Laugh, Laugh

In 1964, San Francisco disc jockeys Tom Donahue and Bobby Mitchell were looking for new acts to bring to their Autumn Records label.{{cite web

| last=Farrar

| first=Justin F.

| url=http://www.sfweekly.com/2006-03-01/news/oh-pioneers/

| title=Oh, Pioneers

| publisher=SF Weekly (New Times Media)

| date=March 1, 2006

| access-date=August 20, 2009

| archive-date=October 11, 2012

| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011195431/http://www.sfweekly.com/2006-03-01/news/oh-pioneers/

| url-status=dead

}}

They discovered the Beau Brummels performing at the Morocco Room, a club in nearby San Mateo, and signed the band shortly thereafter.

Donahue and Mitchell were eager to capitalize on Beatlemania, a phenomenon surrounding the Beatles that originated several years before in Germany and was spreading across the U.S. by this time.

The Beau Brummels had taken their name, a British term for an excessively well-dressed person, suggested to them, which lead singer Valentino maintained they didn't even know how to spell.{{cite magazine

| last=Cohen

| first=Elliot Stephen

| url=http://www.goldminemag.com/article/beau-brummels-look-to-rewrite-history-with-greatest-hits-package

| title=Beau Brummels Look to Rewrite History with Greatest-Hits Package

| magazine=Goldmine (F+W Media)

| date=2008-04-24

| access-date=2010-09-29}} In a 2008 interview with Goldmine magazine Valentine explained: "We just needed a name, and that sounded good. We didn't even know how to spell it.

Even the harmonies of "Laugh, Laugh" were reminiscent of popular British acts of the time,

{{cite book

| last=Gillett

| first=Charlie

| title=The Sound Of The City: The Rise Of Rock And Roll

| edition=2nd

| publisher=Da Capo Press

| location=New York

| page=351

| year=1996

| isbn=978-0-306-80683-4}}

{{cite book

| last=Selvin

| first=Joel

| title=San Francisco: The Musical History Tour: A Guide to Over 200 of the Bay Area's Most Memorable Music Sites

| edition=2nd

| publisher=Chronicle Books

| location=San Francisco

| page=21

| year=1996

| isbn=978-0-8118-1007-4}}

such as the Beatles and the Zombies.

{{cite book

| last=Unterberger

| first=Richie

| title=Urban Spacemen and Wayfaring Strangers: Overlooked Innovators and Eccentric Visionaries of '60s Rock

| edition=

| publisher=Miller Freeman, Inc.

| pages=[https://archive.org/details/urbanspacemenway0000unte/page/174 174–177]

| location=San Francisco

| year=2000

| isbn=978-0-87930-616-8

| url=https://archive.org/details/urbanspacemenway0000unte/page/174

}}

However, songwriter-guitarist Ron Elliott said the song was directly influenced not by UK bands, but by U.S. pop group the Four Seasons.

{{cite book

| last=Unterberger

| first=Richie

| title=Turn! Turn! Turn!: The '60s Folk-Rock Revolution

| edition=

| publisher=Backbeat Books

| pages=[https://archive.org/details/turnturnturn00rich/page/125 125–6]

| location=San Francisco

| year=2000

| isbn=978-0-87930-703-5

| url-access=registration

| url=https://archive.org/details/turnturnturn00rich/page/125

}}

Elliott grew up writing music inspired by theatrical composers such as George Gershwin and Jerome Kern, as well as country music artist Lefty Frizzell.

After forming the Beau Brummels with lead vocalist Sal Valentino, Elliott wanted to create simplified music that had mainstream appeal. He noted that "Laugh, Laugh" had a "very complex chord structure, but instead of using the major seventh chords and the passing chords that I prefer, I wrote the song in flat major and minor keys using a simplified tonal structure."

{{cite book

| last1=March

| first1=Jeff

| last2=Childs

| first2=Marti

| title=Echoes of the Sixties

| edition=

| publisher=Billboard Books (Nielsen Business Media, Inc.)

| page=138

| location=New York

| year=1999

| isbn=978-0-8230-8316-9}}

Elliott said he liked using minor keys as he believed they added an element of mystery to the music, similar to that of James Bond films.

Lyrically, "Laugh, Laugh" describes a rejected lover who takes pleasure in revenge when someone rejects the one who had rejected him.

The song features a harmonica, played by Declan Mulligan, throughout the tune.

The originally-released version of "Laugh, Laugh," universally heard in 1965 when it was a hit, fades out just before the second iteration of the line "Lonely/Oh so lonely." The full version does not fade out, but rather ends "cold" on an E chord. As most oldies radio stations today play songs provided by a music service rather than actual records, the version with the cold ending is heard almost universally now. This version also features a "yeah" uttered by Sal Valentino between the two iterations of "lonely" that was edited out of the original release.

{{cite web

| last=Ruhlmann

| first=William

| url={{AllMusic|class=song|id=t1110216|pure_url=yes}}

| title='Laugh, Laugh' - Song Review

| publisher=Allmusic (Rovi Corporation)

| date=

| access-date=August 20, 2009}}

The song was produced by Autumn house producer Sylvester Stewart, who later gained fame as Sly Stone of Sly & the Family Stone.

{{cite book

| last=Gulla

| first=Bob

| title=Icons of R&B and Soul: An Encyclopedia of the Artists Who Revolutionized Rhythm, Volume 2

| edition=

| publisher=Greenwood

| page=420

| location=Westport, Conn

| year=2007

| isbn=978-0-313-34046-8}}

Valentino recalled the band's recording sessions with Stone: "He was only about nineteen or twenty when we worked with him. It was before all of his reputation came to be, that everybody knows him for now."

{{cite web

| last=James

| first=Gary

| url=http://www.classicbands.com/BeauBrummelsInterview.html

| title=Beau Brummels Interview

| publisher=Classic Bands

| access-date=August 22, 2009}} Valentino added, "He was a cheerleader. He could play everything if we needed him to. He was great. He was the guy in San Francisco who knew how to make a record in the studio. There was nobody before him."

Elliott agreed, saying Stone was a positive influence on the band because of his talent, intelligence and experience.

{{Listen|pos=left|filename=LaughLaugh.ogg|title="Laugh, Laugh"|description=A sample of "Laugh, Laugh" from the Beau Brummels' 1965 album, Introducing the Beau Brummels. This sample illustrates the song shifting from the first verse to the chorus. }}

"Laugh, Laugh" was released in December 1964, seven months after the band's formation.

In January 1965, the song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 96.

{{cite magazine

| date=January 2, 1965

| title=Billboard Hot 100

| magazine=Billboard

| publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.

| volume=77

| issue=1

| page=10

| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KEUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA10

| issn=0006-2510

| access-date=August 22, 2009}}

The song remained in the top 40 portion of the chart for eight weeks, peaking at number 15 in February.

{{cite book

| last=Whitburn

| first=Joel

| title=The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits

| edition=8th

| publisher=Billboard Books (Nielsen Business Media, Inc.)

| page=53

| location=New York

| year=2004

| isbn=978-0-8230-7499-0}}

{{cite magazine

| date=February 20, 1965

| title=Billboard Hot 100

| magazine=Billboard

| publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.

| volume=77

| issue=8

| page=26

| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mCgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA26

| issn=0006-2510

| access-date=August 22, 2009}}

Donahue believed the single would have peaked at number one if the band was on a label with stronger distribution.

{{cite web

| last=Selvin

| first=Joel

| url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1996/05/19/PK5621.DTL

| title=Searchin' for The Dock of the Bay

| publisher=San Francisco Chronicle (Hearst Corporation)

| date=May 19, 1996

| access-date=August 20, 2009}}

In Canada, the song reached number two on RPM magazine's singles chart.{{cite journal

| date=February 15, 1965

| title=RPM 100

| journal=RPM

| publisher=RPM Music Publications Ltd.

| volume=2

| issue=25

| page=

| issn=0315-5994

| url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.5615&volume=2&issue=25&issue_dt=February%2015%201965&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=v17ssf8g31kpvlv3fgp0fqka22

| access-date=November 5, 2009

| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011092159/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.5615&volume=2&issue=25&issue_dt=February%2015%201965&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=v17ssf8g31kpvlv3fgp0fqka22

| archive-date=October 11, 2012

| url-status=dead

}}

As the song climbed the charts, many listeners assumed the Beau Brummels were British, due to the band's name and musical style.

For their part, Donahue and Mitchell spread rumors that the band was indeed from the UK, and had the band dress in Beatlesque suits.

"Laugh, Laugh" was the first hit single from a burgeoning San Francisco music scene—including such bands as Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, We Five, Moby Grape, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Country Joe and the Fish— to respond to the British Invasion.

{{cite web

| last=Sullivan

| first=Denise

| url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thebeaubrummels/articles/story/5925048/baypop_festival_flashes_back_to_sixties_san_francisco

| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060512104933/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thebeaubrummels/articles/story/5925048/baypop_festival_flashes_back_to_sixties_san_francisco

| url-status=dead

| archive-date=May 12, 2006

| title=Baypop Festival Flashes Back to Sixties San Francisco

| publisher=Rolling Stone (Wenner Media)

| date=August 4, 2000

| access-date=August 20, 2009}}

{{cite web

| last=Selvin

| first=Joel

| url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/02/22/DDG53HC7SP1.DTL

| title=Decades in Obscurity, Beau Brummels Front Man Surfaces to Remind Us What the Fuss Was All About

| publisher=San Francisco Chronicle (Hearst Corporation)

| date=February 22, 2006

| access-date=August 20, 2009}}

The song is credited as one of the earliest tracks to blend beat music with folk rock, even before the Byrds recorded "Mr. Tambourine Man."

Chris Hillman, who played bass guitar with the Byrds, saw the Beau Brummels at a Los Angeles concert, and later remarked: "I remember them doing the hit they had, 'Laugh, Laugh.' They really sort of answered the Beatles before we did, in that sense."

However, Byrds singer-guitarist Roger McGuinn claimed "they had a little trouble singing in tune."

Record World commented on the song's "dynamism" and said that the Beau Brummels "sing and play with a splendid slant toward the contemporary teenage beat."{{cite magazine|title=Single Picks of the Week|magazine=Record World|date=December 12, 1965|page=1|accessdate=2023-07-23|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/60s/64/RW-1964-12-12.pdf}} The song was one of 10 pop singles named in a January 1966 issue of Billboard which credited the use of harmonica in folk, pop, and rhythm and blues (R&B) music for sparking a harmonica sales boom at record retailers in 1964 and 1965.

{{cite magazine

| date=January 15, 1966

| title=Folk Revival Sparks Harmonica Boom

| magazine=Billboard

| publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.

| volume=78

| issue=3

| page=10

| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7SgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA45

| issn = 0006-2510

| access-date=November 5, 2009}}

Music critic Dave Marsh selected the song for his 1989 book, The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made.

{{cite book

| last=Marsh

| first=Dave

| title=The Heart Of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made

| publisher=Da Capo Press

| location=New York

| page=555

| year=1989

| isbn=978-0-306-80901-9}}

William Ruhlmann of Allmusic called it a "pivotal" song with "cleverly arranged harmonies."

On the other hand, Chris Smith of Stylus Magazine described it as a "mostly colorless, indistinct Beatles rip-off" and "pretty unmemorable."

{{cite magazine

| last=Smith

| first=Chris

| url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/weekly_article/nuggets-an-odyssey.htm

| title=Nuggets: An Odyssey

| magazine=Stylus Magazine

| date=July 15, 2002

| access-date=August 20, 2009}}

In 1994, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's curatorial staff, along with rock critics and historians, selected "Laugh, Laugh" for a Hall of Fame exhibit featuring The 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll."{{cite web

| url=http://www.rockhall.com/exhibithighlights/500-songs

| title=500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll

| publisher=The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc.

| date=

| access-date=August 20, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080621085940/http://www.rockhall.com/exhibithighlights/500-songs |archive-date = June 21, 2008}}

The Beau Brummels performed "Laugh, Laugh" on several television music variety shows of the mid-1960s, including NBC's Hullabaloo on February 23, 1965,{{cite web

| url=http://www.tv.com/hullabaloo!/show-7-host-sammy-davis-jr./episode/56909/summary.html?tag=ep_guide;summary

| title=Hullabaloo!: Show #7 Host: Sammy Davis Jr. episode summary

| publisher=TV.com (CBS Interactive)

| date=

| access-date=August 20, 2009

}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

ABC's Shindig! on March 10, 1965{{cite web

| url=http://www.tv.com/shindig/dobie-gray--drifters--beau-brummels--tony-bennett/episode/99923/summary.html?tag=ep_guide;summary

| archive-url=https://archive.today/20130208211349/http://www.tv.com/shindig/dobie-gray--drifters--beau-brummels--tony-bennett/episode/99923/summary.html?tag=ep_guide;summary

| url-status=dead

| archive-date=February 8, 2013

| title=Shindig: Dobie Gray / Drifters / Beau Brummels / Tony Bennett episode summary

| publisher=TV.com (CBS Interactive)

| date=

| access-date=August 20, 2009

}}

and American Bandstand on April 9, 1966.{{cite web

| url=http://www.tv.com/american-bandstand/the-beau-brummels/episode/161805/summary.html

| archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204185619/http://www.tv.com/american-bandstand/the-beau-brummels/episode/161805/summary.html

| url-status=dead

| archive-date=February 4, 2013

| title=American Bandstand: The Beau Brummels episode summary

| publisher=TV.com (CBS Interactive)

| date=

| access-date=August 20, 2009

}}

In September 1965, the Beatles' self-titled animated television series debuted and became an immediate ratings success.

{{cite book

| last=Austen

| first=Jake

| title=TV-a-Go-Go: Rock on TV from American Bandstand to American Idol

| publisher=Chicago Review Press (Independent Publishers Group)

| location=Chicago, Ill.

| pages=124, 127

| year=2005

| isbn=978-1-55652-572-8}}

As a result, animation studios moved quickly to incorporate cartoon rock bands into other programs. An early effort by Hanna-Barbera showcased the Beau Brummels as animated guests on The Flintstones sitcom in the season six episode "Shinrock A Go-Go," which originally aired on December 3, 1965.

{{cite book

| last=Childs

| first=T. Mike

| url=https://archive.org/details/rocklopediafakeb00chil

| url-access=registration

| quote=The Rocklopedia Fakebandica.

| title=The Rocklopedia Fakebandica

| publisher=St. Martin's Press

| location=New York

| page=[https://archive.org/details/rocklopediafakeb00chil/page/14 14]

| year=2004

| isbn=978-0-312-32944-0

| access-date=October 19, 2009}}

Appearing as The Beau Brummelstones, the band performed "Laugh, Laugh" on Bedrock's TV teen dance show, Shinrock—a takeoff of the Shindig! program.

"Laugh, Laugh" was included on the 1998 four-CD expanded edition of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968, a collection of American garage rock singles that helped influence the development of 1970s punk rock. (It was not included in the original 1972 compilation double album).{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6599377/196_nuggets_original_artyfacts_from_the_first_psychedelic_era_19651968|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070619034236/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6599377/196_nuggets_original_artyfacts_from_the_first_psychedelic_era_19651968|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 19, 2007| title=Rolling Stone - Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968| publisher=Rolling Stone (Wenner Media)| date=August 1, 2003| access-date=August 22, 2009}}{{cite book

| last=Savage

| first=Jon

| title=England's Dreaming: Anarchy, Sex Pistols, Punk Rock, and Beyond

| edition=Revised

| publisher=St. Martin's Griffin

| pages=64, 81, 561

| location=New York

| year=2002

| isbn=978-0-312-28822-8}}

{{cite book

| last=Gray

| first=Marcus

| title=The Clash: Return of the Last Gang in Town

| edition=2nd

| publisher=Hal Leonard

| page=28

| location=Milwaukee, Wis.

| year=2004

| isbn=978-0-634-08240-5}}

The song was also featured in the 1989 John Candy comedy film Uncle Buck.{{cite web

| url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1064853/

| title=Filmography Overview - The Beau Brummels

| website=IMDb.com, Inc.

| access-date=August 20, 2009}}

An alternate take appears on the Beau Brummels' 1996 three-disc box set San Fran Sessions, a collection of rarities, demos and outtakes.

{{cite web

| last=Unterberger

| first=Richie

| url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r244192|pure_url=yes}}

| title=San Fran Sessions - Overview

| publisher=Allmusic (Rovi Corporation)

| access-date=October 15, 2009}}

The band's Live! album, released in 2000, contains a 1974 performance of "Laugh, Laugh" recorded during a concert in Fair Oaks Village near Sacramento, California.

{{cite web

| last=Eder

| first=Bruce

| url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r497971|pure_url=yes}}

| title=Live! - Overview

| publisher=Allmusic (Rovi Corporation)

| access-date=August 26, 2009}}

Sal Valentino revisited the song on his 2008 solo album, Every Now and Then, on which he offers a darker interpretation of the track.{{cite magazine

| last=Zimmerman

| first=Lee

| url=http://wp.goldminemag.com/article/Album_Review_Sal_Valentino_Every_Now_and_Then/

| title=Album Review — Sal Valentino: Every Now and Then

| magazine=Goldmine (F+W Media)

| date=October 16, 2008

| access-date=September 29, 2009

}}{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Surf rock group the Astronauts performed a cover version of "Laugh, Laugh" on their 1967 album, Travelin' Man.

{{cite web

| url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r570009|pure_url=yes}}

| title=Travelin' Man - Overview

| publisher=Allmusic (Rovi Corporation)

| access-date=October 15, 2009}}

The song was also covered by California garage rock band the E-Types, whose live rendition is part of the Live at the Rainbow Ballroom 1966 album, released in 1998.

{{cite web

| last=Koda

| first=Cub

| url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r350145|pure_url=yes}}

| title=Live at the Rainbow Ballroom 1966 - Overview

| publisher=Allmusic (Rovi Corporation)

| access-date=October 15, 2009}}

Experimental musician{{cite web

| last=Mason

| first=Stewart

| url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p23776|pure_url=yes}}

| title=R. Stevie Moore - Biography

| publisher=Allmusic (Rovi Corporation)

| date=

| access-date=August 24, 2009}}

R. Stevie Moore recorded a version of the song on his 1983 album, Crises.

{{cite web

| url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r698026|pure_url=yes}}

| title=Crises - Overview

| publisher=Allmusic (Rovi Corporation)

| date=

| access-date=September 10, 2009}} Rob Seel released a version in 2017, which includes performances by Mark Dawson of the Grass Roots and Grip Weeds members Kurt Reil, Rick Reil, and Kristin Pinell.Wixen Music Publishing / Rob Seel via CDBaby

The Beau Brummels

• Sal Valentino – lead vocals, tambourine
• Ron Elliott – acoustic guitar, vocals
• Ron Meagher – bass guitar, vocals
• Declan Mulligan – electric guitar, harmonica, vocals
• John Petersen – drums

Production team

• Sylvester Stewart – producer
• Leo de Gar Kulka – engineer

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{The Beau Brummels}}

{{good article}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Parlophone singles

Category:The Beau Brummels songs

Category:1965 debut singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Sly Stone

Category:Songs written by Ron Elliott (musician)

Category:1964 songs