Billboard #1 Hits: #141: “I’m Henry VIII, I Am”- Herman’s Hermits. August 7, 1965. #1 for 1 week.

• Single: “I’m Henry VIII, I Am”- Herman’s Hermits
• Record Company- MGM Records
• Genre: Pop
• Written by- Fred Murray and R.P. Weston
• Time: 1:49
• B-side: “The End Of The World”
• Album- I’m Into Something Good
• Grade: C
• Peaked at #1 for 1 week.

One of the first songs I can remember hearing from 1965- I was four that year- is “I’m Henry VIII, I Am” and as a kid I really liked it. It’s kind of a novelty song which was written back in 1910 and was first the signature song of music hall star Harry Champion. While Herman’s Hermit’s took this single to #1 in the U.S. it wasn’t even released as a single in their native U.K. The single is the second shortest #1 hit in the United States- behind ‘Stay” by Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs. The b-side is worth noting in these times ” The End Of The World.” The best part of “I’m Henry VIII, I Am”- is the guitar and bass which would fit right in a decade later with punk band The Ramones.