John Lennon recorded a version of Larry Williams’ 1957 hit ‘Bony Moronie’ in 1973, and it was released two years later on his Rock ‘N’ Roll album.
‘Bony Moronie’ was Larry Williams’ third single. It sold a million copies in the United States, and reached number 14 in the charts; in Britain it peaked at number 12.
The song was one of four songs on Lennon’s Rock ‘N’ Roll album produced by Phil Spector. As with the other cuts, it was slowed from the original tempo and given the Wall of Sound treatment.
‘Bony Moronie’ was one of the very earliest songs – along with ‘Be-Bop-A-Lula’ – and I remember singing it the only time my mother saw me perform before she died. So I was hot on ‘Bony Moronie’. That is one of the reasons. Also, I liked Larry Williams, who recorded it.
John Lennon, 1975
In the studio a junior engineer mistakenly stretched a tape of ‘Bony Moronie’. Thankfully this was a rough mix and not the multi-track, and the song was able to be mastered and released.
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