"Cool Jerk"
A-side label of US vinyl release
Single by The Capitols
from the album Dance the Cool Jerk
B-side	"Hello Stranger"
Released	1966
Genre	Rhythm and blues
Length	2:45
Label	Karen Records
Songwriter	Donald Storball
Producer	Ollie McLaughlin
The Capitols singles chronology
"Dog and Cat" (1963) "Cool Jerk" (1966) "Zig Zaggin" (1966)

"Cool Jerk" is a 1966 rhythm and blues^[1] song written by Donald Storball and originally performed by the Capitols. It became a hit song in the United States and Canada.

Original version

Released in 1966, it reached No. 2 on the American Rhythm & Blues Singles chart, No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100^[2] and No. 9 on the Canadian Singles Chart.^[3] The session was arranged by Funk Brother Mike Terry, as the Funk Brothers, Motown's house band, played behind the Capitols on the track.^[4]

Charts

The Go-Go's version

The Go-Go's covered the song for their 1982 album Vacation and later re-recorded it for their 1990 album Greatest. A demo that pre-dates their Vacation recording was released on their 1994 compilation Return to the Valley of The Go-Go's.

"Cool Jerk"
Single by The Go-Go's
from the album Vacation
Released	1991
Length	2:53 3:07 (Version from Greatest)
Label	I.R.S. 75021 7439 2
Songwriter	Donald Storball
Producer	David Z
The Go-Go's singles chronology
"Yes or No" (1984) "Cool Jerk" (1991) "The Whole World Lost Its Head" (1994)

See also

• List of 1960s one-hit wonders in the United States

References