Bend It!

"Bend It!" is a song by English pop band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, released as a single by Fontana on 9 September 1966. Written by the band's management team Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, the song's Greek flavour and tempo changes garnered comparisons to Mikis Theodorakis's composition "Zorba's Dance". Though considered a departure from the "big-beat" style of the band's previous hits, "Bend It!" was a major chart success. It peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and had combined sales of over a million in the UK and Europe.[2][3]

"Bend It!"
Dutch picture sleeve
Single by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
from the album If Music Be the Food of Love... Prepare for Indigestion
B-side"She's So Good"
Released9 September 1966
Recorded9 August 1966[1]
StudioPhilips, Stanhope House, London
Genre
Length2:29
LabelFontana
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Steve Rowland
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich singles chronology
"Hideaway"
(1966)		 "Bend It!"
(1966)		 "Hard to Love You"
(1966)

Composition

The song is notable for its Greek style, inspired by "Zorba's Dance" from the 1964 film Zorba the Greek, which includes a bouzouki that quickens in tempo. For "Bend It!", an electric mandolin was used, with the result coming from experimenting during rehearsals.[4] It represented a departure in sound for the band; Dave Dee told Record Mirror the band couldn't have recorded "another thump-thump thing", adding "we won't be angry if this isn't a hit because at least we'll have tried something new".[5]

Release

"Bend It!" was released with the B-side "She's So Good", written by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich. However, in Germany it was released by Star-Club Records with the B-side "You Make It Move", which had been released the previous year as the band's third single.[6] The song peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks, ultimately spending twelve weeks on the chart.[7] It reached number 1 in Germany, New Zealand and South Africa.[8][9][10]

The song's salacious lyrics caused controversy and upon its release in America in October, numerous radio stations banned the song. This led the band to re-record "Bend It!" with altered lyrics. This version was then rush-released at the end of October and the original version was withdrawn.[11] The new release came with an open letter of apology stating that "As a pop group we have no right or wish to set ourselves up as arbiters of public taste or morals. But neither would we want to be viewed in any way as corrupters of these standards. Our two countries are so close in most things that it is always surprising to find the exceptional cases where meaning and innuendo differ between us".[12] The song was promoted with a "Bend It!" dance. The dance, created by Ready Steady Go! dancer and choreographer Patrick Kerr, was promoted in music magazines and an instruction guide inlay was included with the song's sheet music.[13]

Reception

Reviewed in Record Mirror, "Bend It!" was described as "in many ways the best the boys have yet done. It's unusual, with a speeding-up tempo and a fine set of lyrics".[14] In the US, reviewing the original release, Billboard wrote that "this left-field rhythm novelty with fascinating arrangement should meet with equal success in the U.S." and Cash Box wrote that it "features a tricky, chugging, locomotive rhythm and an excellent sound" and that it also "stands an excellent chance to smash through Stateside".[15][16]

Charts
Chart (1966–67) Peak
position
Australia (Go-Set)[17] 16
Australia (Kent Music Report)[18] 6
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[19] 2
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[20] 16
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[21] 22
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[22] 94
Denmark (Danmarks Radio)[23] 8
Germany (Official German Charts)[24] 1
Ireland (IRMA)[25] 3
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[26] 4
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[27] 4
New Zealand (Listener)[28] 1
Rhodesia (Lyons Maid)[29] 1
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[30] 1
Sweden (Kvällstoppen)[31] 5
UK Singles (OCC)[2] 2
US Bubbling Under the Hot 100 (Billboard)[32] 110

References
  1. "Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick, & Tich – August 1966". 11 November 2016. Archived from the original on 11 November 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  2. "Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick Tich: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  3. Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 204. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  4. "Band Biography part 2 - 1965-1966". www.dddbmt.com. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  5. "Dave Dee & co keep one jump ahead..." (PDF). Record Mirror. 10 September 1966. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  6. Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich – Bend It / You Make It Move (1966, Vinyl), 1966, retrieved 17 August 2021
  7. "Dave Dee, Doxy, Beaky, Mick & Tich". Official Charts. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  8. "Suche – Offizielle Deutsche Charts". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 11 April 2020. Type Bend It into Suchen box and then press Enter.
  9. "NZ Listener chart statistics for Bend It". flavourofnz.co.nz. Archived from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  10. "SA Charts 1965 – 1989 Songs A–B". South African Rock Lists. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  11. Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 163. ISBN 0-600-57602-7. CN 5585.
  12. "Vox Jox" (PDF). Billboard. 5 November 1966. p. 32. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  13. "Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich" (PDF). Cash Box: 111. 22 October 1966. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  14. "New Singles" (PDF). Record Mirror. 10 September 1966. p. 9. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  15. "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. 15 October 1966. p. 16. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  16. "Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 8 October 1966. p. 12. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  17. "Go-Set Australian charts - 14 December 1966". gosetcharts.com. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  18. Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-44439-5.
  19. "Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich – Bend It" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  20. "Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich – Bend It" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  21. "Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich – Bend It" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  22. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 10035." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  23. "danskehitlister.dk". 2 August 2016. Archived from the original on 2 August 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  24. "Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich – Bend It" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  25. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Bend It". Irish Singles Chart.
  26. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  27. "Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich – Bend It" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  28. "flavour of new zealand - search listener". www.flavourofnz.co.nz. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  29. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: Singles Chart Book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  30. "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1965 - 1989 Acts (D)". 8 July 2019. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  31. "Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick And Tich – Se alla låtar och listplaceringar". NostalgiListan (in Swedish). Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  32. Whitburn, Joel (1982). Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Hot 100 1959–1981. Record Research. p. 47. ISBN 9780898200478.
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