Sleep Walk by Santo & Johnny

Album: Santo & Johnny (1959)

Charted: 22 1

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Songfacts®:

This haunting instrumental has been used in numerous movies, commercials and TV shows to convey a feeling of melancholy or nostalgia. It was used in the death procession scene in the movie La Bamba, and also appears in Twelve Monkeys and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Ron - Corona, CA
Santo and Johnny are the Farina brothers. They were a Brooklyn guitar duo, and they had one more hit, the #23 "Tear Drop," which charted a few months later. They also recorded the theme to the movie The Godfather, and had a huge hit in Mexico with their version of "And I Love Her." When they recorded "Sleep Walk," Santo was 22 and Johnny was 18. It was their first release.
The distinctive sound was created using steel and acoustic guitars. >>>
Suggestion credit:
barbara - williamstown, NJ
Santo & Johnny did write lyrics to this song, but decided not to use them. Some artists who have covered the song have added the lyrics, including Betsy Brye and Modest Mouse. Other notable covers were by Chet Atkins, The Shadows, The Ventures, Deftones, and Joe Satriani. The Brian Setzer Orchestra earned a Grammy with their 1997 version for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. The song is often written as "Sleepwalk."

Comments: 8

Steve B. from Schaumburg, IllinoisWhat are the very last three chords played on the six-string guitar at the end of Sleepwalk?
Luna Loud from Royal Woods, Michigan“Roast turkey with cranberry dressing and pumpkin pie for dessert.”

That Sleepwalker movie was…weird, to say the least. I love this original version, but Satch’s rendition is my favorite.
Daved Simko from Youngstown,ohioMichael--the third Farina was Ann Farina--Santo's wife.
Michael Hamilton from St. Catharines, Ont. CanadaSanto and Johnny wrote three songs on their album Santo and Johnny for Canadian-American Records. Sleep Walk, All Night Diner and Slave Girl. However, the writing credit shows Farina, Farina, Farina.
Why the third Farina? I can't find any reference to that. And I noticed that when I bought the album in 1959. Yes that's right ...I am now 81.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn August 1, 1961, Santo and Johnny were guests on the Dick Clark ABC-TV network weekday-afternoon program 'American Bandstand'...
At the time the duo did not have a record on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart, but their third studio album, 'Hawaii', was at #87 on Billboard's Top 150 Monaural LPs chart...
Between 1959 and 1964 the brothers had six records on the Top 100 chart, one made the Top 10 and it reached #1, "Sleep Walk*", for two weeks in 1959...
* Exactly two years earlier on August 1st, 1959 "Sleep Walk" was in it's first week on the Top 100 at #95 and Santo & Johnny were performing the song on the ABC-TV program 'Dick Clark's Saturday Night Beechnut Show'.
Larry from PennsylvaniaThis Doo-Wop song by Sammy and the Del Lards from Boston sounds a lot like Santo and Johnny's version of Sleepwalk. Not sure when it was released...https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=An5q7uUNxUk&list=PLrc82MKCMGWfvm0FbkdelVNc9AWcF-nuG&t=10
Supan from Bangkok, ThailandOne of my fav song when i was young. Supan serayangkul
Ricky from Ohsweken, -This song was used in the movie Sleepwalkers

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