Song:Hey Little Cobra
Album:Top Hits Of The Sixties: Chart Toppers
Hey Little Cobra was the biggest hit and the only memorable song by The Rip Chords in 1964. Of course it was part of a bigger trend of surf and hot rod music led by The Beach Boys and Jan & Dean. The Rip Chords started out as a real band. But by the time Hey Little Cobra was released they had been taken over by two guys who would go on to be significant figures in the Southern California music scene. The Rip Chords started out as a duo with Ernie Bringas and Phil Stewart. When Bringas left to go back to school, Stewart brought in Rich Rotkin and Arnie Marcus. They did perform live and recorded for Columbia. But then Columbia house producers Bruce Johnston and Terry Melcher took over The Rip Chords and Hey Little Cobra was recorded by them with no band involvement. The song reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964. The song was written by veteran Phil Spector songwriter Carol Conners. I'm sure a lot of fans heard Hey Little Cobra and thought it was another Jan & Dean record. By 1965, The Rip Chords disbanded and Johnston soon joined The Beach Boys. And he is still with The Beach Boys. Melcher stayed at Columbia and produced The Byrds. He is Doris Day's son. The two also recorded as Bruce & Terry. You can get Hey Little Cobra on this Collectables various artists comp. Rich Rotkin revived The Rip Chords and recorded a CD in 2005. Here's a video for Hey Little Cobra by The Rip Chords.
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