"Speedy Gonzales" is a 1961 song by David Hess (RCA 8056),[1] who recorded it under the name David Dante, about Speedy Gonzales, "the fastest mouse in all Mexico". It was written by Buddy Kaye, Ethel Lee and Dante/Hess. The David Dante original version briefly entered the U.S. Music Vendor chart in April 1961.
The song was popularized in the United States as a 1962 single by Pat Boone.[2] The Boone version peaked at the No. 6 Billboard Hot 100 position in 1962 during a total chart run of 13 weeks, doing better in many national charts in Europe, where it sold a million copies.[3] The female voice ("La-la-la...") on this song was of Robin Ward.[3] It also incorporatedMel Blanc voicing Speedy Gonzales as he did in the Warner Brotherscartoons.
Dante's version details a demand from a girl named Consuela to Speedy to stop roving about and take care of his neglected household. Boone's song adds a spoken introduction stating that he was wandering between some old adobe haciendas on a moonlit night in Mexico, where he heard the voice of a Mexican girl calling to Speedy, and Mel Blanc's inserts replace a recurring line from Dante's lyrics.
Warner Bros. Pictures sued Boone and Dot Records for $850,000 over Blanc's performance of Speedy's voice on Boone's record without their authorization. The case was later dropped.
Background vocals by Roque Morales and Memo Morales
Intro by A.B. Quintanilla III
Other versions
English-language versions
In 1965, Soupy Sales recorded the song on his album "Soupy Sales Sez Do The Mouse"
Recorded in English, but with a Cantonese spoken section: "墨西哥女郎" ("Mexican Girl") by The Fabulous Echoes featuring Tang Kei Chan (鄧寄塵) (Hong Kong, 1965)
In 1969, the song was recorded by the Hep Stars and became their last single[17]
In 1973, the song was recorded by the Navajo Sundowners on their album "Navajo Sundowners, Volume 3, and re-released in 1974 on Volume 8.[18][19]
Covered by The Wurzels on their 1975 album The Wurzels Are Scrumptious and later featured as a B-Side to their single Give Me England in 1977.
^Hallberg, Eric (1993). Eric Hallberg presenterar Kvällstoppen i P 3: Sveriges radios topplista över veckans 20 mest sålda skivor 10. 7. 1962 - 19. 8. 1975. Drift Musik. p. 243. ISBN9163021404.
^Hallberg, Eric; Henningsson, Ulf (1998). Eric Hallberg, Ulf Henningsson presenterar Tio i topp med de utslagna på försök: 1961 - 74. Premium Publishing. p. 313. ISBN919727125X.
^Ольга Бычкова (June 18, 2014). "Особое мнение: Артемий Троицкий" [Special opinion: Artemy Troitsky (An interview with Artemy Troitsky)] (in Russian). Echo of Moscow. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
