The Oak Ridge Boys - Elvira (1981)

"Elvira" is a song written and originally performed by Dallas Frazier in 1966 on his album of the same name. Though a minor ...

"Elvira" is a song written and originally performed by Dallas Frazier in 1966 on his album of the same name. Though a minor hit for Frazier at the time of release, the song became a bigger and much more famous country and pop hit by The Oak Ridge Boys in 1981. "Elvira" is now considered one of the Oak Ridge Boys' signature songs.

The Oak Ridge Boys, who were fans of Rodney Crowell's version of "Elvira", decided to include the song on their 1981 album Fancy Free. Their rendition featured Joe Bonsall on lead vocals, as well as bass singer Richard Sterban's deep-voiced vocal solo on the chorus ("giddy up ba-oom papa oom papa mow mow"). "Elvira" quickly climbed the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, and over Memorial Day weekend it became the group's fourth number one country hit. It was also their biggest pop hit, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 that July and August.

"Elvira" was certified platinum for sales of two million units by the Recording Industry Association of America, a distinction for a country song that for years it shared only with "Islands in the Stream" by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton.