This song is one of the more famous one-hit wonders of its era. I'd heard the Hollywood Argyles version before; when listening to it again, I didn't feel a need to finish it, as I figured I'd gotten the joke already after about a minute or so. The Danté and the Evergreens version was new to me; it sounds pretty much the same as the original.
The Hollywood Argyles was a collection of musicians put together by notorious producer Kim Fowley and singer/producer Gary S. Paxton, who was one-half of the duo Skip & Flip. "Alley Oop" was inspired by the comic strip of the same name; this version of the song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over one million copies. After this, the various members of the Hollywood Argyles went their separate ways.
Danté and the Evergreens were from Santa Monica, California, and were discovered by Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean fame. Their version of "Alley Oop" reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 but was more popular on the U.S. east coast. They split up in 1961.
Created September 29, 2026.