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The Champs - Tequila

The Champs - Tequila Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Tequila
Released: 1958

Tequila Lyrics

Tequila

Tequila is an alcoholic beverage named after a town in Mexico. It is a key ingredient in Margaritas and is often done as a shot by licking salt, taking the drink, then sucking a lemon wedge. Many bars turn this song into a production, often offering shots of tequila directly from the bottle.

This was originally released as the B-side of an aptly named song by The Champs called "Train to Nowhere." Disc jockeys flipped the single and played "Tequila" instead, making the song one of the biggest hits of the '50s.

Danny Flores, who was the saxophone player in The Champs, wrote this song (it's credited to his pen name, Chuck Rio).

Flores had the melody kicking around for a while, and would play it as an interlude during the group's club shows. He was a tequila drinker, so when the band decided to record his melody as a B-side, he named it "Tequila" and added the spoken title, which he voiced.

According to Leo Kulka, who was the second engineer, this song was an afterthought after the band recorded "Train to Nowhere" (the A-side of the record). Some of the musicians had already left the studio when it was brought up that nothing had been recorded for the B-side. The remaining musicians were rounded up and the song was written on the spot. The "Tequila" part of the song was simply a silly attempt to cover up the holes in the song. After all, it was just the B-side. (thanks, Keith - Reno, NV)

Not performing on this record, but later members of the group were Glen Campbell, Jimmy Seals and Dash Crofts (Seals & Crofts of '70s fame). (thanks, WC - Charlotte, NC)

This was featured in the 1985 movie Pee Wee's Big Adventure. It was used in a scene where Pee Wee Herman wins over the crowd in a biker bar by doing a dance to the song. The movie was the first feature film directed by Tim Burton, and Danny Elfman wrote the score.

This won for Best Rhythm & Blues Performance at the first ever Grammy Awards in 1959. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)