It is "the" week. Michigan week. Or perhaps I should say this year, Michigan weak. However you choose to categorize this, the greatest of all college football rivalries, one thing is clear - all who call themselves Buckeyes recognize that this week, this game . . . matters. Like the game, the game's music matters. So with all due respect to our valued RHT's readers from that state up north, this week, you people will have to resume surfing your gay porn, cause I'm about to roll on the greatest state rock song of all time - Hang On Sloopy. 
Since many of our readers hail from all corners of the globe, perhaps it is best if we introduce Sloopy with a little history. I bet even some Scarlet and Grey's out there didn't know this:In 1965, The Strangeloves, a rock band who purported to be from Australia, decided to make the song the follow-up to their hit single "I Want Candy", and began performing the song in concert. However, the Dave Clark Five, who they were touring with, told the Strangeloves that they were going to record their own version of the song, copying the Strangeloves' arrangement. The Strangeloves realized that the Dave Clark Five's version would probably outsell their own, but they were still enjoying success with "I Want Candy" and did not want to release a new single yet. So the trio—who were, in reality, three successful writer/producers from Brooklyn, New York--recruited a group from Dayton, Ohio, Rick and the Raiders, to record the song instead. The group's name was changed to The McCoys (to avoid confusion with another popular band of the era, Paul Revere and the Raiders), and their 16-year-old leader, Rick Zehringer, became known as Rick Derringer. The group added vocals and a guitar solo to the already-completed Strangeloves backing track, and the single was released on Bang Records. It entered the chart on August 14, 1965, effectively beating the Dave Clark Five to the charts. The single went on to hit number one on October 2.
So what's this got to do with the Bucks? Well, some OSU band nerd named John Tatgenhorst loved the song so much that he not only begged the band director to play it, but also arranged the song for the marching band. Long story short, they played it, it killed and now it's played every Saturday afternoon before the fourth quarter. The "O-H-I-O" chant that has become synonymous with the song was originally added by a Columbus-based band, Saving Jane. But oh wait, there's more.
On November 20, 1985 the 116th Ohio General Assembly voted "Hang On Sloopy" the state rock song with an actual resolution (House Concurrent Resolution 16). Check out the wording in this Resolution (I swear, I'm not makin' this up!):
"WHEREAS, "Hang On Sloopy" is of particular relevance to members of the Baby Boom Generation, who were once dismissed as a bunch of long-haired, crazy kids, but who now are old enough and vote in sufficient numbers to be taken quite seriously"
and
and
"WHEREAS, Adoption of this resolution will not take too long, cost the state anything, or affect the quality of life in this state to any appreciable degree, and if we in the legislature just go ahead and pass the darn thing, we can get on with more important stuff."
OK, now time for the elephant in the room. Who is "Sloopy?" Well, Sloopy refers to a woman named Dorothy Sloop (Heflick), a jazz singer herself, who often used the name Sloopy on stage. Dorothy was born in Steubenville, Ohio (along with porn star Traci Lords - for those of you keeping score - perhaps this is why they said Sloopy "lived in a bad part of town"?). And while I'm at it, what the heck could Sloopy's dad have done in Steubenville that was so awful? I gotta tell you, I tried like crazy to find a picture of Sloopy to post for this blog, but alas . . no dice. Perhaps its best if Sloopy remains left up to our imagination. I like to picture her in an OSU cheerleader outfit with long flowing hair, letting her hair hang down around her shoulders in the shape of a giant block "O".
*Editor's note - the chick the McCoy's used for this video is blessed with great milk sacks (In fact, they are so great, the song may be ruined for me now forever.)
*Editor's note - who knew a xylophone could rock??!!
Less provocative, but equally awesome version - Hang On Sloopy
Go Bucks!!!
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