"1, 2, 3, Red Light" is a song written by Sal Trimachi and Bobbi Trimachi and was recorded by 1910 Fruitgum Company for their 1968 album, 1, 2, 3, Red Light.[2] The song charted highest in Canada, going to number 1 on the RPM 100 national singles chart in 1968.[3] In the same year in the US, it went to number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was on the charts for 13 weeks.[4]

The song went to number 2 in South Africa,[5] number 3 on the New Zealand charts, and in Australia it reached number 7. It was named the number 39 song of 1968 on the Cashbox charts. The song was certified as a gold disc in September 1968.[6]

Background

Bubblegum pop was marketed to preteens as the evolving genre of rock music was beginning to target older adolescents and adults with darker lyrics and heavier rhythms.[7] The simple structure of the songs and non-political content of bubblegum pop appealed to a younger audience.[8] Many of the songs in the bubblegum pop genre like "1, 2, 3 Red Light" were intended to be singles within the budget of that younger preteen audience. "1, 2, 3 Red Light" became one of the biggest hits of the genre.[7]

Chart performance

Certifications

Certifications for "1, 2, 3, Red Light"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[15] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions

  • Ohio Express released a cover version of the song on their 1969 album, Chewy, Chewy.[16]
  • Talking Heads played the song at some of their early shows and a live version can be found on the bootleg Gimme Heads.[17][importance?]
  • Welsh band The Pooh Sticks covered the song in 1988 and released it on Fierce Recordings as part of a 5-disc series of one-sided seven inch singles, artistically scratched on their B sides.

References

  1. ^ Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). "Bubblegum is the Naked Truth: The Monkees". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 275. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
  2. ^ Kathleen C. Fennessy. "1, 2, 3 Red Light - 1910 Fruitgum Company | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Artist Search for "1910 fruitgum company"". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  5. ^ a b Brian Currin (25 May 2003). "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1965 - 1989 Acts (0-9)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  6. ^ "Song artist 912 - 1910 Fruitgum Co". Tsort.info. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  7. ^ a b Simpson, Kim. Early '70s Radio: The American Format Revolution. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2011, p.25–26
  8. ^ Doggett, Peter. Electric Shock: From the Gramophone to the IPhone – 125 Years of Pop Music. Random House, 2015. p.427
  9. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (2015). Sólo éxitos 1959–2012 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 978-84-8048-866-2.
  10. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2002
  11. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles, September 28, 1968". Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  12. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013.
  13. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1968/Top 100 Songs of 1968". www.musicoutfitters.com.
  14. ^ "CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1968 Top 100 Pop Singles, December 28, 1968". Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  15. ^ "American single certifications – Nineteen Ten Fruitgum Company – 1, 2, 3, Red Light". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  16. ^ "Chewy, Chewy - Ohio Express | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  17. ^ Mark Allender. "Gimme Heads - Talking Heads | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
Allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1,_2,_3,_Red_Light_(song)
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