Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)

Infobox Single
Name = Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)


Artist = Cher
from Album = The Sonny Side of Cher
B-side = "Needles and Pins " "Our Day Will Come"
Released = 1966
Format = 7" single
Recorded = 1966
Genre = Pop/Rock
Length = 2:44
Label = Imperial Records
Writer = Sonny Bono
Producer = Sonny Bono
Certification = 3xPlatinum (as of 1984), (US)
Last single = "Where Do You Go"
(1965)
This single = "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)"
(1966)
Next single = "Alfie"
(1966)Infobox Single
Name = Bang Bang


Artist = Cher
from Album = Cher
B-side = "I Found Someone"
Released = 1988
Recorded = 1986 - 1987
Genre = Rock
Length = 3:48
Label = Geffen
Writer = Sonny Bono
Producer = David Geffen
Certification =
Chart position =
Reviews =
Last single = "Skin Deep"
(1988)
This single = "Bang Bang"
(1988)
Next single = "Main Man"
(1988)"Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" is the name of a song written by Sonny Bono. In 1966, Cher released it as the second single from the album "The Sonny Side of Cher". Nancy Sinatra later covered the song in 1967.

History and covers

The single proved successful, charting high on many national charts worldwide. In the United States, it was Cher's biggest solo hit of the 1960s, peaking at #2. The single sold over 3 million copies, in the US alone, by 1984. In 1987, Cher released this song as a single again from her nineteenth album "Cher". However, that time, it failed to chart. This was Cher's first top-three hit in the UK, charting at #3. It would be her last top-three hit, until The Shoop-Shoop Song, twenty-two years later. The 1987 version was performed in every Cher tours except for the Love Hurts Tour and Cher at the Colosseum show.

Also in 1967, Nancy Sinatra released her version of the song on her album "How Does That Grab You?". This version remained relatively obscure until it was used in the opening scenes of the 2003 movie "Kill Bill Volume 1". This exposure caused Sinatra's version to be the one chosen by Audio Bullys when, in 2005, they used a sample of the song for their top ten UK hit "Shot You Down", credited officially to Audio Bullys featuring Nancy Sinatra.

Other artists who recorded this song include Stevie Wonder for his 1966 album "Down to Earth", Petula Clark in 1966 for her album "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love", Vanilla Fudge for their 1967 album "Vanilla Fudge", Terry Reid for his 1968 album "Bang Bang You're Terry Reid", Frank Sinatra for his 1981 album "She Shot Me Down", Cliff Richard, Paul Weller on his 2003 compilation album "Fly On The Wall - B Sides And Rarities" and Isobel Campbell on her 2004 EP "This Is Just The Same". The German artist Rainald Grebe used the refrain for his tragicomic song "Bengt Bangt" in his program "Lagerfeuer des Grauens". Japanese pop/rock singer Minako Honda recorded a Japanese cover on her 1989 album "WILD CATS" (as "MINAKO with WILD CATS"), while a Vietnamese version can be heard from singer Mỹ Tâmn with the title “Khi xưa ta bé (Bang Bang)”. Ironically, the translation is made from the French version: the DVD cover introduced it as "nhạc Pháp" (French music). This is because most of pre-1975 English songs are popularized in Vietnam indirectly by French singers. Originally, the song has been covered by various Vietnamese singers of many generations and become the staple of any English songbook published in Vietnam.

This song has also been very popular in the Sixties in Italy and has been covered by the following artists: Mina, Dalida and the band Equipe 84. Dalida also sang it in French, as did Sheila. Still in France, Jacno and Mareva Galanter did a cover of the song (2006). In Quebec, Claire Lepage did a French cover in 1966.

John Balance from Coil performed "Bang Bang" during the live concerts of the band in 2002-2004. His versions of this song can be found on Coil live albums "Live Four" and "Selvaggina, Go Back Into The Woods". The Raconteurs regularly performed the song in concert during 2006.

Nancy Sinatra's version of the song was used as the theme tune for the BBC's coverage of the 2005 Wimbledon tennis championships.

In November 2006, the Greek music producer and world-renowned mixing engineer Antonis Karalis released his debut worldwide single "To Be Continued" with another version of "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)". He perform, record, arrange, mix and master the track.

The singer and model Carla Bruni performs it in the Lancia Musa TV advertisement, which was broadcast in Europe in January 2008.

A remix of this song by Audio Bullys was played during the 2005 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

In the 2008 French-Canadian movie Maman est chez le coiffeur, the song is played twice in French: the 1966 Claire Lepage version near the beginning and later by Elie Dupuis, one of the stars of the movie who was 12 years-old. The Dupuis version is also featured on the film's soundtrack.

Charts

Cher version

External links

* [http://www.cher.com Official Cher site]