for a drink, he'll give you a glass.
The black sheep may be lazy, but he is generous and willing to share what he has with others.
White sheep drinks one glass of beer a year,
The white sheep is extremely frugal and enjoys only the simplest pleasures in life.
Ask him for a shot, he says it's all he's got.
Despite his wealth, the white sheep is stingy and unwilling to share what he has with others.
Not down from the cellar,
The white sheep is so stingy that he doesn't even keep his alcohol in a convenient location, making it difficult for others to access it.
Can't help nobody.
The white sheep is so self-absorbed that he is unwilling to help others, even when it wouldn't cost him anything.
Black sheep, black sheep, Have you any wool? Three bags full.
Despite being lazy and unproductive, the black sheep is still valuable and has plenty to offer in terms of creativity and generosity.
For his friends he ain't got in the world.
Despite having plenty of wool to offer, the black sheep may not have many friends or a strong support network.
Black sheep, he's got an old ragged coat of black, Tell him you're cold, he'll take it off his back.
Despite his humble appearance, the black sheep is still kind and generous enough to give someone the shirt off his back if they need it.
White sheep's got thirty coats or more, Saved up from the last year and the year before, Been savin' them up for a rainy day And it rained yesterday, ain't got none left.
Despite being wealthy and having plenty of resources, the white sheep is so concerned with hoarding what he has that he runs out of it when he needs it most.
Black sheep left the world in a rough pine box, Everybody came 'round Laughing, telling jokes.
The black sheep may not have been wealthy or respected, but he was still beloved and had a positive impact on those around him.
The old women cried 'cause the bad man he'd been, But when they passed the casket And everyone looked in, Seemed like he grinned, Like he knowed somethin'.
Despite any mistakes or misdeeds he may have committed in life, the black sheep still had a sense of humor and a positive outlook on things, making him endearing to those who knew him best.
White sheep he died a wealthy man, Had five gold watches, six gold rings on his hands, Had a million dollar funeral but it's a shame, Nobody came.
Despite all his wealth and superficial success, the white sheep ultimately died alone and unloved, with no one to mourn his passing.
Ain't not fair, Alone, dead.
The white sheep's death is tragic because he never learned to appreciate the value of companionship or true friendship, and died alone despite his material success.
Black sheep, black sheep, Have you any wool? Three bags full.
Even in death, the black sheep still has something valuable to offer the world, reminding us that true wealth comes from creativity, generosity, and kindness to others.
Just layin' up there dead, Still grinnin' like he was holdin' out on everybody, Like he knew all along where was there...
The black sheep may not have been materially rich, but he had a rich inner life and was content with what he had, leaving those who knew him with a sense of awe and admiration for his unique perspective on life.
Contributed by Leo M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
PariahAvenger
I hadn't heard this song for 45 years!! A great blast from the past.
The Best Of - Home Of Classic Music
Thanks Raul. That's a great compliment and we appreciate the massive support we are getting from classic music lovers around the world.
Ian Stu
This is amazing, love Sam the Sham, dope Mexican American singer
Blitz Magazine
A way ahead of its time monster classic. But that's the type of material that Professor Samudio and his Pharaohs turned out on a regular basis. Good one.
Robert Parker
This song put you in very mellow mood with cool glass of lemon aide thinking mellow thoughts under a tree in thr summer time
Alizabeth Thomas
great video mix! I really love it!
Raul Rafael
whenever i have a cigar and time to listen to good old music, i come here;) and you never dissapoint me <3
photoslum
Fantastic footage. oh and the song is pretty killer too
Wendy Kelly
I love the sound and looks of Elvis, but how I wish I could have met Sam pre-marriage. That smile and etc. knocks me off my feet.
lelaine 61
Life without cellphones 🤩☮️💖🌟