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.
The Purple People Eater
Sha Na Na Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ah well I saw this thing comin′ out of the sky
It had one long horn and one big eye, ooh
I commenced to shakin' and I said ooh-wee
It looks like a purple people eater to me
It was a one-eyed one-horned flyin′ purple people eater
One-eyed one-horned flyin' purple people eater
Sure looks strange to me
One-eyed
Well, he came down to earth and he lit in a tree
I said Mr Purple People Eater don′t eat me
I heard him say in a voice so gruff
I wouldn′t eat you 'cause you′re so tough
It was a one-eyed one-horned flyin' purple people eater
One-eyed one-horned flyin′ purple people eater
One-eyed one-horned flyin' purple people eater
Sure looks strange to me
One-horned
I said Mr Purple People Eater what′s your line
He said eatin' purple people and it sure is fine
But that's not the reason that I came to land
I wanna get a job in a rock ′n′ roll band
Well, bless my soul, rock 'n′ roll, flyin' purple people eater
Pigeon-toed, under-growed, flyin purple people eater
We wear short shorts, friendly purple people eater
What a sight to see, owww
And then he swung on the tree and he lit on the ground
And he started to rock, a really rockin′ around
It was a crazy ditty with a swinging' tune
Sing a bop-boppa-lupa-lopa-loop-bam-boom
Well bless my soul, rock ′n' roll, flyin' purple people eater
Pigeon-toed, under-growed, flyin′ purple people eater
I like short shorts, flyin′ purple people eater
What a sight to see
Purple people
Well he went on his way and what do you know
I saw him last night on a TV show-acapo
The Purple People Eater is a classic novelty song by Sha Na Na that tells the story of a one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple monster that comes down from the sky and lands on earth. The singer describes the creature with both fear and fascination, exclaiming that it "looks like a purple people eater." The song then goes on to reveal that the monster is not dangerous, but rather friendly and looking for a job in a rock 'n' roll band. The lyrics have a playful, silly quality that makes it easy to imagine the monster and the antics it gets up to.
The song is full of clever wordplay, as the lyrics use alliteration, rhyming, and repetition to create a catchy, memorable tune. The repetition of the phrase "one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eater" throughout the song is particularly effective, as it creates a memorable hook that gets stuck in the listener's head. The theme of the song is lighthearted and fun, with no deep meaning or message to decipher. It is simply a whimsical tale designed to make people laugh and tap their feet.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah well I saw this thing comin' out of the sky
I saw an unusual object descending from the sky
It had one long horn and one big eye, ooh
It had a lengthy horn and a large eye
I commenced to shakin' and I said ooh-wee
I began to tremble and exclaimed with surprise
It looks like a purple people eater to me
I thought it might be a creature known as a purple people eater
One-eyed
This creature had one eye
Well, he came down to earth and he lit in a tree
Then he descended to the ground and perched in a tree
I said Mr Purple People Eater don't eat me
I requested that the purple people eater not consume me
I heard him say in a voice so gruff
I heard the creature growl in response
I wouldn't eat you 'cause you're so tough
He declined because he thought I was too difficult to eat
One-horned
Moreover, this creature possessed a single horn
I said Mr Purple People Eater what's your line
I inquired about the creature's profession
He said eatin' purple people and it sure is fine
The creature claimed his occupation was eating purple people, which he found enjoyable
But that's not the reason that I came to land
However, that was not why he had come to earth
I wanna get a job in a rock 'n' roll band
He wanted to work in a rock and roll band
Purple people
This creature was obsessed with purple people
And then he swung on the tree and he lit on the ground
After that, he jumped from the tree and landed on the ground
And he started to rock, a really rockin' around
He began dancing energetically
It was a crazy ditty with a swingin' tune
He played a lively, unusual song
Sing a bop-boppa-lupa-lopa-loop-bam-boom
He sang the nonsensical lyrics of the song
Purple people
As he departed, he chanted once again about the purple people
Well he went on his way and what do you know
As he continued on his journey, I presumed I had seen the last of him
I saw him last night on a TV show-acapo
However, much to my surprise, he appeared on a television program later that evening
Writer(s): Wooley Sheb
Contributed by Josiah J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.