"I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday" is a popular song written by Roy Hayes, Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew. The song was first recorded by Bobby Mitchell & The Toppers in 1957 and released in the same year.
| "I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| A-side | "I Want To Walk You Home" |
| Songwriter(s) | Roy Hayes, Fats Domino, Dave Bartholomew |
Origin edit
The song's lyrics were written by factory worker and amateur songwriter Roy Hayes (b. 1935, Henderson, Louisiana), after hearing a throwaway comment by a fellow worker. He wrote the lyrics and forwarded them to Dave Bartholomew, who agreed to record the song as a demo. In 1957, Bartholomew recorded another version of the song with singer Bobby Mitchell, released as a single on Imperial Records. Though Mitchell's version was locally successful it did not reach the national charts.
Fats Domino recording edit
When Bartholomew recorded the song again with Fats Domino in 1959 and released it as the B-side of "I Want To Walk You Home", it became a chart hit, reaching number 22 on the Billboard R&B chart.[1][2]
Chart history edit
| Chart (1959) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[3] | 17 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Sides | 22 |
Cover versions edit
"I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday" was later covered by:
- Sandy Nelson
- Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders
- Boots Randolph
- Defenders
- Asleep at the Wheel
- Orion
- Herbie Hancock with George Porter Jr., Zigaboo Modeliste and Renard Poché
- Sheryl Crow
- Paul McCartney (1988 ; issued on the CHOBA B CCCP covers album)[4]
- Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps
References edit
- ^ Tom Aswell (ed.), Louisiana Rocks!: The True Genesis of Rock and Roll, Pelican Publishing, 2010, pp.372-373
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995. Record Research. p. 120. ISBN 0-89820-115-2.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 249.
- ^ "Recording: I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
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