ok Oldies fans, vote for your favorite song in "American Graffiti"!

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I just had to. You truly forget just how many songs Lucas & co. squeezed into this film.

Poll Results

OptionVotes
"RUNAWAY" Performed by Del Shannon 11
"I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU" Performed by The Flamingos 10
"SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES" Performed by The Platters 4
"GREEN ONIONS" Performed by Booker T & The MG's 4
"ALL SUMMER LONG" Performed by The Beach Boys 4
"WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE" Performed by Teenagers featuring Frankie Lymon 3
"THAT'LL BE THE DAY" Performed by Buddy Holly 3
"LOVE POTION NO. 9" Performed by The Clovers 3
"JOHNNY B. GOODE" Performed by Chuck Berry 2
"GET A JOB" Performed by The Silhouettes 2
"SINCE I DON'T HAVE YOU" Performed by The Skyliners 2
"MAYBE BABY" Performed by Buddy Holly 1
"(HE'S) THE GREAT IMPOSTER" Performed by The Fleetwoods 1
"DO YOU WANT TO DANCE" Performed by Bobby Freeman 1
"AIN'T THAT A SHAME" Performed by Fats Domino 1
"16 CANDLES" Performed by The Crests1
"COME GO WITH ME" Performed by The Del Vikings 1
"THE GREAT PRETENDER" Performed by The Platters 1
"PARTY DOLL" Performed by Buddy Knox with the Rhythm Orchids 1
"YA YA" Performed by Lee Dorsey 1
"LOUIE LOUIE" Performed by Flash Cadillac and The Continental Kids 1
"CHANTILLY LACE" Performed by The Big Bopper 1
"FANNIE MAE" Performed by Buster Brown 1
"TEEN ANGEL" Performed by Mark Dinning 0
"AT THE HOP" Performed Flash by Cadillac and The Continental Kids 0
"SHE'S SO FINE" Performed by Flash Cadillac and The Continental Kids 0
"A THOUSAND MILES AWAY" Performed by The Heartbeats 0
"CRYING IN THE CHAPEL" Performed by Sonny Till & The Orioles 0
"TO THE AISLE" Performed by The Five Satins 0
"BARBARA ANNE" Performed by The Regents 0
"GEE" Performed by The Crows 0
"HEART AND SOUL" Performed by The Cleftones 0
"(WE'RE GONNA) ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK" Performed by Bill Haley & His Comets 0
"LITTLE DARLIN" Performed by The Diamonds 0
"THE STROLL" Performed by The Diamonds 0
"ALMOST GROWN" Performed by Chuck Berry 0
"BOOK OF LOVE" Performed by The Monotones 0
"GOODNITE SWEETHEART GOODNITE" Performed by The Spaniels 0
"SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER" Performed by The Tempos 0
"ONLY YOU (And You Alone)" Performed by The Platters 0
"YOU'RE SIXTEEN" Performed by Johnny Burnette 0
"PEPPERMINT TWIST" Performed by Joey Dee & The Starliters 0
"SURFIN' SAFARI" Performed by The Beach Boys 0


C. Grisso/McCain, Friday, 3 August 2007 02:08 (eighteen years ago)

Without a moment's hestiation: "Runaway" by Del Shannon.

Alex in NYC, Friday, 3 August 2007 02:11 (eighteen years ago)

yup

Johnny Hotcox, Friday, 3 August 2007 02:49 (eighteen years ago)

All Summer Long.

Billy Pilgrim, Friday, 3 August 2007 03:14 (eighteen years ago)

"Runaway" haunted me for years when I was a kid. I saw American Graffiti's second run in theaters, post-Star Wars.

Pete Scholtes, Friday, 3 August 2007 03:29 (eighteen years ago)

Looking closely at the Buddy Holly tunes but have to pick Come Go With Me by the Del Vikings. Might also be the best tune on the "Diner" soundtrack.

that's not my post, Friday, 3 August 2007 03:30 (eighteen years ago)

I Only Have Eyes For You.

gigabytepicnic, Friday, 3 August 2007 03:51 (eighteen years ago)

smoke gets in your eyes

tremendoid, Friday, 3 August 2007 04:01 (eighteen years ago)

Good lord, if this isn't a landmark of my childhood. Runaway was very haunting, yes, but I think I'm going to go with Green Onions.

Bimble, Friday, 3 August 2007 04:02 (eighteen years ago)

Ain't That A Shame

2for25, Friday, 3 August 2007 12:10 (eighteen years ago)

exactly what bimble said.

stirmonster, Friday, 3 August 2007 12:32 (eighteen years ago)

"The Great Pretender" - THE popist fight song

But goddamn if "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" and "Get A Job" wouldn't be snappin' at its rear end.

Kevin John Bozelka, Friday, 3 August 2007 12:53 (eighteen years ago)

My head says "That'll Be The Day," but my heart says "All Summer Long."

Phil D., Friday, 3 August 2007 13:57 (eighteen years ago)

got to be the flamingos

stevie, Friday, 3 August 2007 14:04 (eighteen years ago)

Maybe Baby

kornrulez6969, Friday, 3 August 2007 14:15 (eighteen years ago)

"Love Potion no. 9" for me.

EZ Snappin, Friday, 3 August 2007 16:13 (eighteen years ago)

"...ShooBopShooBop...ShooBopShooBop..."

Myonga Vön Bontee, Friday, 3 August 2007 17:33 (eighteen years ago)

so haunting... so ghostly... and it never sounds better than in the movie, echoing from the car stereo while the toad and the blonde neck in the grass.

stevie, Friday, 3 August 2007 17:41 (eighteen years ago)

I've owned this rec proudly since I was eight, 30+ years now, when my dad bought it while out of town on business. (And even got it autographed by the Wolfman himself back in '79 when a charity drive brought him to my town!) My very first exposure to any of these songs save "Green Onions" and "Rock Around The Clock".

These days, I find that I can appreciate those slow doo-wop ballads more than I could before. Voted Flamingoes, but could easily have chosen "Runaway", "The Stroll", "That'll Be The Day" or "Green Onions".

Incidentally, that's an expanded edition, right? I know the original didn't have "Louie Louie" or "Gee".

Myonga Vön Bontee, Friday, 3 August 2007 18:52 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, there's an expanded edition out now, I think. I got the list I used from the IMDB.

C. Grisso/McCain, Friday, 3 August 2007 18:56 (eighteen years ago)

Gotta be Lee Dorsey
http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/%A5Artist%20GIF%20Images/Lee-Dorsey-1966.jpg

Trip Maker, Friday, 3 August 2007 19:03 (eighteen years ago)

Or maybe there isn't an expanded editon. The AMG lists the 41 track version of the album. I can understand why the "Louie Louie" cover wasn't on the album, as I have learned that it wasn't in the original cut of the film (it was restored for a re-release). Maybe the same thing happened with "Gee"?

C. Grisso/McCain, Friday, 3 August 2007 19:06 (eighteen years ago)

If I'm the only vote for "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," then at least it gets one vote. One of my favorite songs EVAR

Johnny Fever, Friday, 3 August 2007 19:10 (eighteen years ago)

Voted "Runaway", which by then was one of the best pop songs ever written.

Geir Hongro, Friday, 3 August 2007 19:31 (eighteen years ago)

without a moment's hesitation: "i only have eyes for you"

fact checking cuz, Friday, 3 August 2007 23:15 (eighteen years ago)

flamingos

billstevejim, Saturday, 4 August 2007 00:51 (eighteen years ago)

Ditto.

If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Saturday, 4 August 2007 00:54 (eighteen years ago)

I love tons of these esp. Runaway and Ya Ya and Green Onions and Barbara Ann (so stoo-pid sounding that one, it's practically the Dead Boys), but Fannie Mae by Buster Brown is my favourite in the context of this collection because it's the only place I ever heard it as a kid while the rest would be on oldies radio pretty often. So when I think of AG I think of Fannie Mae. And the Wolfman intro is pretty great too. Isn't that the one about the secret agent spy-scope or something? But right Fannie Mae is just your basic r&b shuffle as far as the tune goes but Buster Brown rips it up on the vocal, and that "I want somebody to TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME!" opening line has always seemed pretty on point to me. Everyone knows where Buster Brown is coming from.

fritz, Saturday, 4 August 2007 01:20 (eighteen years ago)

my parents had this, like i guess lots of people's parents did. it was the first place i heard all of these songs, probably.

These days, I find that I can appreciate those slow doo-wop ballads more than I could before.

true, which is why i voted for the skyliners. the way he rises on the "aaah-IIIIIIII don't have..." just kills.

tipsy mothra, Saturday, 4 August 2007 01:23 (eighteen years ago)

30+ years now, when my dad bought it while out of town on business. (And even got it autographed by the Wolfman himself back in '79 when a charity drive brought him to my town!)

Oh my god, my dad would have been so jealous of your dad!!!!!

Bimble, Monday, 6 August 2007 01:45 (eighteen years ago)

"Since I Don't Have You" was also killer, though.

Bimble, Monday, 6 August 2007 01:51 (eighteen years ago)

Am I the only one who can see the Velvet Underground in Booker T. & The MG's "Green Onions"? Hell I even see Stereolab in that! That is some major proto-Velvets stuff as far as I am concerned. Fan fucking tastic.

Bimble, Monday, 6 August 2007 02:00 (eighteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

ILX System, Thursday, 9 August 2007 23:01 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, The Velvet Underground had an instrumental jam called "Booker T" so I don't think you're wrong there, Bimble. They were big r&b fans. "You don't look like Martha andthe Vandellas, ooh, somebody lock tha door!"

fritz, Friday, 10 August 2007 19:18 (eighteen years ago)

Fritz OTM about "Fanny Mae" - and yeah, I forgot about that "secret agent spy scope" thing!

Myonga Vön Bontee, Friday, 10 August 2007 21:07 (eighteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

ILX System, Friday, 10 August 2007 23:01 (eighteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

I missed these results, but I think they're pretty good.

I used to be pretty damned vexed over Love Potion #9, too.

Bimble, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 05:22 (eighteen years ago)

Ooh yeah and I can see the love for Flamingos, too. I haven't heard any of this in ages.

Frankie Lymon makes my hair stand on end, god, what a beautiful one that was.

I love how there's so many songs that only got one vote, too. Many of them are quite good and it's nice to think one person held a candle for them.

I don't see how Smoke Gets In Your Eyes is supposed to be better than the Great Pretender, though. And a few of them just make me wince with embarrassment - "Get A Job", "Goodnite Sweetheart".

Actually though I think there's still a few I'm missing from the list so I'll have to keep working on this.

Bimble, Wednesday, 29 August 2007 06:20 (eighteen years ago)


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