A jukebox, with the words
In the annals of rock and roll history, certain songs stand out not just for their musicality, but for their cultural impact and enduring appeal. “Yakety Yak” by The Coasters is undoubtedly one of those songs. Released in 1958, this iconic track topped the charts and became synonymous with the playful, narrative-driven style that defined The Coasters and their legendary songwriters, Leiber and Stoller. But the story behind “Yakety Yak” is more than just a tale of musical genius; it’s a journey through the complexities of race, creativity, and the evolving landscape of popular music.
The Coasters
The Coasters, at the time of “Yakety Yak”‘s creation, had recently solidified their classic lineup. Following the departure of Leon Hughes and Bobby Nunn, Cornell Gunter and Dub Jones joined Carl Gardner and Billy Guy, creating a quartet that was poised for greatness. However, 1957 had been a relatively quiet year for hits from the group. Their writing and production maestros, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, had been focusing their efforts elsewhere, notably with Elvis Presley.
Leiber and Stoller operated in a unique position for the 1950s music industry. They were independent writer-producers, a rarity then, and remarkably, they held contracts with two distinct record labels – RCA for white pop artists and Atlantic for Black performers. While their RCA stint, including work with Perry Como and Elvis, proved somewhat uneasy, their relationship with Atlantic was where their passion truly lay. It was at Atlantic that they collaborated with admired Black artists like Ruth Brown, LaVern Baker, and the Drifters. Among these artists, The Coasters held a special place. They were Leiber and Stoller’s personal project, the group they felt most connected to, and the ones for whom they were about to pen their biggest hit.
The genesis of “Yakety Yak” is a testament to Leiber and Stoller’s spontaneous and collaborative songwriting process. As the anecdote goes, Stoller was at the piano in Leiber’s house, developing a rhythm he thought might suit The Coasters. Leiber, hearing the tune from the kitchen, called out the now-famous opening line: “Take out the papers and the trash!” Stoller immediately responded, completing the rhyme and setting the song in motion: “Or you don’t get no spending cash.” In a flurry of creativity, they traded lines back and forth, crafting the entire song in a mere ten minutes.
Musically, “Yakety Yak” marked a shift in The Coasters’ sound. Their earlier hits typically featured Carl Gardner as the primary lead vocalist on verses, with the group joining in on the chorus and occasional solo lines from other members. In “Yakety Yak,” however, the lead vocal was delivered in unison by Carl Gardner and Billy Guy, the group’s longest-serving members, with Cornell Gunter adding harmonies. Leiber and Stoller themselves referred to it as a duet between Gardner and Guy, though a close listen reveals three voices blending in the verses. This unison lead vocal became a signature element of the song, adding to its energetic and conversational feel.
Adding another layer to the song’s distinctiveness was the now-iconic saxophone part played by King Curtis. His honking, playful saxophone riffs became as recognizable as the lyrics themselves, solidifying “Yakety Yak”‘s unique sonic identity. This saxophone element, combined with the unison vocals and the catchy chorus, became a formula that The Coasters and Leiber and Stoller would revisit in subsequent hits.
Despite its seemingly obvious hit potential in retrospect, Jerry Leiber initially had doubts about “Yakety Yak”‘s success. Mike Stoller, on the other hand, was convinced it would be massive and wanted the B-side to also be a Leiber and Stoller composition, ensuring royalties for both sides of the record. Leiber, more cautious, argued for a proven song as the B-side, a safety net in case “Yakety Yak” flopped.
Ultimately, Leiber’s plan prevailed, and the B-side became a rendition of the classic “Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart,” performed as a duet by Dub Jones and Cornell Gunter. Leiber’s worries were unfounded. “Yakety Yak” soared to number one, becoming a defining hit for The Coasters and a cultural phenomenon. Its success even spawned answer records, including “Move on Out” by Gloria Gunter, Cornell’s sister, featuring Cornell himself on backing vocals.
With their lineup solidified and “Yakety Yak” propelling them to new heights, The Coasters entered a period of remarkable hit-making consistency. The roles within the group became well-defined. Leiber and Stoller crafted the songs and spearheaded studio production, with Stoller arranging the music and playing piano, and Leiber overseeing from the control room. Cornell Gunter took charge of vocal arrangements, Dub Jones delivered his signature bass lines, and Carl Gardner and Billy Guy shared lead vocal duties, often mirroring phrasing and delivery directed by Leiber himself.
From the outset of their partnership, Leiber exerted considerable influence over vocal performances. He famously directed lead vocalists, a practice that even ruffled feathers, as seen with Big Mama Thornton’s reaction to his direction on “Hound Dog.” Whether working with Elvis, Ruth Brown, or The Coasters, Leiber’s approach involved guiding artists to closely adhere to his intended phrasing.
This directorial approach brings to the forefront a critical discussion surrounding The Coasters’ music – the accusation of perpetuating racist stereotypes. Johnny Otis was a vocal critic, and others like Charlie Gillett echoed these concerns. It’s a critique that demands serious consideration. The performances, particularly Dub Jones’ vocal contributions, undeniably draw from traditions of African-American comedy, often employing and subverting stereotypes. If Black artists themselves had written and performed songs in this vein, the question of racism wouldn’t arise. However, the complexity lies in the fact that The Coasters, a Black group, were performing songs penned and directed by two white songwriters, Leiber and Stoller. The analogy to Amos ‘n’ Andy, transitioning from radio to TV with Black actors imitating white comedians’ voices, becomes relevant.
It’s a nuanced issue without easy answers. The intent of Leiber and Stoller, who were Jewish and deeply immersed in Black culture, further complicates the matter. They often claimed their songs weren’t specifically about Black experiences. Leiber stated that “Riot in Cell Block #9” was inspired by radio dramas, not racial narratives, suggesting the voices “just happened to be black.” Yet, many listeners interpreted The Coasters’ songs as portraying specific aspects of Black life and culture.
Johnny Otis acknowledged that Leiber and Stoller weren’t “racist in the true sense,” but felt they focused on a “street society” portrayal that, while reflective of some realities, wasn’t representative of the entirety of the Black community. The issue isn’t solely in the songwriting, but also in the performance, shaped by Leiber’s direction. Furthermore, The Coasters catered to two audiences: a predominantly older Black R&B audience and a white teenage audience, with different preferences and interpretations.
The question of whether The Coasters’ music crossed a line into racist caricature is not easily resolved. It highlights the complexities of cultural representation, authorship, and audience reception in popular music. It is important to acknowledge this debate and consider the various perspectives surrounding it, rather than dismissing it as too difficult or irrelevant.
Following the phenomenal success of “Yakety Yak,” The Coasters released “Charlie Brown,” often considered its direct follow-up. However, sandwiched between them was “The Shadow Knows,” a bluesy track inspired by the radio mystery series. Despite Leiber and Stoller’s fondness for radio drama inspiration, “The Shadow Knows” failed to chart, seemingly overlooked by The Coasters’ white teenage fanbase. Leiber and Stoller themselves even omitted it in their autobiography, jumping directly from “Yakety Yak” to “Charlie Brown.”
“Charlie Brown” took longer to develop than the rapid creation of “Yakety Yak.” While Stoller quickly devised suitable music, Leiber spent weeks searching for the right lyrical hook before landing on the title “Charlie Brown” and the song’s central concept, aided by Stoller’s input. The deliberate attempt to recapture the “Yakety Yak” sound is evident in “Charlie Brown,” and it proved nearly as successful, reaching number two on the pop charts.
Capitalizing on this formula, they released “Along Came Jones,” a humorous take on the then-ubiquitous Western TV series. While “Along Came Jones” was a hit, reaching number nine, it didn’t match the heights of “Charlie Brown” or “Yakety Yak.” Perhaps the novelty of the unison-vocals-and-honking-sax formula was waning, or perhaps The Olympics’ similar hit “Western Movies” had saturated the market.
The public’s appetite for this specific sound seemed to diminish. Their next single was intended to be “I’m a Hog For You Baby,” another iteration of the formula, albeit with a bluesier and more adult tone. However, it was the B-side, “Poison Ivy,” that resonated with audiences, becoming their fourth and final R&B number one and their last top ten pop hit.
“Poison Ivy” is remarkable for its thinly veiled reference to sexually transmitted diseases. The lyrics list childhood illnesses like mumps, measles, and chickenpox before warning that “Poison Ivy will make you itch” and “you can look but you’d better not touch.” Its suggestive nature is undeniable, especially considering the social context of the time.
Shortly after “Poison Ivy”‘s release, Adolph Jacobs, the group’s non-singing guitarist, departed. His role had always been somewhat peripheral, with Mike Stoller’s piano and King Curtis’ saxophone being more central to The Coasters’ sound.
“Poison Ivy” marked the end of The Coasters’ consistent top ten hits and signaled a shift in Leiber and Stoller’s songwriting focus. They seemed to tire of catering to a teenage audience and began crafting songs with more mature themes and social commentary, reminiscent of their earlier work with The Robins.
The subsequent single, “What About Us?”, a protest song lamenting the disparities between the wealthy (implicitly white) and the less fortunate, reached number seventeen. A period of stylistic experimentation followed, including a two-sided rendition of “Besame Mucho” featuring an extended King Curtis saxophone solo, which only reached number seventy.
They then released “Wake Me, Shake Me,” written by Billy Guy and backed with the folk song “Stewball,” which fared even worse, peaking at number fifty-one. Another stylistic departure, “Clothes Line (Wrap It Up),” a comedy blues song originally by Boogaloo and His Solid Crew, also underperformed commercially, despite later being recognized as a Coasters classic.
“Shopping For Clothes,” as The Coasters’ version was titled, involved a reworked and expanded arrangement of “Clothes Line (Wrap It Up).” It became a dialogue between Billy Guy as the shopper and Dub Jones as the sales assistant. Despite its critical acclaim, it only reached number eighty-three. Kent Harris, the original writer, sued and received co-writing credit.
“Shopping For Clothes” is also noteworthy for featuring a young session musician mentored by Leiber and Stoller – Phil Spector. Lester Sill, Leiber and Stoller’s early mentor and then manager, recommended Spector, who had recently had a hit with “To Know Him Is To Love Him” with The Teddy Bears. Despite initial reservations, Leiber and Stoller took Spector under their wing, offering him session work and a publishing contract. This early collaboration foreshadowed Spector’s future impact on music.
Around this time, The Coasters recognized their pop chart reign was likely ending and sought to transition to the adult white market, aiming for the audience of artists like Tony Bennett and Andy Williams. Carl Gardner, who had always aspired to be a big band singer, spearheaded this shift. They recorded “One By One,” an album of standards backed by an orchestra, with each song featuring a single lead vocalist. Gardner took the lead on several tracks, envisioning a solo career transition, but the album was neither a commercial nor critical success.
However, Cornell Gunter’s vocal performances on “One By One” received positive attention. Despite typically being relegated to backing vocals, Gunter’s sweeter voice shone on standards, particularly his Dinah Washington-esque renditions. His performance of “Easy Living,” compared to Washington’s original, highlighted his vocal talent.
Despite showcasing their vocal prowess, “One By One” failed to revive their commercial fortunes. Around this period, Leiber and Stoller’s exclusive production role for The Coasters began to change, with Sill and Hazlewood also credited as producers on some recordings. This could indicate Leiber and Stoller’s waning interest or a strategic attempt to revitalize the group’s sound with fresh production approaches, given Sill and Hazlewood’s recent hits like Duane Eddy’s “Rebel Rouser.”
However, none of these production shifts yielded significant commercial success. The Coasters’ last top thirty hit was “Little Egypt,” another Leiber and Stoller song reflecting their more adult-oriented songwriting. “Little Egypt” referenced the stage name of several belly dancers who introduced the dance to America in the late 19th century, becoming figures of notoriety and scandal. Whether inspired by a film about these dancers or simply the enduring allure of the “Little Egypt” persona, Leiber and Stoller’s song about a stripper became The Coasters’ final significant hit.
Shortly after “Little Egypt,” Cornell Gunter departed to join Dinah Washington’s backing group. He was replaced by Earl “Speedo” Carroll of The Cadillacs (“Speedoo”). Carroll, demonstrating a cautious approach to his new role, reportedly maintained his day job as a school janitor even after joining The Coasters.
Gunter’s stint with Dinah Washington was short-lived, and he soon formed his own group, also calling it The Coasters. Given that three of his bandmates were former members of The Penguins, “The Penguins” might have been a more accurate name. While barred from recording as The Coasters, Gunter’s group toured under that name, often being booked by Dick Clark due to their lower fees compared to the original Coasters.
Meanwhile, Billy Guy also pursued a solo career but, unlike Gunter, didn’t leave The Coasters entirely. He employed a road replacement while continuing to record with the group. Guy’s solo efforts were commercially unsuccessful, with some later being reissued under The Coasters’ name despite lacking involvement from other Coasters members.
The Coasters’ lineup continued to evolve, and their hit-making days faded. Over the ensuing decades, numerous splinter groups emerged, each claiming lineage to the original Coasters. Carl Gardner retained legal rights to “The Coasters” name and pursued legal action against unauthorized use, yet groups like “Cornell Gunter’s Coasters” persisted.
Tragically, violence marked the later lives of several individuals associated with The Coasters. King Curtis was murdered in 1971 during a street altercation. One of Cornell Gunter’s Coasters was murdered by Gunter’s manager in 1980. And Cornell Gunter himself was shot and killed in 1990, with his killer remaining unidentified.
Today, three distinct Coasters groups tour: “Cornell Gunter’s Coasters,” a continuation of Gunter’s pre-death group; “The Coasters,” managed by Carl Gardner’s widow; and “Leon Hughes and His Coasters,” led by the sole surviving original member from before the “Yakety Yak” era.
Despite the passage of time and the tragic fates of some members, The Coasters’ music endures. They forged a unique and influential sound, often imitated but never replicated. Though sometimes dismissed as merely a comedy act, their ability to blend humor with musicality is a testament to their artistry. Creating comedy music that remains enjoyable and relevant over six decades later is an unparalleled achievement in rock and roll history.
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