The group began singing as part of the longstanding Columbia University a cappella group "Kingsmen", but the ensemble changed their name due to the popularity of the Pacific Northwest rock band of the same name (see: "The Kingsmen"). Conceived by George Leonard, then a graduate student in Humanities, Sha Na Na began performing in 1969, at the height of the hippie counterculture. The guys achieved national fame after playing at the Woodstock Festival, where they preceded Jimi Hendrix. In fact, the ever friendly and genial Hendrix stuck out his neck for the group, insisting the band be allowed to take the stage even after festival’s promoters wanted to cut them from the bill at the last minute, and Sha Na Na members have since credited him for 'saving' them from obscurity almost single-handed.
Their ninety-second appearance in the popular Woodstock concert film brought the group national attention, and they were a part of the 50s nostalgia craze of the era. Similar artists both in the Americas and in the U.K. appeared (examples being Alvin Stardust and Gary Glitter). The Broadway musical 'Grease' and the TV show 'Happy Days' both also displayed the same ethos as Sha Na Na.
The degree to which their act was truly nostalgic, as opposed to the degree to which it was "invented nostalgia" for joking purposes has been called into question. Still, the group appeared in the movie 'Grease' (based off of the musical of the same name) as "Johnny Casino & The Gamblers", gaining them even more attention. Sha Na Na was also successful with the hit syndicated television show of the same name that the guys did from 1977 to 1982. The program featured guests with much 70s fame such as soul and funk star James Brown and the popular punk band Ramones; musicians from rock & roll's golden era such as Little Richard and Chubby Checker also appeared.
The original band line-up featured twelve performers: Alan Cooper (bass vocals), Rob Leonard (vocals), Frederick 'Denny' Greene (vocals), Henry Gross (guitar), John 'Jocko' Marcellino (drums), Joe Witkin (piano), Scott Powell aka Captain Outrageous aka Tony Santini (vocals), Donald 'Donny' York (vocals), Elliot Cahn aka 'Gino', (rhythm guitar), Rich Joffe (vocals), Dave Garrett (vocals) and Bruce 'Bruno' Clarke. The act has often involved three "up front" dancers/singers in gold lamé and the other nine in "greaser attire", such as rolled up t-shirt sleeves, leather jackets, tank tops, et cetera. During their long-running career, the ensemble has gone through multiple line-up changes. Most recently, co-founder John 'Jocko' Marcellino has served as the group's central frontman. Their latest release is 2013's 'Sha Na Na Greaser High School Hop', with them still touring even decades upon decades after their foundation.
Also that year, Sha Na Na was notably a part of the "Grease Sing-A-Long" event, which is held annually at the Hollywood Bowl. During the 35th anniversary of the beloved movie, they performed several of their tracks from the work's famous soundtrack. "This has become a family event," Marcellino remarked, "They all come dressed up greased with their Pink Lady outfits on, their T-Birds leather jackets, and it’s fabulous that a fourth generation is learning these songs and loving these songs."
Examples of former members:
Vinnie Taylor (1949 - 1974) (real name Chris Donald), who replaced Henry Gross as the lead guitarist in 1970, died from a heroin overdose on April 17, 1974, after a concert at University Hall at the University of Virginia.[citation needed] He was found in a Holiday Inn hotel room in Charlottesville, Virginia.[citation needed]
Former Sha Na Na bass player, from their television show lineup, Dave "Chico" Ryan, died in 1998.
Former Sha Na Na guitarist, from their television show lineup, Danny "Dirty Dan" McBride, died in 2009.
Founding member of the band Robert Leonard is a professor of linguistics at Hofstra University, and had an appearance as a qualified expert in linguistics for the murder case of Charlene Hummert in the episode "A Tight Leash" of the TV medical detectives series Forensic Files in 2004.[citation needed]
The group's first guitarist, Henry Gross, went on to become a solo performer, and had a hit single with "Shannon" in 1976. Another founding member, Alan Cooper, the lead singer in the group's performance of "At the Hop" in the Woodstock film, also went on to an academic career. He taught religious studies for ten years at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, was a professor of Bible studies at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, and now serves as the Elaine Ravich Professor of Jewish Studies and provost at the Jewish Theological Seminary.[citation needed]
Long time member Jon "Bowzer" Bauman replaced Alan Cooper and became a recognizable member of the group as he taunted audiences while he flexed his muscles, burped and spat in the direction of the bass player. For two years in 1983 and 1984 he served as the host of the game show Hollywood Squares between the retirement of longtime host Peter Marshall and the last host John Davidson. Today, Bowzer continues to tour under his own banner.
Elliot Cahn, the group's original rhythm guitar player and musical arranger, later became the first manager of Green Day. "Screaming" Scott Simon replaced Joe Witkin, the original keyboard player (and singer of Teenager in Love on their first album). Today, Witkin is an emergency room physician living with his family in San Diego, California and playing with a band called "The Corvettes"[3] doing an oldies revue. Witkin's son, Brian Witkin, went on to become the founder of Pacific Records.
Joe Witkin left the band in 1970 to finish medical school, and subsequently moved to San Diego in 1975 to do his internship and residency at the University of California in San Diego. He worked at Scripps Hospital East County from 1978 to 2000 as an ER physician, and currently holds the same position at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa.
Scott Powell today is a specialist in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine.[4] He performed on the TV show under the stage name "Santini" (which he changed from his previous alias, "Captain Outrageous"). Powell left the band in 1980 and returned to Columbia to take pre-medical courses.[citation needed] He is a member of the medical staff of U.S. national soccer teams, and is the team physician for the Federation Women’s National Team and an associate clinical professor at USC.[citation needed] While Powell was with Sha Na Na, he sang the bulk of the Elvis revival songs.
Frederick "Denny" Greene left the group to pursue studies in law.[citation needed] After graduating from Yale Law School, he became the vice president of production and features at Columbia Pictures.[citation needed] He is currently a professor at the University of Dayton. Greene was known for his skilled dancing, and sang the lead in "Tears on My Pillow", "Duke of Earl" and others.
Bruce "Bruno" Clarke is now a professor of English at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.
Sha Na Na
Sha Na Na Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He'll never love you, the way that I love you
'Cause if he did, no no, he wouldn't make you cry
He might be thrillin' baby but a-my love (my love, my love)
So dog-gone willin'
So kiss him (I wanna see you kiss him. Wanna see you kiss him)
Go on and kiss him goodbye, now
Na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
Listen to me now
He's never near you to comfort and cheer you
When all those sad tears are fallin' baby from your eyes
He might be thrillin' baby but a-my love (my love, my love)
So dog-gone willin'
So kiss him (I wanna see you kiss him. I wanna see you kiss him)
Go on and kiss him goodbye, na-na na-na-na na na
Na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
Hey hey-ey, goodbye
Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
The song "Sha Na Na" by the group Sha Na Na was released in 1969, during a time when the popularity of doo-wop music was on the rise. The song is a classic break-up anthem, with the singers encouraging the girl they love to leave her current boyfriend and come back to them. It's filled with catchy "na na na" hooks and a foot-tapping beat that has made it a popular song to sing along to at parties and sporting events.
The lyrics of the song describe a situation where the girl the singers love is with another man who doesn't treat her right. They tell her that if he really loved her, he wouldn't make her cry, and that they are willing to be there for her in a way he never could. Despite the girl potentially being hurt or crying, the singers are confident in their love and encourage her to go ahead and kiss him goodbye. The repeated "na na na" chorus lends to the vindication that the girl will come crawling back to them, and that she leaves her current partner in the dust. The song can be seen as an empowering message for women to recognize their worth and not settle for less.
Overall, "Sha Na Na" is a fun and upbeat song with a simple yet effective message. It showcases the doo-wop genre and its catchy hooks have made it a timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
This is a catchy refrain to repeat while saying goodbye to someone you don't want around anymore.
He'll never love you, the way that I love you
This guy doesn't care about you the way I do.
'Cause if he did, no no, he wouldn't make you cry
If he really loved you, he wouldn't do things to hurt you.
He might be thrillin' baby but a-my love (my love, my love)
He might be exciting, but he doesn't compare to the love I have for you.
So dog-gone willin'
I'm really willing to be with you and make you happy.
So kiss him (I wanna see you kiss him. Wanna see you kiss him)
Okay, go ahead and kiss him, but it's not gonna change the way I feel about you.
Go on and kiss him goodbye, now
Time to say goodbye to this guy.
Listen to me now
I really need you to hear my side of things.
He's never near you to comfort and cheer you
This guy never seems to be around for you when you need him.
When all those sad tears are fallin' baby from your eyes
When you're crying, he's not there to help you feel better.
Hey hey-ey, goodbye
Goodbye again!
Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
The refrain one more time for good measure.
Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
Seriously, we're leaving now.
Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
Okay, okay, we get it!
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DALE FRASHUER, GARY DE CARLO, PAUL LEKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JetFlix
I’m now 60 years old in 2024 but I was a teenager in the 70s and I used to love watching these guys on the TV every week. I’ve always loved music from the 50s and 60s and watching these guys in the mid 70s on TV just wonderful. Long live Bowser!
@maxinenall9950
Oh my goodness 😍 I'm in my 70's and these guys still make me smile 😊 😘
@rodrigolaszlomeszaros4475
Agree! Meme potential! :)
@ringostarwars4155
Doo Wop has a special place in my heart were no one else has access. ..rama lama ding dong to you all!
@3Rings4ElvenKings
I remember being preschool age watching Sha Na Na while visiting my cousins. I recall being enthralled by Bowzer's deep voice. lol
@leonardcroft1467
Always Loved Sha Na Na …
@rascal0175
Sha Na Na was super. What was better was being there in the 50s for the first go around. Glad you enjoy the music. It may prove to be the best time America ever knew. WW2 was over, the survivors came home and America blossomed. They were the “Happy Days.”
@davidreed6264
And we loved gas and oil and illegals didn't come across unless they were invited we were America and Americans
@CaptWesStarwind
@@davidreed6264 That was when America had some of the most lax immigration laws and had removed race as a grounds for exclusion. Please, read a history book just once.
@Nipit-po8fl
@@davidreed6264we still love gas. I'll go outside and breathe my exhaust pipe. We need to get a life brother. This show was from the '70s not the '50s.