# Searchin' > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Searchin' > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Searchin'.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searchin' > Source revision: 1350802839 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) For other uses, see [Searchin' (disambiguation)](/source/Searchin'_(disambiguation)). 1957 single by the Coasters "Searchin'" Single by the Coasters from the album The Coasters A-side "Young Blood" Released March 1957 (1957-03) Recorded February 15, 1957 Genre Rock and roll, R&B Length 2:36 Label Atco Songwriter Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller Producers Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller The Coasters singles chronology "One Kiss Led to Another" (1956) "Searchin'" (1957) "Idol with the Golden Head" (1957) "**Searchin'**" is a song written by [Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller](/source/Jerry_Leiber_and_Mike_Stoller) specifically for [the Coasters](/source/The_Coasters).[1] [Atco Records](/source/Atco_Records) released it as a [single](/source/Single_(music)) in March 1957, which topped the [R&B Chart](/source/List_of_number-one_R%26B_hits_(United_States)) for twelve weeks. It also reached number three on the *Billboard* singles chart. Although the Coasters had previously done well on the [rhythm and blues](/source/Rhythm_and_blues) charts, "Searchin'" (along with "[Young Blood](/source/Young_Blood_(The_Coasters_song))" on the flip side) sparked the group's [rock and roll](/source/Rock_and_roll) fame. ## Writing The lyrics, written by Leiber, use [vernacular](/source/Vernacular) phrasing. The plot revolves around the singer's determination to find his love, wherever she may be, even if he must resort to detective work. The song's gimmick was to cite law-enforcement figures from popular culture such as [Sherlock Holmes](/source/Sherlock_Holmes), [Charlie Chan](/source/Charlie_Chan), [Joe Friday](/source/Joe_Friday), [Sam Spade](/source/Sam_Spade), [Boston Blackie](/source/Boston_Blackie), [Bulldog Drummond](/source/Bulldog_Drummond), and the [North-West Mounted Police](/source/North_West_Mounted_Police_(film)) (the [Mounties](/source/Royal_Canadian_Mounted_Police)).[1] The vocals of the Coasters' lead singer [Billy Guy](/source/Billy_Guy) are raw and insistent. Driving the song is a pounding piano rhythm of two [bass notes](/source/Bass_note) alternating on every second beat.[2] The theme of the song is searching for love: "Well, I'm searching, Yeah I'm gonna find her". The [refrain](/source/Refrain) is simple variations of this phrase, "Gonna find her, yeah ah, gonna find her".[1] ## Personnel The song was recorded in Los Angeles on February 15, 1957.[3] - [Mike Stoller](/source/Mike_Stoller), piano - [Gil Bernal](/source/Gil_Bernal), saxophone - [Barney Kessel](/source/Barney_Kessel), guitar/mandolin - [Adolph Jacobs](/source/Adolph_Jacobs), guitar - Ralph Hamilton, bass - [Jesse Sailes](/source/Jesse_Sailes), drums - [A.L. "Abe" Stoller](/source/Alvin_Stoller), drums - Joe Oliveria, congas[4] ## Other versions [The Spencer Davis Group](/source/The_Spencer_Davis_Group) included the song on their 1965 album [Their First LP](/source/Their_First_LP). The album reached number six in the UK charts in towards the end of January 1966. [Otis Blackwell](/source/Otis_Blackwell) released a version of this song on his 1977 album titled *These are my songs!*. Blackwell attributed the track to Lieber/Stoller, but the album brought to light many tracks for which Blackwell was the original composer. This was the only song on the album that was not a Blackwell composition.[5] [Johnny Rivers](/source/Johnny_Rivers) released a version of the song as a medley with "[So Fine](/source/So_Fine_(Johnny_Otis_song))", which reached number 113 on the U.S. pop chart in 1973.[6][*[better source needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability#Questionable_sources)*] Singer/songwriter [Paul McCartney](/source/Paul_McCartney) chose "Searchin'" as one of his [Desert Island Discs](/source/Desert_Island_Discs) in 1982. He performed the song with [the Beatles](/source/The_Beatles) during their [audition for Decca Records](/source/The_Decca_audition) on January 1, 1962 (with somewhat mangled lyrics that included a mention of *[Peter Gunn](/source/Peter_Gunn)*).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] The song was performed by [Floyd Pepper](/source/Floyd_Pepper) in an episode of *[The Muppet Show](/source/The_Muppet_Show)*. It was famously used in [Brad Bird](/source/Brad_Bird)'s 1999 animated film, *[The Iron Giant](/source/The_Iron_Giant)*. The song was also recorded and performed by [Sharon, Lois & Bram](/source/Sharon%2C_Lois_%26_Bram) for both of their children's television series *[Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show](/source/Sharon%2C_Lois_%26_Bram's_Elephant_Show)*(1987) and *[Skinnamarink TV](/source/Skinnamarink_TV)* (1997). ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-pc13_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-pc13_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-pc13_1-2) [Gilliland, John](/source/John_Gilliland) (1969). ["Show 13 - Big Rock Candy Mountain: Rock 'n' roll in the late fifties. \[Part 3\]"](https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19762/m1/) (audio). *[Pop Chronicles](/source/Pop_Chronicles)*. [University of North Texas Libraries](/source/University_of_North_Texas_Libraries). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-gillett_2-0)** Gillett, Charlie (1996). *The Rise of Rock and Roll* ((2nd Ed.) ed.). New York, N.Y.: Da Capo Press. p. 73. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-306-80683-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-306-80683-5). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Peter Grendysa and Robert Pruter, *Atlantic Rhythm and Blues 1947-1974* booklet notes (CD edition), Atlantic Records, 1991 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** *The Coasters: The Complete Singles As & Bs 1954-62*, Acrobat Licensing LTD., ADDCCD3180, 2016, UK 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["These Are My Songs! Review by Michael G. Nastos"](https://www.allmusic.com/album/these-are-my-songs!-mw0000883815#review). *[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)*. Retrieved January 16, 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Johnny Rivers, "Searchin'/So Fine" Chart Position"](http://musicvf.com/song.php?title=Searchin%27%2FSo+Fine+by+Johnny+Rivers&id=104425). Retrieved August 28, 2018. v t e The Coasters Carl Gardner Billy Guy Bobby Nunn Leon Hughes Adolph Jacobs Young Jessie Cornell Gunter Will "Dub" Jones Vernon Harrell Earl "Speedo" Carroll Ronnie Bright Jimmy Norman Singles "Down in Mexico" "One Kiss Led to Another" "Young Blood" "Yakety Yak" "Charlie Brown" "Along Came Jones" "Poison Ivy" "What About Us" "Besame Mucho (Part I)" "Wake Me, Shake Me" "Shoppin' for Clothes" "Little Egypt (Ying-Yang)" "Girls Girls Girls" "T'ain't Nothin' to Me" "Let's Go Get Stoned" "D. W. Washburn" "Love Potion Number Nine" "Cool Jerk" B-sides "Brazil" "Searchin'" "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart" "Three Cool Cats" "Besame Mucho (Part II)" "Lovey Dovey" "Money Honey" "Saturday Night Fish Fry" Other songs "Autumn Leaves" "But Beautiful" "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" "Easy Living" "Frosty the Snowman" "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You" "I Love Paris" "If I Had a Hammer" "The 'In' Crowd" "Moonglow" "Moonlight in Vermont" "Mustang Sally" "My Babe" "On Broadway" "On the Sunny Side of the Street" "Satin Doll" "The Way You Look Tonight" "Willow Weep for Me" "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" Authority control databases MusicBrainz work --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Searchin'](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searchin') by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searchin'?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.