Silver Wham Bam
Printed From: Top 40 Music on CD
Category: Top 40 Music On Compact Disc
Forum Name: Chat Board
Forum Description: Chat away but please observe the chat board rules
URL: https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10324
Printed Date: 18 February 2026 at 4:14am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.07 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Silver Wham Bam
Posted By: rnell
Subject: Silver Wham Bam
Date Posted: 29 December 2025 at 2:44pm
| Does anybody know the story behind this single being issued with two different names: I have two singles under the same Arista number (AS 0189) with different names: Wham Bam and Wham Bam Shang-a-lang. |
Replies:
Posted By: Santi Paradoa
Date Posted: 29 December 2025 at 3:43pm
|
The early 45 pressings had the Shang-A-Lang, but eventually the later 45 pressings had the shortened title. The Bay City Rollers had a 1974 UK #2 hit with a song titled "Shang-A-Lang." Both artists were on the same Arista label. Looks like the decision was made to shorten the title on the Silver release to avoid confusion. ------------- Santi Paradoa Miami, Florida |
Posted By: rnell
Date Posted: 29 December 2025 at 4:44pm
| Strange decision given the fact that BCR's Shang-a-lang was never a hit in the USA. I wonder if name change by Arista was made while single was climbing the chart or after it had peaked. I also have the spanish 7" with the Wham Bam Shang-a-lang name. |
Posted By: AndrewChouffi
Date Posted: 30 December 2025 at 5:42am
|
I seem to recall the title was shortened midstream because the 'Shang-A-Lang' in the title was too bubblegummy. The record is not a bubblegum song. It is a wuss-rock song. (The band hated the song.) Andy |
Posted By: Paul Haney
Date Posted: 30 December 2025 at 9:01am
| FWIW, the Billboard Hot 100 showed the full title until the chart dated August 14, 1976 (its 9th week on the Hot 100), when they shortened the title to just "Wham Bam." |
Posted By: Santi Paradoa
Date Posted: 30 December 2025 at 4:20pm
------------- Santi Paradoa Miami, Florida |
Paul Haney wrote:Posted By: rnell
Date Posted: 30 December 2025 at 5:24pm
| Memory was released in Europe as the second single and is quite good. The Cd was released by RCA/Arista in the 90s and 2000s. |
Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 30 December 2025 at 10:35pm
|
From the 45cat site and mentioned briefly above - "According to American Top 40, Silver (lead by John Batdorf of the duo Batdorf and Rodney) really disliked the song and resisted recording it. Arista's Clive Davis was convinced of the songs potential and not only pressed the group to record it, but to release it as their debut single. Apparently the song was shortened from "Wham Bam Shang-A-Lang" to just "Wham Bam" at the insistence of the Bay City Rollers (also on Arista) who had a UK hit earlier in 1974 called "Shang-A-Lang" and feared confusion." John Batdorf still performs to this day. For those of you on Facebook, he loves when he hears his deeper track material on SXM's Deep Tracks channel and he posts about it on Facebook. ------------- John Gallagher Erie, PA Celebrating 29 years as a full-time wedding & special event DJ! |
Posted By: Hykker
Date Posted: 31 December 2025 at 7:20am
| Brent Mydland, who later went on to join the Grateful Dead was also a member of this group. |