The Beat Goes On (Sonny & Cher song)

Production

The players on the song were The Wrecking Crew. The arrangement is credited to Harold Battiste, but Wrecking Crew bassist Carol Kaye asserts that at the session she devised the distinctive syncopated bass line that is featured on the released recording, replacing the original walking bass line in the prepared arrangement.

The recording session for the song was held on December 13, 1966 at the Gold Star Studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles with a backing band of 19 musicians from The Wrecking Crew. After a two and a half hour session to record the song, guitarist Barney Kessel is reported to have stood up and proclaimed, "Never have so many played so little for so much." The song's lyrics deal mainly with current events of the time, with the refrain "(And) the beat goes on, the beat goes on" following each verse.

Live performances

Sonny and Cher performed the song many times on their hit 1970s television variety shows, as well as in their live concerts. The song was included in the "Sonny and Cher" video montages during Cher's Do You Believe? Tour and The Farewell Tour. Cher performed the song live with Sonny Bono's voice track on her successful Cher at the Colosseum show as well as her 2014 Dressed to Kill Tour and 2017–2020 Classic Cher shows. It was also performed during her Here We Go Again Tour (2018–2020). In 2019, Cher performed the song during the season 28 season finale of Dancing with the Stars.

Personnel

According to the AFM contract sheet, the following musicians played on the track.

• Harold Battiste
• Gene Daniello
• Dr. John
• Michel Rubini
• Frank Capp
• Jim Gordon
• Nick Pellico
• Stanley Ross
• Lyle Ritz
• Bobby West
• Keith Allison
• David Cohen
• Barney Kessel
• Carol Kaye
• Mike Post
• Bill Green
• Lou Blackburn
• Frederick Hill
• Melvin Moore

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

All Seeing I version

| B-side = Booty in the I In 1997, British electronic music group All Seeing I released a version sampling the vocals from the Buddy Rich version. When re-released in 1998, it peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 1 on the UK Dance Singles Chart. It also reached the top 40 in Scotland and New Zealand.

All Seeing I also produced a cover version of the song for Britney Spears in November 1998, as the last track on her debut album, ...Baby One More Time.

Other versions

• In 1967, the American jazz musician Buddy Rich performed a version on his Big Swing Face album, with his daughter Cathy Rich on vocals, arranged by Shorty Rogers.
• In 1968, Vanilla Fudge included a version of it on their album The Beat Goes On, which they released that year.
• In 1982, an electro cover version was released by Orbit featuring Carol Hall with production by Don Was. It became a substantial dance club hit in January 1983.
• An Australian version, produced by former Skyhooks guitarist Red Symons, became a Top 30 hit in 1983; it was recorded by Melbourne cabaret duo the Globos, which featured singers Wendy De Waal and Mark Trevorrow, the latter of whom later gained renown for his comedic alter-ego Bob Downe.
• The song was covered by Giant Sand on their 2002 album Cover Magazine.

References

References

1. {{Pop Chronicles. 44. 1. Sonny Bono
2. "Songfacts: Songwriter Interviews - Carol Kaye (interviewed Oct. 12 2011)".
3. "Phonograph Recording Contract Blank: American Federation of Musicians". Wreckingcrewfilm.com.
4. (2012). "The Wrecking Crew". St. Martin's Press.
5. "- YouTube".
6. "The Beat Goes On AFM Contract". [[American Federation of Musicians]].
7. Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. "''Sonny & Chér - The Beat Goes On''".
8. DutchCharts. "''Sonny & Cher - The Beat Goes On''".
9. Pennanen, Timo. (2021). "Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021". Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava.
10. (1967-03-04). "''Billboard'' - Hits of the World".
11. "Palmarès de la chanson anglophone et allophone au Québec". [[Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec.
12. "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1969 - 1989 Songs (A-B)".
13. "Official Charts Company".
14. "Top 100 1967-03-04". [[Cashbox (magazine).
15. "''RPM'' chart archives at Collections Canada for the Cher single ''The Beat Goes On''.".
16. Dutch Top 40. (1967). "Dutch Top 40; End of year charts".
17. (December 30, 1967). "Top Records of 1967 – Hot 100".
18. Roberts, David (Ed.) (2004). ''British Hit Singles & Albums'' (17th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. {{ISBN. 0-85112-199-3.
19. (1967). "The Buddy Rich Big Band* - Big Swing Face (Vinyl, LP, Album)".
20. Dahlen, Chris. (14 March 2002). "Giant Sand: Cover Magazine".