Kansas City (Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller song)
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"Kansas City" is the title of a rhythm and blues song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller in 1952. The song, a 12-bar blues, was first recorded by Little Willie Littlefield that same year, under the title, "KC Lovin' ". (Ralph Bass of Federal Records, Littlefield's label, thought "K.C." sounded much "hipper" than "Kansas City," and so changed Leiber & Stoller's original title.) Littlefield's record was a regional hit in and around Los Angeles, where Federal was located.
The best known version of "Kansas City" was recorded in 1959 by Wilbert Harrison. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and also restored the song's proper title. Since Harrison's record, the song has been covered by hundreds of performers, including Little Richard, The Beatles, Albert King, Joe Williams, Little Milton, Peggy Lee, and Bill Haley & His Comets, and Fats Domino. Many other artists found some degree of success on the Hot 100 with this song, including Rocky Olson, Hank Ballard and The Midnighters, Trini Lopez, and James Brown. Ten versions of the song are featured on the 1994 CD, The Best Of Kansas City.
Little Richard's and The Beatles' versions were combined into a medley with Little Richard's song, "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey." This version differs considerably from the original, adding lyrics such as "Ah, Kansas City; coming to get my baby back home; yeah, yeah..." and removing most of the original lyrics (such as: "I'm goin' to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come..."). Several different versions of Haley's "Kansas City" exist, some featuring vocals by Haley himself and others sung by his saxophone player, Rudy Pompilli; lyrically, however, all versions by Haley adhere to the Leiber & Stoller original.
In 2005, Kansas City adopted "Kansas City" as its official song, dedicating "Goin' To Kansas City Plaza" in the historic 18th and Vine Jazz district. The Beatles' version of Kansas City is played over Kauffman Stadium's sound system after each Kansas City Royals win, while the Wilbert Harrison version is played after each loss.
The lyrics of the song mention the intersection of "12th Street and Vine", a location now marked in a park.<ref>http://www.memyi.us/2005/09/not_on_the_map.html Accessed on April 11, 2008</ref><ref>http://www.zefrank.com/theshow/gallery/v/archives/runningfool/IMG_0721.JPG.html Accessed on April 11, 2008</ref>
See also
