Shaddap You Face

"Shaddap You Face"
Single by Joe Dolce Music Theatre
B-side "Ain't in No Hurry"
Released

1980 (International)

April 1981 (U.S.)
Format 7"
Recorded 1980
Genre Pop, comedy
Label Full Moon Records
Epic Records (UK)[1]
Writer(s) Joe Dolce[1]
Producer(s) Joe Dolce and Ian McKenzie[1]

"Shaddap You Face" is a song written and performed by Joe Dolce (known at the time as the Joe Dolce Music Theatre) in 1980 about a fictitious rebellious Italian boy. It has set a number of sales and longevity records.

Sales and chart positions

It went to number 1 for eight weeks on the Australian pop charts in 1980.[2] It reached Number 1 in the UK Singles Chart on 21 February 1981 and stayed there for three weeks until 14 March 1981; keeping Ultravox's single Vienna off the top spot for all the three weeks it was there.[3] The song became the 15th biggest hit in Britain of 1981.[4]

"Shaddap You Face" was also Number 1 in 11 other countries. There have been over 50 different foreign language cover versions, and hundreds more published informally on YouTube with new versions being recorded and uploaded every year. The original release sold over 6 million copies and has remained the most successful Australian-produced single in Australian music history for 33 years straight, with sales of over 450,000 copies. It was Australia's first triple platinum recording by the old count of 100,000 units equaling platinum status, which has since changed to 75,000 units, then 50,000, and finally 70,000 units. In 2002, "Shaddap You Face" also overtook Slim Dusty's 22-year longevity record for "A Pub with No Beer", which went to Number 1 in 1957, and was Australia's first gold record and only gold 78rpm record.

In the US, the song peaked at No. 53 in the summer of 1981 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 43 on the Cash Box Top 100,[5] and No. 24 on Record World. However, it was regularly played on the Dr. Demento show to the point of being No. 6 on the year-end Funny 25 that year. In Canada, "Shaddap You Face" reached number two for two weeks.[6]

Lou Monte released a cover of the song in 1981.[7] Other notable cover versions have been done by KRS-One (hip-hop),[8] EMF (British),[9] Andrew Sachs (Manuel, of Fawlty Towers), Werner Böhm, alias: Gottlieb Wendehals (German, title: Mensch, ärger dich nicht),[10] Sheila (French, titled: Et Ne La Ramène Pas),[11] Dingetje (Dutch, titled: Houtochdiekop),[12] De Strangers (muziekgroep (Dutch, titled: Agget Mor Fret),[13] Volker Rosin und die Lollypops (German, titled: Hörst du nicht die Kuh - Muh!), Franco Franchi with the duo, Franco e Ciccio (Italian, title: Alì Alì Alè),[14] an Aboriginal language version by Gnarnyarrhe Waitairie, a Papua New Guinean version by The Breeze Band (title: "Pasim Pes Bilong Yu" – pidgin version),[15] and even a spoken word interpretation by Samuel L. Jackson.[16]

The National Folk Festival in Canberra featured 'The Inspired Shaddap You Face Contest' in April 2006. Festival artists were invited to perform their interpretations of the classic song. The Cygnet Folk Festival in Tasmania featured the second 'Inspired Shaddap You Face Contest' in the following year. Joe Dolce was invited to be the MC at both events.

Chart performance

Weekly singles charts

Chart (1980–81) Peak
position
Australia[2] 1
Canada 2
Belgium 1
France 1
Germany 1
Ireland 1
Italy 1
New Zealand [17] 1
UK 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 53
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[5] 43
U.S. Record World 24

Year-end charts

Chart (1980) Rank
Australia [2] 45
Chart (1981) Rank
Australia [2] 31
Canada 20
UK [18] 8
U.S. Billboard [19] 251

References

  1. 1 2 3 Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 212. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 50 Singles 1988". Aria.com.au. Archived from the original on 4 February 2014. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
  3. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 390–1. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  4. ↑ "Top 100 1981 - UK Music Charts". Uk-charts.top-source.info. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
  5. 1 2 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-13.
  6. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
  7. ↑ Lou Monte, "Shaddap You Face," YouTube
  8. ↑ KRS One, "Shaddap You Face," YouTube
  9. ↑ EMF, "Shaddap your face," YouTube
  10. ↑ Gottlieb Wendehals, "Mensch, ärger dich nicht," YouTube
  11. ↑ SHEILA, "Et ne la ramene pas," YouTube
  12. ↑ Dingetje, "Houtochdiekop," YouTube
  13. ↑ De Strangers, "Agget mor fret," YouTube
  14. ↑ Franco e Ciccio, "Alì Alì Alè," YouTube
  15. ↑ Papua New Guinea Breeze Band, "Pasim Pes Bilong Yu," YouTube
  16. ↑ Samuel L. Jackson, "Shaddap You Face," YouTube
  17. ↑ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. 1980-12-28. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
  18. ↑ "Chart File Top 100" (PDF). Record Mirror. London: Spotlight Publications. December 26, 1981. p. 27. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  19. ↑ "1981 Year End". Bullfrogspond.com. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
Preceded by
"Woman in Love" by Barbra Streisand		 Australian Kent Music Report number-one single
24 November 1980 – 12 January 1981 		Succeeded by
"(Just Like) Starting Over" by John Lennon
Preceded by
"Woman" by John Lennon		 UK number one single
21 February 1981 – 7 March 1981 		Succeeded by
"Jealous Guy" by Roxy Music
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