Wig-Wam Bam

"Wig-Wam Bam" is a song by British glam rock band The Sweet, written by songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, released as a single in September 1972. It was the first Sweet single on which the band members actually played their instruments, as previous singles featured producer Phil Wainman on drums, and session musicians John Roberts and Pip Williams (later producer of Status Quo albums) on bass and guitars respectively.

"Wig-Wam Bam"
Single by The Sweet
from the album The Sweet
B-side"New York Connection"
Released1 September 1972 (UK)[1]
September 1973 (US)
Recorded1972
GenreGlam rock,[2] bubblegum pop[3]
Length3:01
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman
Producer(s)Phil Wainman
The Sweet singles chronology
"Little Willy"
(1972)		 "Wig-Wam Bam"
(1972)		 "Blockbuster"
(1973)
Official audio
youtube

Lyrics

The song's lyrics are inspired by Henry Longfellow's Hiawatha poem from 1855.[4] The poem tells the legend of a Native American warrior Hiawatha and his lover Minnehaha. The lyrics also refer to Running Bear and his lover Little White Dove, two characters from the 1959 song "Running Bear" written by Jiles Perry Richardson.

Music

The song featured a significant change in the band's sound, and is often considered the band's first glam rock single. Also, this was the first Sweet single with bass player Steve Priest singing some parts of the lead vocal: the "try a little touch, try a little too much" line at the chorus. This became an important part of Sweet's later style; on most of their later singles they also used this technique, with Priest singing some lines of the song. After the song became a hit, Sweet adopted a glam image, starting to wear glitter and makeup.

The band appeared on BBC's Top of the Pops, performing the song, three times in 1972: on 14 September, on 21 September and on 5 October, with Priest wearing an extravagant Native American feathered headress.[5][6]

Personnel

Chart performance

The song reached No. 4 in the UK singles chart in September 1972.[7]

Cover versions
  • In 1986 a cover by English pop band Black Lace was released as a single and reached #63 on the UK music charts.[8]
  • In 1989 a cover by English pop musician Damian was released as a single and reached #49 on the UK music charts.[9]
  • In 2000 all-female rock band The Donnas recorded a cover (with different, suggestive lyrics and no references to Hiwawatha[10]) for the compilations Runnin' on Fumes!/The Gearhead Magazine Singles Compilation[11] and Blockbuster: A 70's Glitter Glam Rock Experience.[12] It was later released as a single in 2002.
  • In 2000 Swedish Band Star/Starz!?, under Starz!? released a cover on their album Party,[13] and on Enhanced Single Wig Wam Bam.[14]
  • In 2010 all-female Finnish hard rock band Barbe-Q-Barbies released a cover on the album All over You.[15][16]

In other media

The song was featured in the 2023 Hulu series Welcome to Chippendales.[17]

References
  1. The Sweet - Wig-Wam Bam / New York Connection - RCA Victor - UK - RCA 2260 45cat.com
  2. Martin Popoff (15 August 2014). The Big Book of Hair Metal: The Illustrated Oral History of Heavy Metal?s ... p. 16. ISBN 9781627883757. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  3. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Sweet | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  4. "Wig-Wam Bam - Sweet | Song Info | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  5. "Top Of The Pops | The Ultimate Sweet Fan Site". December 25, 2018.
  6. Sweet - Wig Wam Bam - Top Of The Pops/Disco 1972 (OFFICIAL) on YouTube
  7. "UK Official Charts". Official Charts Company. 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  8. "BLACK LACE | full Official Chart History". officialcharts.com. Archived from the original on April 23, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  9. "DAMIAN | full Official Chart History". officialcharts.com. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  10. "The Donnas – Wig-Wam Bam" – via genius.com.
  11. "Various - Runnin' On Fumes! - The Gearhead Magazine Singles Compilation" – via www.discogs.com.
  12. "Various - Blockbuster: A 70's Glitter Glam Rock Experience" – via www.discogs.com.
  13. "Starz!? - Party" – via www.discogs.com.
  14. "Starz!? - Wig Wam Bam" – via www.discogs.com.
  15. "Barbe-Q-Barbies". Nordic Metal. February 27, 2018.
  16. "Barbe-Q-Barbies - All Over You" – via www.discogs.com.
  17. Soundtracki.com, Welcome to Chippendales, Episode 3.
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