Cannibal & the Headhunters
Encyclopedia
Cannibal & The Headhunters were an American
band
originating from East Los Angeles
, that was known for being one of the first Mexican-American groups to have a national hit
record
, "Land of a Thousand Dances
", recorded on the Rampart label
. They were also the opening act on The Beatles
' second American tour
, backed up by the King Curtis
band.
The group was founded by Richard "Scar" Lopez and Robert "Rabbit" Jaramillo in 1964; the other group members were Frankie "Cannibal" Garcia and Joe "Yo Yo" Jaramillo. The band was originally called "Bobby and the Classics". Barely out of high school, they came from Ramona Gardens and Estrada Courts Housing Projects of East Los Angeles, and were inspired by the African American
doo wop groups in their neighborhoods. This group toured recorded and performed together for only eighteen months, before they broke up due to personal conflicts.
Their version of "Land of a Thousand Dances
" was a cover version
of the original Chris Kenner
tune, arranged and produced by Max Uballez with Garcia, and engineered by Bruce Morgan. The record reached #30 in the Billboard Hot 100
chart
in early 1965. The "na, na, na, na..." lyric roll was a mistake performed by Garcia during a performance in which he forgot the lyrics
in mid-song and simply improvised. Wilson Pickett
recorded the song into a national hit for himself in 1967, also using the "na, na, na, na" lyric.
Garcia died in 1996, aged 49. Joe Jaramillo died in 2000, and Lopez died of lung cancer
on July 30, 2010, aged 65.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
originating from East Los Angeles
East Los Angeles, California
East Los Angeles is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States...
, that was known for being one of the first Mexican-American groups to have a national hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
, "Land of a Thousand Dances
Land of a Thousand Dances
"Land of a Thousand Dances" is a song written and first recorded by Chris Kenner in 1962. The song is famous for its "na na na na na" hook, which was added by Cannibal & the Headhunters in their version of the song in 1965, whose version peaked at number thirty...
", recorded on the Rampart label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. They were also the opening act on The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' second American tour
The Beatles' 1965 USA Tour
The Beatles staged their second concert tour of the United States in the late summer of 1965. At the peak of American Beatlemania, they played a mixture of outdoor stadiums and indoor arenas, with two historic stops on this venture....
, backed up by the King Curtis
King Curtis
Curtis Ousley , who performed under the stage name King Curtis, was an American saxophone virtuoso known for rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, funk and soul jazz. Variously a bandleader, band member, and session musician, he was also a musical director and record producer...
band.
Career
They were the discovery of Rampart Records label owner and founder Eddie Davis, and were part of a collection of Mexican-American musicians and singers in the 1960s, who pioneered the "East Side Sound" music of Los Angeles, a musical phenomenon of the time that attracted international attention.The group was founded by Richard "Scar" Lopez and Robert "Rabbit" Jaramillo in 1964; the other group members were Frankie "Cannibal" Garcia and Joe "Yo Yo" Jaramillo. The band was originally called "Bobby and the Classics". Barely out of high school, they came from Ramona Gardens and Estrada Courts Housing Projects of East Los Angeles, and were inspired by the African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
doo wop groups in their neighborhoods. This group toured recorded and performed together for only eighteen months, before they broke up due to personal conflicts.
Their version of "Land of a Thousand Dances
Land of a Thousand Dances
"Land of a Thousand Dances" is a song written and first recorded by Chris Kenner in 1962. The song is famous for its "na na na na na" hook, which was added by Cannibal & the Headhunters in their version of the song in 1965, whose version peaked at number thirty...
" was a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the original Chris Kenner
Chris Kenner
Chris Kenner was a New Orleans R&B singer and songwriter, best known for two hit singles in the early 1960s, that became staples in the repertoires of many other musicians.-Biography:...
tune, arranged and produced by Max Uballez with Garcia, and engineered by Bruce Morgan. The record reached #30 in the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
in early 1965. The "na, na, na, na..." lyric roll was a mistake performed by Garcia during a performance in which he forgot the lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
in mid-song and simply improvised. Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100...
recorded the song into a national hit for himself in 1967, also using the "na, na, na, na" lyric.
Garcia died in 1996, aged 49. Joe Jaramillo died in 2000, and Lopez died of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
on July 30, 2010, aged 65.