"Walk on the Wild Side" originated as the title song of the 1962 film of the same name as performed by

Brook Benton Benjamin Franklin Peay (September 19, 1931 – April 9, 1988), better known as Brook Benton, was an American singer and songwriter who was popular with rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music audiences during the late 1950s and early 1960 ...

over the film's coda and closing credits. Lyrics were written by

Mack David Mack David (July 5, 1912 – December 30, 1993) was an American lyricist and songwriter, best known for his work in film and television, with a career spanning the period between the early 1940s and the early 1970s. David was credited with writing ...

and music was by

Elmer Bernstein Elmer Bernstein ( '; April 4, 1922August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor. In a career that spanned over five decades, he composed "some of the most recognizable and memorable themes in Hollywood history", including over 150 origi ...

. The two earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song.

Background

The song evokes the

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

and

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is co ...

musical styles of the film's

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

setting, and the reputation of its Storyville district. It addresses an unnamed straying Christian — or perhaps all who : …walk on the wild side : Away from the

promised land The Promised Land ( he, הארץ המובטחת, translit.: ''ha'aretz hamuvtakhat''; ar, أرض الميعاد, translit.: ''ard al-mi'ad; also known as "The Land of Milk and Honey"'') is the land which, according to the Tanakh (the Hebrew ...

and seems to threaten them in terms understood within their life style: : One day of praying, and six nights of fun. :

Odds Odds provide a measure of the likelihood of a particular outcome. They are calculated as the ratio of the number of events that produce that outcome to the number that do not. Odds are commonly used in gambling and statistics. Odds also have ...

against getting to

Heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...

: six to one. The song has had a second life in real-life gospel music.

Chart performance

Brook Benton

Jimmy Smith version

Jazz organist Jimmy Smith recorded an instrumental version of the song for his 1962 album '' Bashin': The Unpredictable Jimmy Smith''. The music was arranged by

Oliver Nelson Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. His 1961 Impulse! album ''The Blues and the Abstract Truth'' (1961) is regarded as one of the most signifi ...

and features Nelson's Big Band. The record cover displays a sticker-facsimile quoting "''Includes the exciting jazz version of WALK ON THE WILD SIDE''" in order to take advantage of the success of the movie soundtrack. The track was released spread over two sides of a 45-rpm single; Smith's organ is not heard until Part Two. The single reached No. 21 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in June 1962. On the Hot R&B Sides chart, the track peaked at No. 4

Other recordings

Harry James Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947 but shortly after he reorganized ...

recorded a version in 1965 on his album ''Harry James Plays Green Onions & Other Great Hits'' ( Dot DLP 3634 and DLP 25634). *

The Persuasions The Persuasions are an American a cappella group that began singing together in Brooklyn, New York in the mid-1960s. The Persuasions were formed in Brooklyn in 1962, singing a cappella under corner streetlights and in subway corridors. Their ...

covered the song in 1971 on their second album ''We Came To Play'' (

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of not ...

References

{{Authority control 1962 songs Songs with lyrics by Mack David Songs written for films Brook Benton songs