"Short Fat Fannie" (alternatively "Short Fat Fanny") is Larry Williams' second single release after "High School Dance". Williams' original penned track peaked at number five on the U.S.

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

chart, and at number one on the R&B chart. It sold over one million records, Williams' first million seller.

Recording

The track was recorded on April 26, 1957. The musicians included: * Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, leader * Jesse James Jones, tenor sax * Leon M. Silby, piano * René Hall, guitar * Ted Brinson, bass *

Earl Palmer Earl Cyril Palmer (October 25, 1924 – September 19, 2008) was an American drummer. Considered one of the inventors of rock and roll, he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Palmer was one of the most prolific studio musicians of all ...

, drums

Cover versions

The

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetiti ...

was rehearsed by

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developm ...

during the filming of the documentary, '' Let It Be'' in 1969. The song was recorded on the film

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

and is featured on many bootleg recordings. "Short Fat Fannie" was an early example of a novelty genre including pop song titles. This formula was later used for Bobby Darin's "Splish Splash" and Bob Kayli's "Everyone Was There", as well as both of

Billy and Lillie Billy & Lillie were an American pop vocal duo, composed of Billy Ford (William T. Ford, March 9, 1919 or 1925 – March 1983) and Lillie Bryant (born February 14, 1940, Newburgh, New York).Joel Whitburn, ''The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits''. 7th ...

's hits, " La Dee Dah" and " Lucky Ladybug". The song was also

covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of ...

Billy Preston William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, during which he b ...

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...

, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, Curtis Johnson, Ronnie Self, The Dovells and

Johnny Winter John Dawson Winter III (February 23, 1944 – July 16, 2014) was an American singer and guitarist. Winter was known for his high-energy blues rock albums and live performances in the late 1960s and 1970s. He also produced three Grammy Award-win ...

. Frankie Avalon also recorded the song. The track was also a favorite of

Levon Helm Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm (May 26, 1940 – April 19, 2012) was an American musician who achieved fame as the drummer and one of the three lead vocalists for the Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. H ...

, drummer of The Band. He would sing the song often while touring as the Hawks, and even played a version of it on ''

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musi ...

'' in 1993.

Charts

* Billboard R&B: No. 1 * Billboard Hot 100: No. 5 * Billboard Hot 100 -

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

: No. 45 *

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

: No. 21

References

1957 singles Larry Williams songs Songs written by Larry Williams {{1950s-single-stub