Who Else Wants to Kiss and Hug Fred?

Hey everyone,

In 1959 Paul Evans and the Curls came out with a hit single which of course is one of my favourite songs and which makes me smile every time I hear it. It was also done by the Avons. The female vocals were The Curls – Sue Singleton and Sue Terry.

The song is “Seven Little Girls Sitting In The Back Seat Kissing And Hugging With Fred”.

(Quote From You Tube):

‘Most people will remember Paul singing this Top Ten novelty hit from the fall of 1959, “Seven Little Girls”. But Paul Evans was a multi-talented fellow and a songwriter of some note. Among the many hits Paul wrote were “When” for the Kalin Twins (#5 in June of 1958), “I Gotta Know” for Elvis Presley (Top 20 in 1960), and his biggest, “Roses are Red” for Bobby Vinton (#1 for a solid month in June of 1962).’

(End of Quote From You Tube)

Here’s two of quite a few video variations from Youtube.

I guess you can see how it would be one of my favourites!

Here’s the original recorded by Paul Evans.There are only six little puppets in the back seat along with a very familiar looking “Fred”. Recorded at the Little Theater in New York City on January 16, 1960.

(Start of Lyrics For Seven Little Girls):

(Dee doody doom doom, dee doody doom doom)
(Dee doody doom doom, DOOM)

Seven little girls sittin’ in the back seat
Huggin and a’kissin with Fred
I said “why don’t one of you come up and sit beside me?”
And this is what the seven girls said

CHORUS
(All together now, one, two, three)
(Keep you mind on your drivin’)
(Keep you hands on the wheel)
(Keep your snoopy eyes on the road ahead)
(We’re havin’ fun sittin’ in the back seat kissin’ and a’huggin with Fred)
(Dee doody doom doom, dee doody doom doom)
(Dee doody doom doom, DOOM)

Drove through the town, drove through the country
Showed ‘em how a motor could go
I said “how do you like my triple carburetor?”
And one of them whispered low

CHORUS

Seven little girls smoochin’ in the back seat
Every one in love with Fred
I said “you don’t need me, I’ll get off at my house”
And this is what the seven girls said

(All together now, one, two, three)
(Keep you mind on your drivin’)
(Keep you hands on the wheel)
(Keep your snoopy eyes on the road ahead)
(We’re havin’ fun sittin’ in the back seat kissin’ and a’huggin with Fred)

All of them in love with Fred
(Dee doody doom doom)
Kissin’ and a’huggin with Fred
(Dee doody doom doom)
Wish that I could be like Fred
(DOOM)

(End Of Lyrics For Seven Little Girls)

Here’s some facts about the song from Paul Evans himself:

“The only live that I ever did was the Arthur Murray Dance Party show. It was a network television show, and it was right before I got drafted. I was excited, I never did live anything, and here I’m doing live television. One shot, no retakes, and I can tell you that that was scary to me. I was so nervous. Finally I sat in the seat, and they had 7 girls behind me and a chimpanzee playing the part of Fred. And by the way, he was a naughty chimpanzee, he broke into the girls’ dressing room all the time and lifted up their skirts. He was really a strange monkey, but he was a very big star – as big a star as an ape could be, you know. I sat in the front seat of this car that was on the stage, girls sitting behind me, and I hear the overture, and the overture is the beginning of the song. Now the first part of the song, which is called ‘Seven Little Girls Sitting In The Back Seat’ is ‘Seven little girls, sitting in the back seat.’ I should have known it. I couldn’t think of it. I could not think of the line. My hair got soaking wet from nervous perspiration. Unbelievable. I was so scared because there was no turning back, the curtains were now opened, the overture was over, and I sang, “Seven little girls…” I mean, it just came to me, it was amazing. It’s funny, I’ve heard this from other people, and they’ve never missed a beat. They get afraid. I’ve done that before, I’ve done it again, and this is just national television. I was so shaken by this. I did a good job, got done, and that’s all that matters, I know. My wife says that when she sees me on the stage, I walk out on the stage, I do look a little nervous to her – she knows me. But she says the second I open my mouth and start singing, it’s all over for nerves.”

Keep Smiling!

Fred