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Rubber Biscuit

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22: 574: 314:"Rubber Biscuit" started life as Charles Johnson's answer to the marching rhythms of the Warwick School for Delinquent Teenagers while he was an intern there. Label credit for writing and composing the song was given to Chips lead singer Charles Johnson. The songwriting credit was expanded in the 1970s to include all of the Chips. 330:
and meager diet resulting from such items as a "wish sandwich" (where one has two slices of bread and wishes for meat in between them), a "ricochet biscuit" (which is supposed to bounce off the wall and into one's mouth, and when it does not, "you go hungry"), a "cool-water sandwich," and a "Sunday
335:) explains that these last two items refer, respectively, to eating watermelon and taking an old lady to church. The song closes with the question "What do you want for nothing — a rubber biscuit?" 388:
heard the tune they signed the group and the record was issued in September 1956. Although it did not chart, "Rubber Biscuit" became popular on the East Coast, allowing the Chips to tour alongside
400:, but the momentum gained by their debut single was waning and the group broke up at the end of 1957. Sammy Strain went on to success in the music industry, as a member of 435:
and #44 in Canada. This led to royalties for the original Chips, and they briefly re-united to record another single and play a few shows.
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manner. The scat is interrupted every few bars for short one-liners, most of which are implicit references to the singer's
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The Chips were teenage friends in New York: Charles Johnson (lead vocal), Nathaniel Epps (baritone), Paul Fulton (bass),
65: 655: 556: 401: 105: 39: 72: 43: 604: 408:. Strain left the O'Jays in 1992 to return to the Imperials, where he remained until his retirement in 2004. 54: 660: 650: 597: 458: 296: 32: 645: 522:"The Sammy Strain Story: Part 1... The Chips 'What Do You Want For Nothing? A Rubber Biscuit?'" 640: 635: 79: 331:
go-to-meeting bun." In a live performance of the song by the Blues Brothers, Elwood Blues (
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Few of the lyrics can actually be understood, as they are sung in the
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Recorded August 3, 1956, at Belltone Studios, New York City.
519: 46:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 420:recorded a cover of "Rubber Biscuit" on the album 622: 424:; this version (with lead vocal by actor-singer 404:from about 1961 to 1972, when he left to join 605: 290:, who recorded it in 1956. It was covered by 379: 612: 598: 549:Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 106:Learn how and when to remove this message 515: 513: 511: 509: 507: 411: 286:song performed by the vocals-only team 623: 580:This 1950s song-related article is a 504: 438: 568: 520:Charlie Horner; Steven Kahn (2012). 44:adding citations to reliable sources 15: 484: 13: 402:Little Anthony & the Imperials 14: 672: 457:It was also featured in the 1990 444:"Rubber Biscuit" was used in the 572: 20: 347:and Shedrick Lincoln (tenors). 180:Belltone Studios, New York City 31:needs additional citations for 542: 478: 309: 1: 471: 264:"Darling (I Need Your Love)" 584:. You can help Knowledge by 375:other musicians unidentified 338: 7: 294:on their 1978 debut album, 10: 677: 567: 380:Performance and aftermath 317: 248: 240: 228: 216: 200: 184: 174: 166: 151: 139: 128: 123: 656:The Blues Brothers songs 118:1956 single by the Chips 422:Briefcase Full of Blues 297:Briefcase Full of Blues 412:Blues Brothers cover 40:improve this article 354:Ernie Hayes - piano 529:Echoes of the Past 485:Gilliam, Richard. 439:In popular culture 418:The Blues Brothers 292:the Blues Brothers 244:singles chronology 593: 592: 274: 273: 270: 269: 116: 115: 108: 90: 668: 661:1950s song stubs 614: 607: 600: 576: 569: 559: 546: 540: 539: 537: 536: 526: 517: 502: 501: 499: 497: 487:"Rubber Biscuit" 482: 277:"Rubber Biscuit" 250: 249: 233: 212: 211: 207: 162: 160: 144: 124:"Rubber Biscuit" 121: 120: 111: 104: 100: 97: 91: 89: 55:"Rubber Biscuit" 48: 24: 16: 676: 675: 671: 670: 669: 667: 666: 665: 651:The Chips songs 621: 620: 619: 618: 565: 563: 562: 547: 543: 534: 532: 524: 518: 505: 495: 493: 483: 479: 474: 446:Martin Scorsese 441: 414: 382: 341: 320: 312: 265: 260: 236:Charles Johnson 229: 209: 205: 204: 158: 156: 147:"Oh My Darlin'" 140: 119: 112: 101: 95: 92: 49: 47: 37: 25: 12: 11: 5: 674: 664: 663: 658: 653: 648: 643: 638: 633: 617: 616: 609: 602: 594: 591: 590: 577: 561: 560: 541: 503: 476: 475: 473: 470: 469: 468: 455: 440: 437: 413: 410: 381: 378: 377: 376: 373: 367: 361: 358:Panama Francis 355: 340: 337: 319: 316: 311: 308: 272: 271: 268: 267: 262: 257:Rubber Biscuit 253: 246: 245: 238: 237: 234: 226: 225: 220: 214: 213: 202: 198: 197: 188: 182: 181: 178: 172: 171: 170:August 3, 1956 168: 164: 163: 153: 149: 148: 145: 137: 136: 126: 125: 117: 114: 113: 28: 26: 19: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 673: 662: 659: 657: 654: 652: 649: 647: 646:Doo-wop songs 644: 642: 639: 637: 634: 632: 629: 628: 626: 615: 610: 608: 603: 601: 596: 595: 589: 587: 583: 578: 575: 571: 570: 566: 558: 557:0-89820-089-X 554: 550: 545: 530: 523: 516: 514: 512: 510: 508: 492: 488: 481: 477: 467: 465: 460: 456: 453: 452: 447: 443: 442: 436: 434: 432: 427: 423: 419: 409: 407: 403: 399: 395: 394:the Cadillacs 391: 387: 386:Josie Records 374: 371: 368: 365: 362: 359: 356: 353: 352: 351: 348: 346: 336: 334: 329: 325: 315: 307: 306: 304: 299: 298: 293: 289: 285: 282: 278: 263: 258: 254: 252: 251: 247: 243: 239: 235: 232: 231:Songwriter(s) 227: 224: 221: 219: 215: 203: 199: 196: 192: 189: 187: 183: 179: 177: 173: 169: 165: 154: 150: 146: 143: 138: 135: 131: 127: 122: 110: 107: 99: 88: 85: 81: 78: 74: 71: 67: 64: 60: 57: –  56: 52: 51:Find sources: 45: 41: 35: 34: 29:This article 27: 23: 18: 17: 641:Comedy songs 636:1978 singles 586:expanding it 579: 564: 548: 544: 533:. Retrieved 528: 494:. Retrieved 480: 462: 451:Mean Streets 449: 430: 421: 415: 383: 364:Mickey Baker 349: 345:Sammy Strain 342: 321: 313: 303:Mean Streets 301: 295: 276: 275: 256: 102: 93: 83: 76: 69: 62: 50: 38:Please help 33:verification 30: 459:John Waters 448:1973 film, 426:Dan Aykroyd 372:- saxophone 370:King Curtis 333:Dan Aykroyd 310:Songwriting 631:1956 songs 625:Categories 535:2024-08-02 472:References 406:the O'Jays 398:Bo Diddley 66:newspapers 431:Billboard 416:In 1978, 390:the Dells 339:Personnel 288:the Chips 242:The Chips 134:the Chips 96:June 2010 491:AllMusic 464:Cry-Baby 366:- guitar 167:Recorded 152:Released 496:June 6, 433:Hot 100 360:- drums 328:poverty 284:doo-wop 281:novelty 266:(1961) 261:(1956) 195:doo-wop 191:Novelty 157: ( 80:scholar 555:  461:film, 396:, and 318:Lyrics 201:Length 176:Studio 142:B-side 130:Single 82:  75:  68:  61:  53:  525:(PDF) 384:When 279:is a 223:Josie 218:Label 186:Genre 87:JSTOR 73:books 582:stub 553:ISBN 498:2010 324:scat 159:1956 155:1956 59:news 132:by 42:by 627:: 551:- 527:. 506:^ 489:. 392:, 259:" 210:05 193:, 613:e 606:t 599:v 588:. 538:. 500:. 466:. 454:. 305:. 255:" 208:: 206:2 161:) 109:) 103:( 98:) 94:( 84:· 77:· 70:· 63:· 36:.

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"Rubber Biscuit"
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Single
the Chips
B-side
Studio
Genre
Novelty
doo-wop
Label
Josie
Songwriter(s)
The Chips
novelty
doo-wop
the Chips
the Blues Brothers
Briefcase Full of Blues
Mean Streets
scat
poverty

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