"Little Bitty Pretty One" | |
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Single by Thurston Harris and the Sharps | |
B-side | "I Hope You Won't Hold It Against Me" |
Released | September 1957 |
Length | 2:22 |
Label | Aladdin |
Songwriter(s) | Bobby Day |
"Little Bitty Pretty One" is a 1957 song written and originally recorded by Bobby Day. The same year, the song was popularized by Thurston Harris.[1] Produced by Aladdin Records (located in Los Angeles, Calif.), and featuring the Sharps on backing vocals,[2] Harris's version reached No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard Best-Sellers chart and No. 2 on the R&B chart.[3] The Bobby Day version reached No. 11 in the Canadian CHUM Chart.[4]
"Little Bitty Pretty One" | ||||
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Single by The Jackson 5 | ||||
from the album Lookin' Through the Windows | ||||
B-side | "If I Have to Move a Mountain" | |||
Released | April 4, 1972 | |||
Recorded | 1972 | |||
Studio | Motown | |||
Genre | R&B | |||
Length | 2:22 | |||
Label | Motown | |||
Songwriter(s) | Bobby Day | |||
Producer(s) | Mel Larson, Jerry Marcellino | |||
The Jackson 5 singles chronology | ||||
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Bryan Thomas writes that the song "has gone on to become one of the best loved oldies of the late '50s".[5]
The song is famous for its hummed opening.[6][7]
It was used in the 1983 horror film Christine, the 1989 comedy/fantasy film Little Monsters, and the 1996 comedy/fantasy film Matilda.
"Little Bitty Pretty One" was the inspiration for the Accents' sole hit "Wiggle Wiggle" in 1958, and though the similarities were evidently not sufficient to warrant a lawsuit, Aladdin Records took the expedient step of covering the song with a group called the Chestnuts.