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Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye

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"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"
Single by Steam
from the album Steam
B-side"It's the Magic in You Girl"
ReleasedNovember 1969
Recorded1969
StudioMercury Sound Studios, New York
GenrePop
Length
  • 4:08 (LP version)
  • 6:20 (long version)
  • 3:45 (45 version)
  • 2:59 (45 radio version)
LabelFontana F 1667 (US)
Songwriter(s)Paul Leka, Gary DeCarlo, Dale Frashuer
Producer(s)Paul Leka
Steam singles chronology
"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"
(1969) 		"I've Gotta Make You Love Me"
(1970)

"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" is a 1969 song written and recorded by Paul Leka, Gary DeCarlo and Dale Frashuer, attributed to a then-fictitious band Steam. It was released under the Mercury subsidiary label Fontana and became a number-one pop single on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1969, and remained on the charts in early 1970.[1][failed verification]

Background and recording

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Paul Leka, Gary DeCarlo and Dale Frashuer wrote a blues shuffle version of the song in the early 1960s when they were members of a doo-wop group from Bridgeport, Connecticut, originally called the Glenwoods, then the Citations, and finally, the Chateaus, of which Leka was the piano player. The group disbanded when Leka talked Frashuer into going into New York City with him to write and possibly produce. In 1969, DeCarlo (using the professional name Garrett Scott)[2] recorded four songs at Mercury Records in New York with Leka as producer. The singles impressed the company's executives, who wanted to issue all of them as A-side singles. In need of a B-side for a song called "Sweet Laura Lee," Leka and DeCarlo resurrected an old song from their days as the Glenwoods, "Kiss Him Goodbye", with their old bandmate, Frashuer.

With DeCarlo as lead vocalist,[3] they recorded the song in one session. Instead of using a full band, Leka played keyboards and had engineer Warren Dewey splice together a drum track from one of DeCarlo's four singles and a conga drum solo by Ange DiGeronimo recorded in Leka's Bridgeport, Connecticut, studio for an entirely different session.[4] "I said we should put a chorus to it (to make it longer)", Leka told Fred Bronson in The Billboard Book of Number One Hits. "I started writing while I was sitting at the piano going 'na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na'... Everything was 'na na' when you didn't have a lyric." Gary added "hey hey".[5]

To the surprise of the songwriters, Mercury Records A&R executive Bob Reno insisted that "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" should be the A-side of the single, relegating "Sweet Laura Lee" to the B-side.[6] Reno was right; "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"reached number one in the United States for two weeks, on December 6 1969, displacing "Come Together" by the Beatles. It was Billboard's final multi-week number 1 hit of the 1960s and also peaked at number twenty on the soul chart.[7] In Canada, the song reached number six.[8] By the beginning of the 21st century, sales of "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" had exceeded 6.5 million records,[9] attaining multi-platinum record status.[10]

Chart history

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Certifications

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Certifications for "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[23] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Other versions

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Jeronimo version

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Jeronimo was a German hard rock band of the early 1970s. They had chart success in Europe with the cover singles "Heya" and "Na Na Hey Hey", from their 1970 album Cosmic Blues.

Dave Clark Five version

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"Sha-Na-Na-Na (Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye)"
Single by The Dave Clark Five
B-side"I Don't Know"
ReleasedOctober 26, 1973
Recorded1973
GenreRock and roll
Length3:19
LabelEMI Records
Songwriter(s)Gary DeCarlo, Dale Frashuer, Paul Leka

In October of 1973, The Dave Clark Five released the song as a single, credited to Dave Clark & Friends. It did not chart in the US, but was a minor success in Germany and New Zealand.

Bananarama version

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"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"
Single by Bananarama
from the album Deep Sea Skiving
B-side"Tell Tale Signs"
ReleasedFebruary 14, 1983
Recorded1982
Genre
Length3:30
LabelLondon Records
Songwriter(s)Gary DeCarlo, Dale Frashuer, Paul Leka
Producer(s)Jolley & Swain
Bananarama singles chronology
"Cheers Then"
(1982) 		"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"
(1983) 		"Cruel Summer"
(1983)

In February 1983, UK girl group Bananarama released the song as a single from their album Deep Sea Skiving. It peaked at number 5 in the UK singles chart, and number 38 in Australia on the Kent Music Report chart.[26]

Track listing

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UK and USA 7-inch vinyl single UK: London Records NANA 4; USA: London Records 810 115-7

  1. "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" 3:22
  2. "Tell Tale Signs" 2:58

UK 12-inch vinyl single London Records NANX 4

  1. "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" (Extended version) 4:52
  2. "Na Na Hey Hey Na (Dub) Hey" 4:12
  3. "Tell Tale Signs" (Extended version) 4:46

Music video

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The music video directed by Keith McMillan features the band playing in a school playground and then being made to move by a group of men. They then decide to join a boxing club so the video features them singing the song whilst boxing. By the end of the video they return to the playground wearing leathers and this time make the group of men move away. They then ride off into the night on motorbikes.

Charts

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Chart positions for Bananarama's version of "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"
Chart (1983) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[27] 38
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[28] 29
Ireland (IRMA)[13] 4
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[29] 29
UK[30] 5

The Nylons version

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"Kiss Him Goodbye"
Single by the Nylons
from the album Happy Together
B-side"It's What They Call Magic"
ReleasedJanuary 1, 1987
Recorded1987
GenreA cappella
Length3:24
LabelAttic
Songwriter(s)Gary DeCarlo, Dale Frashuer, Paul Leka
Producer(s)Bill Henderson
The Nylons singles chronology
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
(1986) 		"Kiss Him Goodbye"
(1987) 		"Happy Together"
(1987)

In 1987, Canadian quartet the Nylons released an a cappella version of this song as a single under the shortened title "Kiss Him Goodbye". It became their biggest hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number twelve that summer,[31] and reaching number 15 in Canada.[32]

Track listing

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Canada and USA 7-inch vinyl single Canada: Attic Records AT 348; USA: Open Air Records OS-0022

  1. "Kiss Him Goodbye" 3:24
  2. "It's What They Call Magic" 3:49

Canada and USA 12-inch vinyl single Canada: Attic Records AT 1240; USA: Open Air Records OS-12240

  1. "Kiss Him Goodbye (Sheer N.R.G. mix)" 6:05
  2. "Kiss Him Goodbye (Acapella version)" 4:05
  3. "Kiss Him Goodbye (Dub version)" 5:15


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A 1970 cover by the Canadian R&B/funk band Wayne McGhie and the Sounds of Joy had no chart success on its own, but has been sampled in numerous hip hop recordings.[33] When the band's long-forgotten album was reissued in 2004, Canadian music critic Bill Reynolds wrote that their cover was so good it should be used at sporting events instead of Steam's original.[34]

In 1977, Chicago White Sox organist Nancy Faust began playing the song. It had previously been sung spontaneously by fans in the stands, possibly beginning in a series with the Minnesota Twins July 1–3, 1977, a four-game series swept by the White Sox. The fan version went "Minnesota, Minnesota, Hey Hey Good Bye". Nancy Faust began playing it regularly on the organ later that month. It is generally directed at the losing side in an elimination contest when the outcome is all but certain or when an individual player is ejected, disqualified, or more often in baseball games, a pitching change is made during an inning (which is when Faust would play it). It has also been sung by crowds in political rallies, to taunt political opponents or to drown out and mock disruptive counter-protesters.[35]

This song was one of 164 included on the list of songs which were temporarily banned from public radio airplay by Clear Channel after September 11 attacks (9/11).[36]

The Paquette cartoon shows Jean Chrétien taunting Paul Martin by singing "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye".

On January 23, 2006, Paul Martin was defeated by Stephen Harper as Prime Minister of Canada. Martin had acceded to the prime ministry following the ouster of Jean Chrétien. The next day's issue of La Voix de l'Est, a French newspaper in Granby, Quebec, included a cartoon by Paquette showing Chrétien calling Martin and singing "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye".

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Steam Biography". Pandora Internet Radio. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  2. ^ Jankoski, Jan (March 29, 1970). "'Steam' Steams to Gold Platter". The Bridgeport Post. pp. C8 – C14.
  3. ^ Knippenberg, Jim (May 2, 1970). "Garrett Scott's star rising as singer, writer and producer". The Cincinnati Enquirer – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Paul Leka confirmed some months before his death that the conga solo was in fact DiGeronimo's. It had been recorded in Bridgeport as part of a session with the band "Yazoo Fraud," then under contract with Leka's production company.
  5. ^ Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th ed.). New York: Watson-Guptill. p. 263. ISBN 9780823076772.
  6. ^ Cowan, Andy (2023). B-Side" A Flipsided History of Pop. Headpress. ISBN 9781915316141.
  7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 550.
  8. ^ "RPM100" (PDF). Collectionscanada.gc.ca. December 27, 1969. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  9. ^ "Steam's Gary DeCarlo of 'Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye' Fame Dead at 75". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  10. ^ Torsiello, John (November 16, 2012). "Pricetag for Colgate Mansion in Sharon: $8.9 Million. Its Great Tales: Free". The Litchfield County Times. Hearst Media Services Connecticut. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  11. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  12. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. December 27, 1969. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  13. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  14. ^ "Charts singles Top 50 en France: 22 Mar 1970". 2015.
  15. ^ Flavour of New Zealand, 13 February 1970
  16. ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  17. ^ "Official Charts Company". Official Charts. January 31, 1970. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  18. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 — ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  19. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 550.
  20. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, December 20, 1969". Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  21. ^ "UK-Charts - 1970".
  22. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
  23. ^ "American single certifications – Steam – Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  24. ^ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). "Bananarama". Spin Alternative Record Guide. New York: Vintage Books. pp. 28–29. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  25. ^ Eames, Tom (August 30, 2023). "Bananarama's 10 greatest songs, ranked". Smooth Radio. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
  26. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). Sydney: Australian Chart Book. p. 25. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  27. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  28. ^ "Bananarama – Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  29. ^ "Bananarama – Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  30. ^ "Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. February 6, 1983. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  31. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (8th ed.). Record Research. p. 464.
  32. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - August 1, 1987" (PDF).
  33. ^ Del Cowie, "The unsung Canadian soul of Wayne McGhie". Q, August 24, 2017.
  34. ^ Bill Reynolds, "McGhie doesn't blow his covers". Hamilton Spectator, July 5, 2004.
  35. ^ "Na na, hey hey: How a throwaway song became the anthem of taunt". June 29, 2017.
  36. ^ "The 164 Songs That Were Banned From American Radio After 9/11v". September 10, 2021.
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