The McCoys

Template:Short description {{#invoke:Hatnote|hatnote}} Template:More citations needed Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist

The McCoys were a rock group formed in Fort Recovery, Ohio, United States, in 1962.<ref name="Larkin">Template:Cite book</ref> They are best known for their 1965 hit single "Hang On Sloopy".<ref name="Larkin"/> Originally named Rick and the Raiders, they changed their name to "The McCoys" from the B-side of The Ventures' hit record "Walk, Don't Run" titled "The McCoy".

Career

The original members were all from Union City, Indiana; however, the Zehringer boys were initially from Fort Recovery, Ohio.<ref name="Larkin"/> The band members were guitarist and lead singer Richard Zehringer (later known as Rick Derringer), his brother Randy (later known as Randy Z) on drums, and bassist Dennis Kelly. This first line-up was known as The Rick Z Combo, and later known as Rick and the Raiders.<ref name="Larkin"/> When Kelly left for college, the Zehringers were joined by bassist Randy Jo Hobbs, saxophonist Sean Michaels, and keyboardist Ronnie Brandon.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs"/> This was the line-up that took the name of "The McCoys". Brandon left the group in 1965 and was replaced by Bobby Peterson on keyboards.

Their best-known hit is "Hang On Sloopy", which was #1 in the United States in the Billboard Hot 100 chart in October 1965 and is the official rock song of the state of Ohio. It also is the unofficial fight song of the Ohio State Buckeyes and is played at many Ohio State athletic events by the OSU bands. Sales of the single in the US alone were over one million copies.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">Template:Cite book</ref> Other hits include a top 10 cover of "Fever" (Billboard #7) and a top 40 cover of Ritchie Valens's "Come On, Let's Go" (Billboard #21).<ref name="Awards"/>

File:The McCoys - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2014-12-30 14.05.28 by Sam Howzit).jpg

Drumhead featured at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland

A cover of "Sorrow", the B-side of their version of "Fever", was a hit in the United Kingdom for The Merseys and later covered by David Bowie.<ref name="Larkin"/><ref name="AllMusic">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Its opening line, "with your long blonde hair and eyes of blue" was quoted by George Harrison in the fadeout of "It's All Too Much", featured on the 1969 soundtrack of Yellow Submarine.

"The McCoys" performed as part of Murray the K's Christmas show on December 18, 1965 at the Brooklyn Fox Theater. Also performing on the program were Peter & Gordon, Wilson Pickett, The Fortunes, the Moody Blues, The Toys, Lenny Welch, Cannibal and the Headhunters, The Vibrations, The Spinners, The O'Jays, Bloodless Revolutionaries, Patti Michaels, Bobby Diamond, and Diane Langan.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The McCoys were being labeled as a bubblegum pop act, much to the disdain of the band. In 1967, after the death of Bert Berns, The McCoys broke free from Bang Records in hopes of recording more serious music. They ended up signing a deal with Mercury Records and recorded their last two records, Infinite McCoys (1968) and Human Ball (1969), for the label. The albums were The McCoys' attempt at making psychedelic music that would appeal to the mature listeners of that time. Both were commercial failures and did not chart anywhere.

The two Zehringer brothers (then known as Rick Derringer and Randy Z) and Hobbs became Johnny Winter's band for the albums Johnny Winter And and Live Johnny Winter And in 1970 and 1971 respectively.<ref name="Larkin" /> At first, the band was supposed to be called Johnny Winter & The McCoys, but was changed due to management warning Winter about their bubblegum past, and how it could hurt his reputation as a serious musician. As backing musicians, both Derringer and Hobbs contributed to Winter's later releases Still Alive and Well (1973), Saints & Sinners (1974), and John Dawson Winter III (1974). Derringer and Hobbs later played with Edgar Winter as well as appeared on Together: Edgar Winter and Johnny Winter Live (1976).<ref name="Larkin" /> Hobbs later toured with Johnny Winter, but without Derringer, on Winter's Captured Live! (1976). Derringer also played with Steely Dan and Cyndi Lauper and formed bands such as DNA, with drummer Carmine Appice.

Hobbs died of drug-related heart failure on August 5, 1993 (Derringer's birthday) at the age of 45.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Peterson died in Gainesville, Florida on July 21, 1993, at the age of 47.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On May 27, 2025, it was announced that Rick Derringer had died the previous day at the age of 77.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Discography

Albums

Year	Album	Billboard 200 <ref name="Awards">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Record label
1965	Hang On Sloopy	44	Bang Records
1966	You Make Me Feel So Good	—
1968	Infinite McCoys	—	Mercury Records
1969	Human Ball	—
1976	Glass Derringer	—	LA International
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Singles

Year	A-side/B-side Both sides from same album except where indicated	Label & number	Chart Positions				Album
			US <ref name="Awards"/>	US CB	CAN (CHUM/RPM)	UK <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation		CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1965	"Hang On Sloopy" b/w "I Can't Explain It"	Bang 506	1	1	—	5	Hang On Sloopy
	"Fever" b/w "Sorrow"	Bang 511	7	9	2	44
1966	"Up and Down" b/w "If You Tell a Lie" (from Hang on Sloopy)	Bang 516	46	50	75	—	Non-album track
	"Come On, Let's Go" b/w "Little People"	Bang 522	22	17	36	51Template:Efn	You Make Me Feel So Good
	"(You Make Me Feel) So Good" b/w "Runaway"	Bang 527	53	53	42	—
	"Don't Worry Mother, Your Son's Heart Is Pure" b/w "Ko-Ko"	Bang 532	67	60	46	—	Non-album tracks
1967	"I Got to Go Back (and Watch That Little Girl Dance)" b/w "Dynamite" (from You Make Me Feel So Good)	Bang 538	69	90	34	—
	"Beat The Clock" b/w "Like You Do to Me"	Bang 543	92	79	—	—
	"Say Those Magic Words" b/w "I Wonder If She Remembers Me" (Non-album track)	Bang 549	—	—	—	—	You Make Me Feel So Good
1968	"Jesse Brady" b/w "Resurrection"	Mercury 72843	98	94	—	—	Infinite McCoys
	"Epilogue" b/w "Daybreak"	Mercury 72897	—	—	—	—	Human Ball
1969	"Love Don't Stop" b/w "Only Human"	Mercury 72917	—	—	—	—
	"Don't Fight It" b/w "Rosa Rodrigues"	Mercury 72967	—	—	—	—	Non-album tracks
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

See also

• 1965 in music
• List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1965

External links

• Classic Bands: The McCoys
• {{#ifeq: | yes

| https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p19248{{

 #if: 
 | /{{{tab}}}
 }}

| {{#if: p19248

 | {{#if: 
   | {{#if: |[[{{{author-link}}}|{{#if: |, {{{first}}} }}]]|{{#if: |, {{{first}}} }}}}. 
   }}[https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p19248{{
   #if: 
   | /{{{tab}}}
   }} {{
   #if: The McCoys
   | The McCoys
   | Template:PAGENAMEBASE
   }}] at AllMusic{{
   #if: 
   | . Retrieved .
   }}

 | {{#if: {{#property:P1728}}
   | Template:First word {{#if: The McCoys | The McCoys | Template:PAGENAMEBASE }} at AllMusicTemplate:EditAtWikidata

   | {{#if: {{#property:P1729}}
     | Template:First word {{#if: The McCoys | The McCoys | Template:PAGENAMEBASE }} at AllMusicTemplate:EditAtWikidata

     | {{#if: {{#property:P1730}}
       | Template:First word {{#if: The McCoys | The McCoys | Template:PAGENAMEBASE }} at AllMusicTemplate:EditAtWikidata

       | {{#if: {{#property:P1994}}
         | Template:First word {{#if: The McCoys | The McCoys | Template:PAGENAMEBASE }} at AllMusicTemplate:EditAtWikidata

         | Template:Main other

         }}
       }}
     }}
   }}
 }}

}}

• {{#if:The McCoys|Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at Discogs|{{#if:Template:Wikidata|Template:Wikidata Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at DiscogsTemplate:EditAtWikidata|Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at Discogs}}}}
• Template:Imdb name