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My Sharona

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"My Sharona"
US variant of the standard artwork
Single by the Knack
from the album Get the Knack
B-side"Let Me Out"
ReleasedJune 18, 1979[1]
RecordedApril 1979
Genre
Length3:58 (single edit)
4:52 (album version)
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Mike Chapman
The Knack singles chronology
"My Sharona"
(1979) 		"Good Girls Don't"
(1979)
Music video
The Knack – "My Sharona" on YouTube

"My Sharona" (/ʃəˈroʊnə/) is the debut single by the Knack. The song was written by Berton Averre and Doug Fieger, and it was released in 1979 from their debut album, Get the Knack. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, where it remained for six weeks, and was number one on Billboard's 1979 Top Pop Singles year-end chart.

It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, representing 1,000,000 copies sold,[5] and was Capitol Records' fastest gold status debut single since the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in 1964.[6] It has since gone on to sell more than 10 million copies as of 2010.[7][8]

Inspiration

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When Doug Fieger was 25 years old, he met 17-year-old Sharona Alperin,[9] who inspired a two-month-long run of songwriting, as well as eventually becoming his girlfriend for the next four years. Fieger recounted that "It was like getting hit in the head with a baseball bat; I fell in love with her instantly. And when that happened, it sparked something and I started writing a lot of songs feverishly in a short amount of time." Fieger and Averre worked out the structure and melody of the song. Averre was originally averse to using Alperin's name in the song, but Fieger wanted it to be a direct expression of his feelings; Averre ultimately relented.[10] Fieger claimed that "My Sharona" was written in 15 minutes;[11] moreover, it was purportedly mixed in an additional 15 minutes after the recording of the song was made in a single take (not including background vocals).[12]

Fieger and Alperin were engaged at one point but never married.[9] In a 2005 interview, Fieger said that they remained "great friends";[9] additionally, she would visit him frequently as Fieger was dying of cancer. Alperin went on to have a successful career as a realtor in Los Angeles.[13][14]

Music and lyrics

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The music of the song echoes many elements of songs from the 1960s. According to a Trouser Press reviewer, the song's main melodic hook is "an inversion of the signature riff" from "Gimme Some Lovin'", a 1966 song by the Spencer Davis Group.[15] Fieger acknowledged that the song's tom-tom drum rhythm is "just a rewrite" of "Going to a Go-Go", a song from Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965.[15] Drummer Bruce Gary has stated that although he did not particularly like the song when Fieger introduced it to the band, he came up with the stuttering beat for the song similar to a surf stomp, with just tom-tom and snare.[16] He also decided to incorporate a flam, in which two drum strokes are staggered, creating a fuller sound, which Gary considered to be crucial to the song's success.[16]

In an interview with The Washington Post, Fieger claimed that the song was written from the perspective of a 14-year-old boy.[9]

The song's stuttering vocal effect of the repeated "muh muh muh my Sharona" phrase is reminiscent of Roger Daltrey's vocals in the 1965 song "My Generation" by the Who.[15]

Music video

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The music video features the band performing the song in a white room.[17] Another music video features clips from the film Reality Bites, concert footage and Another Lousy Day in Paradise music video.

Artwork

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In addition to being the inspiration for the song, Sharona Alperin posed for the single's picture sleeve holding a copy of the Knack's debut studio album Get the Knack.[13]

Reception

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Produced by Mike Chapman, the song's clean sound was reminiscent of the sound of the 1960s British Invasion.[15] Billboard Magazine described "My Sharona" as "an energetic raker with a subtle melody."[18] Dick Nusser of Billboard remarked on the song's "catchy, deliberately awkward, stop-go drum and guitar breaks", its "quirky lyrics" and "suggestive tone", and that the song will "make you ready, willing and able to hum the refrain at the right moment."[19] Cash Box said it begins with "slamming drums and rock steady, building guitar work."[20] In the Pazz & Jop 1979 Critic's Poll, "My Sharona" and Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk" were tied for sixth place in the list of top singles of the year.[21]

Chris Woodstra of AllMusic has subsequently referred to the song as an "unforgettable hit."[22] The New Rolling Stone Album Guide claimed that the song "was a hit for a good reason. The beat is urgent, the chorus calls out for drunken shouting along and the guitar solo is a firecracker flash."[23]

Legacy

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"My Sharona" has retrospectively been viewed as a symbol for the fall of the 1970s' disco and the rise of the 1980s' new wave.[24] The New York Times called the song "an emblem of the new wave era in rock and a prime example of the brevity of pop fame."[11]

During the making of Michael Jackson's 1982 Thriller album, producer Quincy Jones aspired to include a rock-and-roll-inspired song in the vein of "My Sharona". Jackson subsequently wrote "Beat It".[25]

In 2008, "My Sharona" was ranked in two Billboard 50th anniversary charts. It ranked 75 on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs[26] and 16 on the Top Billboard Hot 100 Rock Songs.[27][28]

In 1994, "My Sharona" re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaked at number 91,[29] when it was released as part of the Reality Bites soundtrack album.[30][31] In the film itself, the characters dance to the song at a convenience store.[32] This version was remixed by Dave Jerden and features, among other changes, a much more prominent drum sound.[33]

Director Quentin Tarantino wanted to use this song in the 1994 film Pulp Fiction during the film’s rape scene, but the idea was ultimately discounted due to its use in Reality Bites. [34]

In 2005, the song gained some attention when it appeared on the playlist of U.S. President George W. Bush's iPod.[35]

"Girl U Want" by Devo, from the album Freedom of Choice, was allegedly inspired by "My Sharona", although Devo's Gerald Casale has denied this.[36]

In 2023, Berton Averre calculated to receive between $100,000 and $300,000 annually from his royalties for the song.[37]

Personnel

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Taken from the Get The Knack liner notes[38]

Charts

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Sales and certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[59] Platinum 150,000^
Italy (FIMI)[60] Gold 25,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[61] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[62] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Covers, parodies, and samples

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Notable covers

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Parodies

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Audio samples

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"Let Me Out"

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"Let Me Out"
Single by the Knack
from the album Get the Knack
B-side"My Sharona[broken anchor]"
Released1979[76]
RecordedApril 1979
Genre
Length3:58 (single edit)
4:52 (album version)
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Mike Chapman
The Knack singles chronology
"Good Girls Don't"
(1979) 		"Let Me Out"
(1979) 		"Baby Talks Dirty"
(1980)
For the 2013 Korean film, see Let Me Out (film).

The B-side of the "My Sharona" single was "Let Me Out". It was written by Fieger and Averre to fill the band's need for a strong opening track for concerts and later for their Get the Knack album.[79] Averre has stated that the song is "absurdly fast."[79] Drummer Bruce Gary felt that the words of "Let Me Out" helped make the song a perfect opener since the band wanted to "let out", and bassist Prescott Niles noted that, with the song, the band was all of a sudden "out of the box."[79] Gary has also claimed that the song was "me trying to be Buddy Rich in a rock 'n' roll band. It was just full on."[79]

Billboard described "Let Me Out" as "a teen anthem delivered at full throttle" and praised the song's "delightful" harmonies, "slapping" guitars and "perfectly tuned" drumming.[19] Superchunk and The Mountain Goats drummer Jon Wurster commented on the "full force" of Gary's drumming on "Let Me Out."[80] Ira Robbins and Michael Sandlin of Trouser Press described the song as "tight guitar pop."[81] Author John Borack described the song as "a damn fine pop tune."[82] Audio magazine called it a "basher" with "plenty of style."[83] AllMusic critic Mark Deming stated that the live version of "Let Me Out" has "a joyous force nearly any act would envy."[84] Dave Swanson of Ultimate Classic Rock called it "one of the most powerful album openers ever."[85] Classic Rock History critic Skip Anderson called it a "smoking track" and rated it as the Knack's 10th best song.[86]

A 1979 live performance of "Let Me Out" from Carnegie Hall was included on the laser disc of Live at Carnegie Hall.[87] The song was included on their compilation album, Premium Gold Collection.[88] A 2012 vinyl EP for Record Store Day includes 1978 live performances of "Let Me Out" and "My Sharona" from Los Angeles and two other songs. The two performances are also included on the live CD of the entire 1978 Los Angeles concert Havin' a Rave-Up.[84][89]

References

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  1. ^ ""My Sharona" - the Knack".
  2. ^
  3. ^ Nytimes.com "'My Sharona' has become an emblem of the new wave era in rock"
  4. ^ a b Breihan, Tom (February 26, 2020). "The Number Ones: M's "Pop Muzik"". Stereogum. Retrieved July 13, 2023. ...and "My Sharona" is retro-minded garage rock, British Invasion pastiche.
  5. ^ "My Sharona Gold Certifiction". RIAA. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  6. ^ Atkinson, Terry (October 18, 1979). "The Knack: yesterday ... and today". Rolling Stone: 32.
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  8. ^ "A one-hit wonder but it was hardly for want of trying". The Sydney Morning Herald. February 18, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d Lieby, Richard (April 17, 2005). "'My Sharona,' Revealing a Knack for Current Affairs?". The Washington Post. p. D3.
  10. ^ Liner notes, 2002 "Get the Knack" digitally remastered re-issue.
  11. ^ a b Sisario, Ben (February 15, 2010). "Doug Fieger Dies at 57, Singer of 'My Sharona'". New York Times. New York (published February 16, 2010). p. A25.
  12. ^ A. O. L. Staff (July 15, 2016). "'My Sharona' co-writer shares on his rock star riches". www.aol.com. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Campos, Susan (June 11, 2019). "In 1979 a Hit Song Made This Future L.A. Real Estate Agent a Pop Culture Icon". LAmag.com. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
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