My Boy Lollipop
1964
Songwriters:
Robert Spencer (orig. 1956; first recorded by Barbie Gaye as “My Boy Lollypop”)
Full mix
Drums
Acoustic Drum Kit
Bass
Upright Bass
Guitar
E-Guitar L
Guitar
E-Guitar R
Keys
Piano
Keys
Brass
Keys
Harmonica
Vocals
Backing Vocals
Vocals
Lead Vocals
Millie Small’s 1964 remake of the mid-’50s R&B tune—re-cast in a bright ska/bluebeat groove—became an international smash (UK No. 2; US No. 2), widely cited as the first globally successful ska record. Arranged by Ernest Ranglin, it propelled Island Records into the pop mainstream and remains one of the best-selling reggae/ska singles