“We’ve found a sound and we’re gonna use it” was the obvious stance of The Champs, whose liberal output of singles delighted instrumental fans around the world. Tequila, the breakthrough�1958 hit, set the tone for a clean sparse sound based around guitar, bass and handclap riffs. Despite the fact that they never regained anything like their first charttopping sales they mostly continued merrily on their set way.
Exceptions were the fullersounding Train To Nowhere, the moody Subway, and the rocking Midnight, but more often than not The Champs sought to recycle wherever possible. Vocal interjections cropped up in several places, and occasionally they delivered a full vocal as with The Shoddy Shoddy, which bears more than a passing resemblance to Alley Oop.
Good, simple formulaic instro fun that still appeals to many.
