Running Bear
Encyclopedia
"Running Bear" is a song written by J. P. Richardson (aka The Big Bopper
) sung most famously by Johnny Preston
in 1959. Preston first sang the song in 1959 with background vocals by Richardson and George Jones
, who do the Indian chanting of "UGO UGO" during the three verses, as well as the Indian war cries. It was number one for three weeks in January 1960 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The song also reached number one in the UK in 1960.
Richardson was a friend of Preston and offered "Running Bear" to him after hearing him perform in a club. Preston recorded the song at the Gold Star Studios
in Houston, Texas
, in 1958. The session's producer was Bill Hall with Preston on vocals and Link Davis on saxophone. Richardson, Hall, and Jones performed the song's Indian chant
s.
Preston was signed to Mercury Records
, and "Running Bear" was released in August 1959, seven months after Richardson's death in the plane crash that also killed Buddy Holly
and Ritchie Valens
.
brave", and Little White Dove, an "Indian maid". The two are in love but are separated by two factors:
The two, desiring to be together despite their obstacles and the risks of navigating the river, dive into the raging river to unite. After sharing a passionate kiss, they are pulled down by the swift current and drown. The lyrics describe their fate: "Now they'll always be together / In their happy hunting ground
."
enjoyed an unprecedented streak of success with his commercially released singles, many of them covers
of previous pop hits. One of his 16 consecutive No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles
chart was a cover version of "Running Bear." Released in April 1969, James' topped the Hot Country Singles chart in mid-June and spent three weeks at No. 1. The song soon became one of James' most popular recordings of his career.
Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass
recorded a toe-tapping version of the song, complete with the standard Nashville Brass banjo-and-steel solo, for their 1975 album Dream Country.
Northern Irish
punk band
, Stiff Little Fingers
did a live cover of this, which ended up on their album All the Best
and later on the re-issue of their live album, Hanx!
.
A German version titled Brauner Bär und Weiße Taube was performed by Gus Backus
.
The song was part of Led Zeppelin
's live repertoire in the early 1970s.
The Big Bopper
Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr. also commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star...
) sung most famously by Johnny Preston
Johnny Preston
Johnny Preston was an American pop music singer, who was best known for his international number one hit in 1960, "Running Bear".-Life and career:...
in 1959. Preston first sang the song in 1959 with background vocals by Richardson and George Jones
George Jones
George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
, who do the Indian chanting of "UGO UGO" during the three verses, as well as the Indian war cries. It was number one for three weeks in January 1960 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The song also reached number one in the UK in 1960.
Richardson was a friend of Preston and offered "Running Bear" to him after hearing him perform in a club. Preston recorded the song at the Gold Star Studios
Gold Star Studios
Gold Star Studios was a major independent recording studio located in Los Angeles, California, United States. For more than thirty years, from 1950 to 1984, Gold Star was one of the most influential and successful commercial recording studios in the world....
in Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, in 1958. The session's producer was Bill Hall with Preston on vocals and Link Davis on saxophone. Richardson, Hall, and Jones performed the song's Indian chant
Chant
Chant is the rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes to highly complex musical structures Chant (from French chanter) is the rhythmic speaking or singing...
s.
Preston was signed to Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
, and "Running Bear" was released in August 1959, seven months after Richardson's death in the plane crash that also killed Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
and Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist....
.
Plot
The song tells the story of Running Bear, a "young IndianIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
brave", and Little White Dove, an "Indian maid". The two are in love but are separated by two factors:
- Their tribes' hatred of each other: they hail from tribes that are at war with each other. ("Their tribes fought with each other / So their love could never be.")
- A raging river: this is a physical separation that also serves as a metaphor for their cultural separation.
The two, desiring to be together despite their obstacles and the risks of navigating the river, dive into the raging river to unite. After sharing a passionate kiss, they are pulled down by the swift current and drown. The lyrics describe their fate: "Now they'll always be together / In their happy hunting ground
Happy hunting ground
The Happy Hunting Ground was the name given to the concept of the afterlife by several of the great plains Native American tribes, as well as the Iroquois, Cherokee and Algonquians...
."
Cover versions
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Sonny JamesSonny James
James Loden , known professionally as Sonny James, is an American country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, "Young Love". Dubbed the Southern Gentleman, James had 72 country and pop chart hits from 1953 to 1983, including a five-year streak of 16 straight among his 23 No. 1...
enjoyed an unprecedented streak of success with his commercially released singles, many of them covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of previous pop hits. One of his 16 consecutive No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart was a cover version of "Running Bear." Released in April 1969, James' topped the Hot Country Singles chart in mid-June and spent three weeks at No. 1. The song soon became one of James' most popular recordings of his career.
Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass
Danny Davis (country musician)
Danny Davis was a band leader, trumpet player, vocalist and producer and founder/leader of the Nashville Brass.-Early life and career:...
recorded a toe-tapping version of the song, complete with the standard Nashville Brass banjo-and-steel solo, for their 1975 album Dream Country.
Northern Irish
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
punk band
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, Stiff Little Fingers
Stiff Little Fingers
Stiff Little Fingers are a punk rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They formed in 1977, at the height of the Troubles. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star , doing rock covers, until they discovered punk. They split up after six years and four albums, although they...
did a live cover of this, which ended up on their album All the Best
All the Best (Stiff Little Fingers album)
All the Best is a compilation album by the band Stiff Little Fingers, released in 1983.The album consists of the A- and B-sides of all the band's singles and EPs recorded and released between 1978 and 1983...
and later on the re-issue of their live album, Hanx!
Hanx
Hanx! is a live Punk album by the band Stiff Little Fingers, released in 1980 . Originally intended for the American market to introduce the band before they toured there, it was subsequently released at a budget price in the UK as the band were concerned that a lot of their fans would insist on...
.
A German version titled Brauner Bär und Weiße Taube was performed by Gus Backus
Gus Backus
Gus Backus is a former member of the Del-Vikings. He also released a single on Carlton Records in 1958. He later became a popular singer in 1960s West Germany after he was stationed there as a soldier in the U.S. Army at Wiesbaden Air Base from 1957.-External links:...
.
The song was part of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
's live repertoire in the early 1970s.