The Foote Files: Gary U.S. Bonds & School Is Out
(CBS 11) - We will be starting back again next week with Ken Foote's Summer Songs but before we do, we have to pay tribute to Gary U.S. Bonds!
Bonds (born Gary Anderson on June 6, 1939 in Jacksonville, Florida) is a legendary R&B singer/songwriter going back to the beginning of rock and roll.
He has been active since 1956 and is known for such hits as " Quarter To Three," "New Orleans" and "Twist, Twist Senora."
All told, he charted nine times on Billboard from 1960-1982. But today's song is one that you don't hear much except on SIRIUS XM 50s On 5 or on the Cousin Bruce Morrow Show on SIRIUS XM 60s On 6.
"School Is Out" was released in July 1961 (when school was out!) and was Bonds' third song to chart. It was his second most successful song on Billboard, hitting #5 ("Quarter To Three" was his only #1 song). Written by Bonds and Gene Barge, running 2:36 on the Legrand label, the lyrics go like this:
A-one, a-two, a-one two three four
No more books and studies
And I can stay out late with my buddies
I can do the things that I want to do
'Cause all my exams are through
I can root for the Yankees from the bleachers
And don't have to worry 'bout teachers
I'm so glad that school is out
I could sing and shout!
Everybody's gonna have some fun
(School is out)
Everybody's gonna jump and run
(School is out)
Come on people don't you be late
(School is out)
I just got time to take my girl out on a date
School is out at last
And I'm so glad I passed
So everybody come and go with me
We're gonna have a night with Daddy G
Blow Daddy!!
If longtime Dallas Fort Worth radio personality Ron Chapman had not played this one morning on 98.7 KLUV-FM, I might not have known about it!
Enjoy!