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Released in 1989

Ain't That A Shame

Written by Fats DominoDave Bartholomew

Last updated on September 4, 2016


Album This song officially appears on the My Brave Face CD Single.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1989

Master album

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Other Fats Domino songs

From Wikipedia:

Ain’t That a Shame” is a song written by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew. Domino’s recording of the song, released by Imperial Records in 1955, was a hit, eventually selling a million copies. It reached number 1 on the Bilboard R&B chart and number 10 on the pop chart. The song is ranked number 438 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The song gained national fame after being re-recorded by the white recording artist Pat Boone. Domino’s version soon became more popular, bringing his music to the mass market a half-dozen years after his first recording, “The Fat Man“.

After “Ain’t That a Shame“, mainstream artists began covering Domino’s songs. Teresa Brewer, for instance, performed Domino’s version of the folk song “Bo Weevil“.

A version of the song by the Four Seasons reached number 22 on the Billboard charts in 1963.

According to legend, Pat Boone suggested changing the title and lyrics to “Isn’t That a Shame” to make it more appealing to a broader audience but was dissuaded by his producers. Nevertheless, Boone’s recording of the song in 1955 was his first Billboard number-one single. Domino complimented Boone’s cover of the song. Boone liked to tell a story about a concert at which Domino invited Boone on stage, showed a big gold ring and said, “Pat Boone bought me this ring.

Ain’t That a Shame” was the first song that John Lennon learned to play. He later covered it on the album Rock ‘n’ Roll. […]

Paul McCartney recorded “Ain’t That a Shame” in 1987 for his Choba B CCCP album. From the liner notes of this album:

I’m Gonna Be A Wheel Someday/Ain’t That A Shame/I’m In Love Again

It’s interesting to note that through their individual styles couldn’t be more diverse, when recording their innumerable hits at Cosmo Studios in New Orleans, both Little Richard and Fats Domino employed the very same band of musicians.

The living embodiment of the Crescent City’s rich cultural heritage, Fats Domino has been scoring million-selling hits worldwide since 1949, to the extent that he has amassed more gold record awards than any artist other than Elvis and The Beatles.

There is a timeless consistency common to Domino’s repertoire that attracts successive generations and, without question, Paul McCartney’s understanding of the Fat Man’s special qualities, rendering him the most genuinely skillful of the Big Man’s life-affirming music.

Be it the way he eases comfortably into the brisk characteristic 2/4 New Orleans beat of the confidence-boosting I’m Gonna Be A Wheel Someday, handles the singalong rolling blues Ain’t That A Shame or knowingly defuses the pent-up frustration of I’m In Love Again with one of the greatest of all catch phrases, “Oowee, baby, oowee”, McCartney is in his element.

In Western countries where Choba B CCCP was only released in 1991, this version of “Ain’t That a Shame” was first released as B-side of My Brave Face CD single.


Lyrics

You made me cry when you said goodbye

Ain't that a shame

My tears fell like rain?

Ain't that a shame

You're the one to blame.??


Well, goodbye, although I'll cry

Ain't that a shame

My tears fell like rain

Ain't that a shame

You're the one to blame

You're the one to blame.


Well you broke, my heart

When you said we're gonna part

Ain't that a shame

Oh my tears fell like rain

Ain't that a shame

You're the one to blame.


Oh well goodbye, although I'll cry

Ain't that a shame

Oh my tears fell like rain

Ain't that a shame

You're the one to blame

Ain't that a same.


Oh well good goodbye although I'm gonna cry

Ain't that a shame

My tears fell like rain

Ain't that a shame

You're the one to blame.

Officially appears on

Bootlegs

Videos

Live performances

Ain't That A Shame” has been played in 94 concerts and 24 soundchecks.

Latest concerts where “Ain't That A Shame” has been played


Going further

Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989

With 25 albums of pop music, 5 of classical – a total of around 500 songs – released over the course of more than half a century, Paul McCartney's career, on his own and with Wings, boasts an incredible catalogue that's always striving to free itself from the shadow of The Beatles. The stories behind the songs, demos and studio recordings, unreleased tracks, recording dates, musicians, live performances and tours, covers, events: Music Is Ideas Volume 1 traces McCartney's post-Beatles output from 1970 to 1989 in the form of 346 song sheets, filled with details of the recordings and stories behind the sessions. Accompanied by photos, and drawing on interviews and contemporary reviews, this reference book draws the portrait of a musical craftsman who has elevated popular song to an art-form.

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