"Kansas City" is a rhythm and blues song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller in 1952. First recorded by Little Willie Littlefield the same year, the song later became a #1 hit when it was recorded by Wilbert Harrison in 1959. "Kansas City" became one of Leiber and Stoller's "most recorded tunes, with more than three hundred versions," with several appearing in the R&B and pop record charts.

Original song

"Kansas City" was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, two nineteen year-old rhythm and blues fans from Los Angeles, who had their first success writing Charles Brown's #7 R&B chart hit "Hard Times". Neither had been to Kansas City, but were inspired by Big Joe Turner records.

I'm goin' to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come (2x)

They got a crazy way of lovin' there, and I'm gonna get me some

I'm gonna be standing on the corner, of Twelveth Street and Vine (2x)

With my Kansas City baby, and a bottle of Kansas City wine...

Through a connection to producer Ralph Bass, they wrote "Kansas City" specifically for West Coast blues/R&B artist Little Willie Littlefield. There was an initial disagreement between the two writers over the song's melody: Leiber (who wrote the lyrics) preferred a traditional blues song, while Stoller wanted a more distinctive vocal line; Stoller ultimately prevailed. They taught the song to Littlefield at Maxwell Davis' house, who arranged and provided the tenor sax for the song. Littlefield recorded the song in Los Angeles in 1952, during his first recording session for Federal Records, a King Records subsidiary. Federal's Ralph Bass changed the title to "K. C. Lovin'", which he reportedly considered to sound "hipper" than "Kansas City". Littlefield's record had some success in parts of the U.S., but it did not reach the national chart.

Wilbert Harrison version

In 1959, after several years of performing Littlefield's "K. C. Lovin'", Wilbert Harrison decided to record the song. In March 1959, Harrison and a trio with Wild Jimmy Spruill entered a New York studio to record it for record producer Bobby Robinson at Fury Records. Although the song's arrangement varied little from Littlefield's, it "struck such a solid shuffle groove that it was unforgettable", with inspired rhythm and solo guitar work by Spruill. Harrison's song was issued with Leiber and Stoller's original name, "Kansas City", but changed the refrain to "They got some crazy little women there, and I'm gonna get me one" and dropped one twelve-bar section.

Shortly after the song's release, several other versions appeared. Billboard magazine's pop song pick of the week for March 30, 1959 listed five different releases of "Kansas City": Harrison's and versions by Hank Ballard and The Midnighters (King 5195), Rocky Olson (Chess 1723), Rockin' Ronald & the Rebels (End 1043), and a reissue by Littlefield (Federal 12351). A week later, the magazine announced the release of a version by Little Richard (Specialty 664), which was a medley of "Kansas City" with some new lyrics and an earlier Richard song "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey". Although Ballard's and Richard's versions both appeared in the lower reaches of the Billboard charts, Harrison's was a runaway hit, reaching number one in both the R&B and pop charts, where it remained for seven weeks, and became one of the top selling records of 1959.

The Beatles version

In 1964, The Beatles' recorded Little Richard's medley of "Kansas City" and "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey", a song they began performing in their early Hamburg days. Their version, which uses somewhat different lyrics, appears on the albums Beatles for Sale (UK) and Beatles VI (US) and as the B-side of the 1965 single "Boys". A live version, recorded in Hamburg in 1962, was released on Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962. Other live versions appear on the album Live at the BBC and in the film Let It Be. The Beatles were also seen on the American television program "Shindig!" performing the medley live in October 1964.

Other versions

"Kansas City" has been recorded by hundreds of performers, including Bill Haley & His Comets from the album Bill Haley and His Comets (1960), Brenda Lee from All the Way (1961), Peggy Lee from Blues Cross Country (1962) and Miss Peggy Lee Sings the Blues (1988), Trini Lopez as a #23 pop chart single (1963), Jay and the Americans from At the Cafe Wha? (1963), Sammy Davis Jr. from Sammy Davis, Jr. Sings the Big Ones for Young Lovers (1964), The Everly Brothers from Rock & Soul (1965), James Brown as a R&B #21 and pop #55 single (1967), Albert King from Born Under a Bad Sign (1967), and Muddy Waters from Muddy "Mississippi" Waters – Live (1979). Ten versions of the song are featured on the 1994 album, The Best of Kansas City. In 1995, it was included in Smokey Joe's Cafe, the musical revue about the songs of Leiber and Stoller.

Recognition and influence

In 2001, Harrison's "Kansas City" received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award  and it is included on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll." In 2005, Kansas City adopted "Kansas City" as its official song, dedicating "Goin' to Kansas City Plaza" in the historic 18th and Vine Jazz district. Due to redevelopment, the "12th Street and Vine" intersection mentioned in the song no longer exists, but a park with a path in the shape of a treble clef exists at the former location. After each Kansas City Royals win at Kauffman Stadium, The Beatles' version of Kansas City is played over the sound system, while the Wilbert Harrison version is played after each loss.

"Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!" is a song written by Little Richard which he usually performed as part of a medley with the Leiber and Stoller song "Kansas City". It was first released in 1958 as the B-side to his recording of "Good Golly Miss Molly".

It was covered by The Beatles in the same medley on Beatles for Sale and the US album Beatles VI. It was later covered by The Libertines in a one off Radio 1 Live set in September 2003. A cover by Ten Years After on their 1974 album Positive Vibrations was titled Going Back To Birmingham. The Jim Jones Revue also cover the song on their first record and as a staple of their live shows.

Ah Kansas City

Going to get my baby back home

I'm going to Kansas City

Going to get my baby back home

Well its a long long time too

My baby's been gone

Ah, Kansas City

Going get my baby one time

I'm going to Kansas City

Going get my baby one time

Its a just a 1-2-3-4, 

5-6-7-8-9

Hey hey hey hey

(hey hey hey hey)

Hey, baby

(hey, baby)

Ooh now girl

(yeah, yeah)

I said yeah now, huh

(girl, girl)

Now now now now tell me baby

What's been wrong with you

Hey hey hey hey

(hey hey hey hey)

Hey now baby

(hey baby)

Ooh now girl

(yeah, yeah)

I said yeah now, huh

(girl, girl)

Now now now now tell me baby

What's been wrong with you

I said bye

(bye bye bye bye)

Bye bye baby bye bye

(bye bye bye bye)

So long 

(so long so long)

Bye bye baby I'm gone

(bye bye bye bye)

I said bye bye baby

Bye, bye, bye, bye

Bye now bye

(bye bye bye bye)

Bye now baby bye

(bye bye bye bye)

....