Shannon (song) explained

Shannon
Cover:Shannon_-_Henry_Gross.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Henry Gross
Album:Release
B-Side:Pokey
Released:February 1976
Genre:Soft rock[1]
Length:3:50
Label:Lifesong
Producer:Terry Cashman and Tommy West for Cashwest Productions, Inc.
Prev Title:One More Tomorrow
Prev Year:1975
Next Title:Springtime Mama
Next Year:1976

"Shannon" is a 1976 song by Henry Gross. It became an international hit, reaching #6 and achieving gold record status in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the Cash Box Top 100. The song reached #1 in Canada and New Zealand.[2]

"Shannon" was written about the death of a pet dog that belonged to Beach Boys member Carl Wilson. While touring with the Beach Boys in 1975, Gross visited Wilson's home in Los Angeles and in conversation said he had an Irish Setter named Shannon. Wilson replied that he, too, had an Irish Setter named Shannon, that had recently been killed when hit by a car.[3] [4] [5]

The single went gold in the U.S.[6] and became a worldwide hit, reaching #6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the Cash Box Top 100 in 1976. In Canada it reached #1. "Shannon" also reached #1 in New Zealand, but peaked only at #32 in the UK.[6]

Musicians

The Casey Kasem incident

"Shannon" is remembered for being the subject of a profanity-laced tirade by American Top 40 host Casey Kasem, while recording the September 14, 1985 show. A listener from Cincinnati, Ohio had requested "Shannon" as a "Long-Distance Dedication" (a regular feature of the show) to his own recently deceased dog, named Snuggles. Kasem was upset that the show's producers had placed the dedication immediately following the Pointer Sisters' hit "Dare Me", an uptempo song that he considered a poor lead-in to a sad song such as "Shannon". This did not originally air in the broadcast.[7] [8]

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1976)Peak
position
Australia KMR[9] 20
Canada RPM Top Singles[10] 1
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[11] 1
New Zealand[12] 1
UK [13] 32
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[14] 6
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary[15] 13
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[16] 5

Year-end charts

Chart (1976)Rank
Canada [17] 20
New Zealand [18] 5
U.S. Billboard [19] 47
U.S. Cash Box [20] 60

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Night Moves - Pop Music in the Late 70s. Don. Breithaupt. Jeff. Breithaupt. July 17, 2000. The Linen: Soft Rock. 112. St. Martin's Griffin. 978-0-312-19821-3. https://books.google.com/books?id=kh04AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT95.
  2. Web site: Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 2016-09-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20151119011833/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.4128a&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=kjerdnvbvl3a8p4jfufutrc7u6. 2015-11-19. dead. .
  3. Web site: Henry Gross's Website. .
  4. Web site: Co-founder of Sha Na Na, Henry Gross, playing at CityPlace. Streeter, Leslie Gray. PalmBeachPost.com. Palm Beach Post. 7 January 2016 . 21 October 2024.
  5. Web site: The Real Story Behind the Henry Gross Hit "Shannon". Forgotten Hits. Kotal, Kent. 6 January 2009. 6 January 2009.
  6. Book: Roberts, David . 2006 . British Hit Singles & Albums . 19th . Guinness World Records Limited . London . 1-904994-10-5 . 237.
  7. Web site: Mental Floss' 10-fact salute to Casey Kasem. Mental Floss. 11 July 2009.
  8. Corliss . Richard . Richard Corliss . 2014-06-15 . Time . Casey Kasem: The Voice of America . en.
  9. http://www.austchartbook.com.au/ David Kent's "Australian Chart Book 1970-1992"
  10. Web site: Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 2016-09-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20151119011833/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.4128a&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=kjerdnvbvl3a8p4jfufutrc7u6. 2015-11-19. dead.
  11. Web site: Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada . Collectionscanada.gc.ca . 1976-06-05 . 2018-02-18.
  12. Web site: Henry Gross - Shannon (song). charts.nz. 26 May 2018.
  13. Web site: Top 100 1976. top-source.info. 17 June 2016.
  14. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2002
  15. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn

    . Joel Whitburn . 1993 . Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993 . Record Research . 103.

  16. Web site: Cash Box Top 100 5/29/76 . 2016-09-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160322102433/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/19760529.html . 2016-03-22 . dead .
  17. Web site: Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada. collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  18. Web site: The Official New Zealand Music Chart.
  19. http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1976.htm Musicoutfitters.com
  20. http://50.6.195.142/archives/60s_files/1976YESP.html Cashbox Magazine

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