Words & Music:
Jerry Leiber
Mike Stoller
I said, 'Take it easy, baby
I worked all day and my feet feel just like lead
You got my shirt tails
Flyin' all over the place
And the sweat poppin' out of my head'
She said, 'Hey, Bossa nova, baby
Keep on a workin' child
This ain't no time to quit'
She said, 'Go, Bossa nova, baby
Keep on dancin'
I'm about to have myself a fit'
Bossa nova, Bossa nova
I said, 'Hey little mama,
Let's sit down
Have a drink and dig the band'
She said, 'Drink, drink, drink
Oh, fiddle-de-dink
I can dance with a drink in my hand'
She said 'Hey Bossa nova, baby
Keep on workin' child
This ain't no time to drink'
She said 'Go, Bossa nova, baby
Keep on dancin'
'Cause I ain't got time to think'
I said, 'Come on, baby
It's hot in here
And it's oh so cool outside
If you lend me a dollar
I can buy some gas
And we can go for a little ride'
She said, 'Hey Bossa nova, baby
Keep on workin' child
I ain't got time for that'
She said, 'Go Bossa nova, baby
Keep on dancin'
Or I'll find myself another cat'
Recordingdate: 1963/01/22, first released on: single (album)
Musicians
Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Bossa Nova, Baby:
(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(mandolin)
(bass)
(drums)
(drums)
(piano)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(percussion)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
Availability
Find available albums with Bossa Nova, Baby.
One of the better movie songs, always brings a smile on my face.
Different beat, different sound, thx to Jerry and Mike !
There is no song anywhere in the annals of music that defines 'catchy' more than this! Try and sing it to yourself just once,then look at the time,an hour will have passed! Oh yes,i defy anyone to listen to it without moving.. TCB
Brian Mathews played the original group version of this song on his Sound of the Sixties show a few months ago,but I can't remember their name! Which I suppose says it all. This was Elvis as he should have been shaking off the chains from some of those awful film songs and proving that good film songs can be obtained from the best writers. If someone could have been prepared to look for them!
The single Bossa Nova Baby with Witchcraft on the other side of the record sold over million copies and becam another golden record for Elvis. In the USA Billboard`s Hot 100 reached place 8 stayed on this chart for 10 weeks, and on the Rythm & Blues chart`s it peaked at 20. In the UK peaked at 13 und in Germany at 12. Elvis sang and danced to this song in the movie Fun in Acapulco. Great perfomance.
Probabaly one of the top 5 movie songs of the 60's. A good single and better than most of the songs that were on the last studio LP , Pot Luck. Even though a top 10 hit, its amazing how many people dont know this song at all. Goes to show you most 'oldies' radio stations play the same 5 Elvis songs over & over again.
I still remember buying this single back in '63. When I got home I played both sides repeatedly.
Liked Witchcraft, but I was hooked on Bossa Nova Baby. Loved it then. Still love it today. What a catchy tune. One of the very best of the '60s movies tunes.
A steaming version, much better than the original by the Clovers.
Combine Elvis and Leiber/Stoller - what do you get: a smashing song. This is one of them So full of fun and spunk. Great beat. Definitely top of the bill sixties song. And indeed, wish he had more of these.
Have to agree with Steve V. I mailed Gold London asking them to play something other than "Devil In Disguise",they play "Burning Love" now,but I'm not complaining about that lol.
Bossa Nova Baby,good song,good film.Elvis danced well to this song ! Organ playing abit suspect though lol
I like it, it is above average for the movie years. Never been a favorite though, and it never will be. But I like the footage as well, nice dance number by Elvis. But why on earth wasn´t there a piano/organ player around, I hate the moments when Elvis takes two steps back to play it. For me, it almost kills this fine number. Almost!
I like it. I think one of his last great singles of the 60's (along with Viva) before the comeback. I dont count Crying In The Chapel since it really was recorded years before. Not a Leiber & Stoller classic but even their weaker material out shone the other writers working on these films. Very hip sound. As for the film sequence and silly organ playing. It's liitle things like this that cheapen the overall aspect of an Elvis movie and make it laughable to the masses.
Great song and performance although I have always liked the song from the earlier version by Tippy and the Clovers. Elvis' is the definately the best.
The A-side of a terrific single in 1963 (backed with the equally good "Witchcraft") and the best song on the "Fun In Acapulco" soundtrack album. The performance of this song in the movie ranks as one of the best musical performances by Elvis on film. It would at least be in the top three along with "Jailhouse Rock" from the movie of the same name and "C'mon Everybody" from "Viva Las Vegas" ("I Don't Wanna Be Tied" and "Return To Sender" from "Girls! Girls! Girls!", "Didja' Ever" from G.I. Blues" and "Trouble" from "King Creole were also outstanding). Definitely the better of the two songs that hit the charts in 1963 with the words "bossa nova" in them. The other was Eydie Gorme's horrible song, "Blame It On The Bossa Nova" which was actually a slightly bigger hit!
One of the better film songs, and a great clip in the movie, had the clip been shown on tv pop shows at the time, i feel it could have been an even bigger hit in the single's chart.
Certainly a fun song! I'm not entirely sure it is technically a bossa nova though...I think "Almost In Love" is actually closer to the whole "Girl From Ipanema" sound, but then again, who cares? This a fun song sung well, and I always loved the scene in Fun in Acapulco when he sings it, playing drums and keyboard.
I've always loved this song.One of my faves from The Fun soundtrack and the clip from the movie is great.If I'm not mistaken it was Elvis's last single on the rnb charts,hard to believe.i could be wrong but, I thought I had read that somewhere.
I like the song & the film & the soundtrack.Yes this is the best version. A friend I used to work with couldn't stand the song, but then he was into Miles Davis, that say's it all really, lol.
oldshep..it's Brian Matthew no "s" and it's Tippy and the whatever can't remeber the rest.Didn't the "Clover's" cover this
as well. Gold London play Devil In Disguise quite a lot,but then they play the same songs over & over again,no imagination on this station.BTW oldshep,it's wasn't months ago it was a coulpe of weeks.
Your an argumentative little twat aren't you Deke?
OK, I am commenting twice because the Viva Elvis version of "Bossa Nova Baby" deserves it's own comment. And that comment is "Great!" They took an already very fun song and really revved it up! Either version is a lot of fun, but if you have not gotten to hear the Viva Elvis version, it is well worth it!!
Could still be a huge hit in today's music market.
The best song from a strong soundtrack album that captures the right atmosphere. I believe this could have been top-3 hit if they would have taken out the background vocals that were tailored towards the movie setting. Fantastic lyrics and great beat, also love the Viva Elvis version that could be great hit today with the right videoclip and DJ pushing. In the original version, Elvis makes some fantastic dance moves on this song. Love it very much. Four stars from me.
I 're-discovered' this song thanks to the Viva Elvis soundtrack. I never 'got' this song in my forty years as a fan. Now I finally get it and I love it...it totally rocks. I love re-discovering songs and this is probably my biggest find in many years!
This is such a marvelous, exciting and electrifying song and it's the best song from the movie "Fun In Acapulco" for sure. It's yet another masterpiece written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
The Colonel send Leiber/Stoller a blank sheet to sign, to be filled in later. They were supposed to be thé songwriters for Elvis' movies, but the Colonel stopped that. One of many "what ifs".
Absolutely lame song and the organ certainly doesn't add a thing to it neither. It always astounded me RCA and the Colonel let crap like this hit the airwaves back in the mid-sixties, but than again, I, like others, bought anything new Elvis put out on 45 RPM. A sign of the times back then.
A great track from a good film and with Marguerita, 2 of the strongest film songs from the 60's. The film sequence is fine by me, and Ursula Andress is the icing on the cake.
Bossa Nova Baby fits the movie perfectly. I love Elvis' side-step dance move when he sings "bossa nova", bangs on the drums and steps back to play the organ.
This is a classic no matter what some people say, also I find that they did a great job on the remix they did on the Viva CD
Great single Bossa Nova Baby/Witchcraft. I've always enjoyed this. I actually also like Mexico from that film. Especially T.6 where he sings they boy's lyrics. I would have thought Bossa Nova Baby would have been an even bigger hit than it was! It reached #1 in Belgium and #2 in Norway though.
Fantastic fun song. On screen it makes top three numbers along with Jailhouse Rock and Mean Woman Blues. Outstanding performance and fun to watch. I never tire of listening to it or watching it. The Viva Elvis version is also great to listen to. I was fortunate to see Viva Elvis twice.
Still can't understand why there is no Elvis show in Vegas, Viva Elvis should be updated and brought back.