"Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" is the second single by singer-actress Cher from her second studio album The Sonny Side of Chér. The song was written by Sonny Bono and released in 1966. The song reached number three in the UK Singles Chart and number two on the Billboard Hot 100. The same year, the song was covered by Nancy Sinatra.
The single proved successful, charting high on many national charts worldwide. In the United States, it was Cher's biggest solo hit of the 1960s, peaking at #2. In 1987, Cher released this song as a single again from her nineteenth album Cher. However, that time, it failed to chart. This was Cher's first top-three hit in the UK, charting at #3. It would be her last top-three hit, until The Shoop-Shoop Song, twenty-two years later. The 1987 version was performed on both Cher's Heart of Stone and Farewell tours.
Also in 1966, Nancy Sinatra released her version of the song on her album How Does That Grab You?. It featured tremolo effect guitar (played by Billy Strange [1]) and melancholy singing. This version remained relatively obscure until it was used in the opening scenes of the 2003 movie Kill Bill Volume 1. This exposure caused Sinatra's version to be the one chosen by Audio Bullys when, in 2005, they used a sample of the song for their top ten UK hit "Shot You Down", credited officially to Audio Bullys featuring Nancy Sinatra. Canadian rapperKardinal Offishall also sampled this version for his single "Bang Bang", which appeared on his mixtape Kill Bloodclott Bill in 2004. RapperYoung Buck sampled Sinatra's version on his song "Bang Bang" from his album Straight Outta Cashville.
Other artists who recorded this song include Stevie Wonder for his 1966 album Down to Earth, The Beau Brummels on their 1966 albumBeau Brummels '66, Petula Clark in 1966 for her album I Couldn't Live Without Your Love, Gábor Szabó on his 1966 album Spellbinder,Vanilla Fudge for their 1967 album Vanilla Fudge, Bulgarian artist Lili Ivanova included a Bulgarian-language version called "Benk-benk" on an album of her songs released in Russia in 1968 called "More molodosti", Terry Reid for his 1968 album Bang Bang You're Terry Reid, Frank Sinatra for his 1981 album She Shot Me Down, Cliff Richard, Paul Weller on his 2003 compilation album Fly On The Wall - B Sides And Rarities and Isobel Campbell on her 2004 EP Time Is Just the Same. American Rapper, Lil' Wayne samples the Nancy Sinatra version of this song on his mix-tape Dedication 2 on a song under the same name. The German artist Rainald Grebe used the refrain for his tragicomic song "Bengt Bangt" in his program "Lagerfeuer des Grauens". Japanese pop/rock singer Minako Honda recorded a Japanese cover on her 1989 album WILD CATS (as MINAKO with WILD CATS), while a Vietnamese version can be heard from singer Mỹ Tâm with the title “Khi xưa ta bé (Bang Bang)”.
This song was also very popular in the Sixties in Italy and has been covered by the following artists: Mina, Dalida and the bands Equipe 84and, in a psych-garage style, I Corvi[2]. In France, the French version with French-language lyrics written by Claude Carrère and Georges Aber was sung by Sheila, and became a big hit there in summer 1966. Still in France, Jacno and Mareva Galanter did a cover of the French version (2006). In Quebec, Claire Lepage did a French cover in 1966.
Turkish singer Ajda Pekkan covered the song in 1967 as a B-side on her single.
Hong Kong actress Betty Chung covered the song with Mandarin vocals and funk/soul instrumentation on her 'Mini Mini' EP in 1968.
The Bonzo Dog Band covered the song sometime in 1968. It was a bonus track on the 2007 re-issue of their album The Doughnut in Granny's Greenhouse.
In 2001 Italian singer Spagna covered the song (in Italian) in her album La nostra canzone.
John Balance from Coil performed "Bang Bang" during the live concerts of the band in 2002-2004. His versions of this song can be found on Coil live albums Live Four and Selvaggina, Go Back Into The Woods.
Vietnamese diva Mỹ Tâm covered the song (in Vietnamese) in her album Not only me/Đâu chỉ riêng em, released in November 2002.
The Raconteurs regularly performed the song in concert during 2006.
Nancy Sinatra's version of the song was used in the 2003 Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill and was the theme for the BBC's coverage of the 2005 Wimbledon tennis championships.
In November 2006, Greek music producer and mixing engineer Antonis Karalis released his version.
In 2007, Murder By Death included a cover as a B-side of their single 'Sometimes The Line Walks You'.
In 2007, Niia performed it live several times while touring as part of Wyclef Jean's band, and it was featured on PerezHilton.com.
The singer and model Carla Bruni performs it in the Lancia Musa TV advertisement, which was broadcast in Europe in January 2008.
A remix of this song by Audio Bullys was played during the 2005 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
In the 2008 French-Canadian movie Maman est chez le coiffeur, the song is played twice in French: the 1966 Claire Lepage version near the beginning and later by Elie Dupuis, one of the stars of the movie who was 12 years-old. The Dupuis version is also featured on the film's soundtrack.
In 2008, the Italian gothic-metal band Domina Noctis covered this song on their second album, Second Rose.[3]
In 2009, Stéphanie Lapointe released a French version as well on her album "Donne-moi quelque chose qui ne finit pas".
This song was also covered by The Raconteurs at Austin City Limits in 2009.
Another Canadian artist, Melanie Durrant, released her cover version of the song in 2005.
Pop artist Lady Gaga used Sinatra's cover in video interludes on certain dates of The Fame Ball Tour (juxtaposed with Beautiful, Dirty, Rich) in 2009.
In October 2009, Mohsen Namjoo covered the early parts of Bang Bang, singing it in a traditional Iranian key at the end of his song "Hammash".
American rock band Bon Jovi regularly performed the first verse live as an intro into Shot Through The Heart.
In 2010 Polish singer Anna Dabrowska covered the song in her album Ania Movie.
In 2010 Welsh classical crossover singer Charlotte Church covered the song in her album "Back to Scratch".
In 2010 fyrom punk-rock band Parketi covered the song as a single.
In May 2011 Burlesque performer Miss Annie covered the song as the soundtrack of short film Gang Girls featuring Shana Swash.
In 2011 Los Angeles singer/songwriter Sarah Ault covered Bang Bang on her debut album The Pressure Beneath.
On their 2007-2008 tour, Mexican rock band "He Shot Me" covered the Sinatra version to open their show.
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