Lil' Red Riding Hood (Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs)

31 JULY 1966



1966 was clearly a landmark year for Garage and 'Frat Rock', and another high-charting genre number was 'Lil' Red Riding Hood' by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, which reached its peak position of #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 during this week. It got no higher than #46 on the British charts.

The song can seem a bit creepy to some, with the protagonist wolf stalking Red Riding Hood, commenting on her 'big eyes' and 'full lips', and he's clearly after something more than is mentioned in the nursery rhyme. Sam the Sham was a bit of a novelty and comedy act, although he also had an American #2 in 1964 with 'Wooly Bully'. That and 'Red Riding Hood' were his biggest hits.

Lil' Red Riding Hood (Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs)