Sabah | Sola Cha Cha Cha b/w Hully Dabke Ya Ba Off (Parlophone, 1964)

 

This record is something just shy of a holy grail. Copies are not impossible to find, but it rarely comes up on eBay, which is where we bid for it and won. Moreover, it has a certain cachet, given that its B-Side, "Hully Dabke Ya Ba Off," was included on an unofficial LP, The Groovy Sounds of 1970s Lebanon, as "Hully Gully."

We have three versions of Sabah's "Hully" on vinyl; the third is on a spectacular Parlophone compilation released in 1965, Music from a Millionaire's Playground, where it is titled "Hully Gully (Halli Galli Dabke). 

Our copy above looks damaged, but it's in pristine condition; the visible "flaws" are the original shrink-wrap, which we can't bring ourselves to remove. The cover and vinyl are both near mint. We mention this because we'd like to do something special for tonight's post, given the holidays and that it may (or may not) be our last post of 2022. 

Tonight, we're going to listen to and evaluate each of the three copies of "Hully" and two copies of "Sola" that we have. In part, as a potentially interesting exercise, and in part because the 45 isn't in such great condition and it would be a shame not to share clean-sounding MP3s of these tracks in addition to those from the mid-grade seven-inch.

Also, we're curious: How will the pirated 21st century pressing (see below) stand up next to the two official releases?

First, let's talk about the tracks. 

Both were composed by Elias Rahbani, the uncle of Fairuz's husband, and the youngest of the Rahbani brothers, although he was not part of the official Rahbani capital "B" Brothers (the duo consisting of Assi and Mansour). Both tracks fall squarely into what we'd call the "novelty" camp. 

The A-Side, "Sola Cha Cha Cha," picks up on the cha-cha craze that went international a decade or so earlier. There are a number of Egyptian and Lebanese cha-cha records; we posted one here, although that one almost seems like a comment on those swept up in craze rather than capitalizing on the craze itself. 

Oddly, the lyrics on the present cha-cha are in French, not Spanish. We especially love the piano flourishes as the track nears the 2:00 mark. And, of course, Sabah. 

The B-Side, "Hully Dabke Ya Ba Off" aka "Hully Gully (Halli Galli Dabke)," seems like a nod to the Hully Gully, although it doesn't seem to bear any sonic likeness with the original Olympics tune. We are not, however, Hully Gully scholars (of the song or the dance), and god knows, there may be an obvious connection that we're simply not making. This one's also in French. We love the handclaps.

They're both charming. Delightful, even. We can understand why the mysterious folks at Cedarphone included "Hully Gully" on their compilation, despite the fact that it's a groovy 1960s sound, not a groovy 1970s sound.

Speaking of sound, let's take a listen and compare how the different versions sound, shall we?

(Listen to "Sola Cha Cha")

Surface noise aside, this is a good-sounding pressing; very punchy, with terrific shine to the cowbell and a full-ish bass sound, though it's not exactly locatable in the soundstage to our (admittedly older) ears. But the vinyl itself is a bit raw and the vocals take a hit from all of the minor scrapes, scratches, and remaining grime we weren't able to remove via a couple of cleanings. 

(Listen to "Hully Dabke Ya Ba Off")

Again, we start off with a relatively fat bass sound, but this time, the high end is especially marred by wear & tear to the grooves. It's listenable, but far from ideal. 

Now, let's hear the pirated version.

(Listen to "Hully Gully")

First thing we notice is that this one's speeded up. It's also the last track on a crowded Side A, and, as such, suffers a bit of inner-groove distortion. Whereas the vinyl itself is clean (we bought it new), the punchiness just isn't here. Everything sounds a bit squished together. Is this a product of the placement of the track? Perhaps it's the mastering, or the fact that it was sourced from a previous vinyl version (likely the one we'll hear next). Being sped up isn't doing it any favors, either. 

When you don't listen to this track alongside its official counterparts, it sounds fine. But, head-to-head? It doesn't make the cut. 

Now, let's listen to the tracks as they appear on the official Parlophone compilation, released a year after the single.

(Listen to "Hully Gully (Halli Galli Dabke)")

First up, is "Hully," which like the version above, falls sixth on a robust Side A. But it's at the right speed and it doesn't sound compressed. One thing we do notice: It lacks the fullness of bass that the single delivers. You can hear the bass. But it's not nearly as present. The lack of surface noise is a nice trade-off, though.

(Listen to "Sola Cha Cha Cha")

Finally, wow. Leading off Side B, "Solo Cha Cha Cha" sounds great in this version. Yes, the bass is a ghost of its 7" counterpart. But, my god, Sabah's voice here is just smooooth. And clear. You can almost see her mouthing the lyrics. And, those horns! 

Well, there you have it. Gun to our head, we'd take the 7" version of both tracks, mainly for the bass and overall punchiness. But, we know it comes at a cost to high-end clarity.

What about you? Which are your favorite versions, and why? Leave a comment, and if we don't see you until next year, have a terrific holiday.