Clap For The Wolfman by The Guess Who

Album: Road Food (1974)

Charted: 6

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Born Robert Weston Smith the 21st. of January 1939 in Brooklyn New York.

Wolfman Jack, with his gravelly voice worked as a disc jockey from 1958 to 1966 at XERF (1570 AM) in Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico, just across the river from Del Rio, Texas, USA.

"Wolfman Jack" was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1996.

An ordained minister in the Universal Life Church, officially known as "Reverend Jack".

He died after returning home from a promotional tour for his autobiography in 1995, his claimed last words were "Oh, it is so good to be home!" and it's said that he literally died in his wife's arms.

He played himself in the 1973 film American Graffiti.

Comments: 18

AnonymousOn July 1, 1995. WCBS radio in NY 101.5 announced that The Wolfman had passed away. They played this song as a tribute.
Anonymous from Jim In Calgary Ab CanadaWolfman Jack as the boomers knew him God rest him..had that voice and appeared onstage repeatly with the Stampeders doing Hit The Road Jack..and likely more tuned..he and Ronnie King were very good buds..and he also performed with the Guess Who ( clap for the wolfman )..and did some tracks with FLASH CADILLAC AND THE CONTINENTAL KIDS..this band also performed on Happy Days..
Tracy Lawlor from Vavenby British Columbia ( CanadaNot so much a comment as an inquiry,
I was listening to Clap for the Wolfman ( Burton Cummings )
We can’t sleep now because we’ve been scouring the internet for who the Girl was that was talking in the song
And us being Canadian.... (head hung in shame...)
Thanks , a grateful Canuck
Tracy
Deejay from British ColumbiaWolfman, too, was a featured part of "Dancin' On A Saturday Night", by Flash Cadillac & The Continental Kids.
Sludge from WheelingI thought the Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You was an imitation Wolfman.

Regardless, I love that song. They kind of sound like John, Paul, and George, though.
Steve from Whittier, CaOh, I thought also, as I once read that it was about wishing sexually transmitted diseases on Wolfman Jack.
Steve from Whittier, CaSugarloaf used Wolfman Jack, too, in "Don't Call Us".Teresa, agreed with you on Wolfman Jack being the best guy to do this version.
Rat, "I guess I can't get 'em cause Wolfman's got 'im, LOL!
Teresa from Mechelen, BelgiumI love the version with the "Wolfman Jack" very much. He was really a fantastic guy.
Rat from Chicago, IlAnd I thought the line was "Confidence of love." I guess I can't get them because Wolfman has got them.
Tony Lewis from Fredericton, NbNEither was the first. Apparently Wikipedia states,
"Although Miller claims he invented the words "epismetology" (metathesis of epistemology) and "pompatus," all of his song-writing shows strong rhythm and blues influences, and a 1954 song called "The Letter" by the Medallions had the lines[1]:
Oh my darling, let me whisper
sweet words of pizmotality
and discuss the puppetutes of love.
The song was composed by Vernon Green as a description of his dream woman.[1] "Pizmotality described words of such secrecy that they could only be spoken to the one you loved," Green explained. He coined the term puppetutes "to mean a secret paper-doll fantasy figure who would be my everything and bear my children."[1]"
Tom from Tellico Plains, TnThey say 'pompitous of love' really don't have any significant meaning. Steve Miller said it was just a saying.
Rich from Columbus, InSteve Miller's "The Joker" was released first as it debuted on the top 100 chart late in 1973. It peaked at #1 in January of 1974. "Clap For The Wolfman" peaked at #6 in October 1974.
Richard from Lansing, MiVery few people know that the song was originally written by bassist Bill Wallace and guitarist Kurt Winter. Napoleon was actually Burton Cummings who was very Napoleonistic when the #10 album was recorded. The rest of the band was extrememly upset about it, and Kurt and Bill had a completely different set of lyrics for the song.
When producer Jack Richardson heard the song, he knoew it would be a hit, and had Burton come up with lyrics, and their record company RCA also had Wolfman Jack under contract. So they had Wolfman as a special guest, I saw a concert with them and the Wolfman as a speical guest, needless to say it was a very interesting show. They did Wolfman, but Wolfman also 'sang' the classic 'StaggerLee'.
Dale from Rumford, Mewhat do they mean .....................
Johnny from Los Angeles, CaThe Joker and this were released in the same year, but I think the Joker was written first. Very catchy. I am now going to search for "Wolfman" on songfacts, see if any other song has wolfman in the title.
Don from Newmarket, CanadaThe Stampeder's also used Wolfman Jack in a song. They did a remake of Ray Charles's song Hit The Road Jack.
Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, ScI think Steve Miller's "pompitous" came first. i'm not sure though.
Cheyenne from Dallas, TxThis song refers to "the Wolfman's pompitous of love". Anybody know whose "pompitous" came first, Steve Miller's in 'The Joker' or the Wolfman's in this song?

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