The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)

Album: It's In His Kiss (1964)
Charted: 34 6
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Songfacts®:

  • How can you tell if a guy loves you? His eyes can deceive, and you certainly can't trust what he says, so the only way to know for sure is with his kiss, which acts as a kind of truth serum for love, according to this song.
  • Merry Clayton, a onetime Raelette who can be heard on the Rolling Stones song "Gimme Shelter," was the first to release "The Shoop Shoop Song," issuing it in 1963. Ramona King from the doo-wop group The Fairlanes was the next to release it, but it wasn't until Betty Everett's 1964 cover that the song finally hit.

    The song has spanned decades with more successful cover versions. In 1975, Linda Lewis reached #107 US; James Taylor's younger sister, Kate Taylor, hit #49 US in 1977; Cher took it to #33 US in 1991. Her version also hit #1 in the UK.
  • This was written by Rudy Clark, whose credits include "Good Lovin'" and "Got My Mind Set On You." Like "The Shoop Shoop Song," the original artist didn't fare very well on those, but cover versions were very successful: "Good Lovin'" was first released by The Olympics in 1965, but it was The Young Rascals 1966 cover that went to #1. "Got My Mind Set On You" was originally by James Ray in 1962, but George Harrison's 1987 cover was the hit, also going to #1.
  • The song received its name on account of backup vocals that sing, "shoop shoop shoop..." These gibberish words are heard every time the line, "If you wanna know if he loves you so," is sung.
  • Everett's version stood out in large part because of the xylophone solo - something you don't hear very often in a pop song.
  • This was Everett's third single and her first Top 40 hit. Her first failed to chart and her second single ("You're No Good," later covered by Linda Ronstadt) climbed only to #51 on the Hot 100. Everett recorded for Vee Jay Records, a Motown competitor.
  • The backup vocals were provided by a local female group from Chicago called the Opals.
  • Everett was reluctant to record this song at first and was urged by Calvin Carter (her producer) to do so. She felt that the song would flop (and probably thought it was silly).
  • Cher recorded her version for the 1990 film Mermaids, which she starred in along with Winona Ryder and Christina Ricci. Both Cher's version and Everett's version are featured in the film, but Cher's is the only version featured on the soundtrack. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Jerro - New Alexandria, PA, for above 4
  • Cher's version was produced by Peter Asher, a longtime Beatles associate who produced most of James Taylor's and Linda Ronstadt's hits. In a Songfacts interview with Asher, he explained: "The song was already chosen. They were going to sing it in the movie anyway and they just wanted a proper record version for the end titles.

    That one I cut without Cher's input entirely. I just did it the way I thought she should do it. I had one conversation with Cher about the key, and that was it. And then she showed up and it was all done. She liked it, luckily."
  • Salt-N-Pepa got their shoop on in 1993 for their song "Shoop." In 1995, Whitney Houston appropriated the Shoop for her song "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)," which was a massive hit from the movie Waiting To Exhale.
  • Linda Rondstadt sometimes performed this song, and sang it on an episode of The Muppet Show, with Kermit the Frog the object of her affection.

Comments: 8

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyThe day "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" peaked at #6 on the Top 100 it reached #1* {for 3 weeks} on Cashbox's R&B Singles chart…
    * It was preceded at #1 by a Motown act {The Temp's "The Way You Do The Things You Do"} and succeeded at #1 by another Motown act {Mary Wells' "My Guy"}…
    {See posts below}.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn March 21st 1964, Betty Everett performed "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
    At the time it was at #22 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; fifteen days later on April 5th, 1964 it peaked at #6 for two weeks {See 3rd post below}.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 20th 1970, "I Got to Tell Somebody" by Betty Everett entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #100; the following week it was still at #100, for its 3rd week it was at #97, and then on its 4th and final week on the chart it peaked at #96...
    It reached #22 on Billboard's R&B Singles chart...
    Was her last Top 100 record; between 1963 and 1970 she had eight records make the chart, her biggest hit was "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)", it peaked at #6 for 2 weeks on April 5th,1964
    On the R&B Singles chart she had nine records make the chart; her biggest hit on that chart was "There'll Come a Time", it peaked at #2 and the week it was at #2, the #1 record was "Give It Up and Turn It Loose" by James Brown.
  • Randy from Fayettevile, ArThanks for the background info, Barry. I loved this song in '64 and it was a fun song to dance to. It was high on the charts during the Brit Invasion. Back then, I was rooting for the Americans to stage a comeback. What a great hit! And I even recall her earlier song "You're No Good." It got some good airplay on northwest Arkansas radio stations. I always wondered if there was xylophone played in the background. Anyone know? I recall seeing Betty Everett & Jerry Butler on a PBS documentary on classic rock & roll hits performed in concert in the early 2000s. Fantastic performance. Standing ovation. Then later I was saddened to hear of Betty Everett's passing in 2001. Great singer.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 23rd 1964, "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)" by Betty Everett entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #96; and on April 5th it peaked at #6 (for 2 weeks) and spent 13 weeks on the Top 100...
    In 1977 James Taylor's sister Kate Taylor covered it; her version stayed on the Top 100 for seven weeks, peaking at #49...
    Cher's covered version peaked at #33 on January 13th, 1991; and in Austria, Ireland, & the United Kingdom is reached #1...
    Later in 1964 Ms. Everett was back on the Top 10; on November 1st, in a duet with Jerry Butler, she reached #5 with a covered version of the Everly Brother's 1960 hit, "Let It Be Me"...
    R.I.P. Ms. Everett (1939 - 2001).
  • Bobby from Atlanta, GaUK Singer Linda Lewis covered "It's in His Kiss" and had a big hit with it in 1975.
  • Guy from Woodinville, WaOh, this song is pure fun! I'm glasd her producer talked her into recording it. Vonda Shepard, associated with the Ally McBeal show, did a very good cover.
  • Ben from Tucson, AzThe Chicago telephone book was supposedly one of the percussion instruments used in recording this song.
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