Single:
Werewolves of London entered the Australian singles chart* on 5 June 1978 and peaked at #8. The song was #58 on the Top 100 of 1978.
Album:
The song is on Excitable Boy which entered the Australian albums chart* on 6 March 1978 and peaked at #9.
Songwriters:
LeRoy Marinell, Waddy Wachtel, Warren Zevon
Producers:
Jackson Browne, Waddy Wachtel
Record label of Australian release:
Asylum
*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.
Wikipedia:
Werewolves of London was composed by Warren Zevon, LeRoy Marinell and Waddy Wachtel and was included on Excitable Boy, Zevon’s third solo album. The track featured Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood and John McVie on drums and bass respectively.
Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werewolves_of_London
Songfacts:
Zevon wrote this with guitarist Robert “Waddy” Wachtel. When Zevon was working with The Everly Brothers, he hired Wachtel to play in their backing band. At one point, Phil Everly asked them to write a dance song for the Everly Brothers called Werewolves of London. Wachtel and Zevon were good friends and were strumming guitars together when someone asked what they were playing. Zevon replied, Werewolves Of London, and Wachtel started howling. Zevon came up with the line “I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand,” and they traded lyrics back and forth until they had their song.
Read more: www.songfacts.com/facts/warren-zevon/werewolves-of-london
Lyrics:
I saw werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
Walking through the streets of SoHo in the rain
He was looking for the place called Lee Ho Fooks
For to get a big dish of beef chow mein
Click for full lyrics
This song is also on our Spotify playlist Bang a Gong – the 70s
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