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
Hanky Panky
Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
Ow!
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
Ow!
I saw her walking on down the line
You know I saw her for the very first time
Pretty little girl standing all alone,
Say pretty baby, can I take you home?
I never saw her, I never saw her,
Ooh!
Yeah!
Owww!
Ow-oooh!
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
Ow!
I saw her walking on down the line.
You know I saw her for the very first time.
Pretty little girl standing all alone,
Say pretty baby, can I take you home?
I never saw her, I never saw her,
Ooh!
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky...
The song "Hanky Panky" by Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs, is a classic 60s tune that is all about a guy who is infatuated with a girl who knows how to do the "hanky panky". The repetition of the phrase "My baby does the hanky panky" creates a playful, flirtatious tone to the lyrics. It's clear that the singer is enamored with this girl, and he's willing to follow her down the line just to get a glimpse of her.
The song takes on a more interesting twist when the singer asks the girl if he can take her home, despite not ever having seen her before. This suggests that there is an instant attraction between the two, and possibly a sense of recklessness or impulse driving the interaction. The use of the phrase "hanky panky" in this context adds an additional layer of innuendo, suggesting that there may be more than just a harmless flirtation happening between the two.
Overall, the lyrics to "Hanky Panky" are a fun and flirtatious ode to young love and attraction. They capture the excitement, impulsivity, and playfulness of the early stages of a romantic relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
My baby does the hanky panky,
My significant other performs a particular dance move known as the hanky panky.
Ow!
Exclamation of excitement or delight.
I saw her walking on down the line
I observed her strolling in my direction.
You know I saw her for the very first time
I am positive that the sight of her was the first instance in which I had seen her.
Pretty little girl standing all alone,
A young woman who appears attractive and was isolated in her current surroundings.
Say pretty baby, can I take you home?
Asking if it would be possible to accompany her to her residence.
I never saw her, I never saw her, Ooh!
Denial that any previous contact has occurred.
Yeah!
Exclamation of excitement or agreement.
Owww!
Exclamation of pain or ecstasy.
Ow-oooh!
Exclamation of excitement or energy.
Contributed by Madelyn C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.