"Sleep Walk" is an instrumental steel guitar-based song written, recorded, and released in 1959 by brothers Santo & Johnny Farina. (The BMI Repertoire database and the original release credits three Farinas as composers including sister Ann.) It was recorded at Trinity Music in Manhattan, New York City, New York. "Sleep Walk" entered Billboard's Top 40 on August 17, 1959. It rose to the number-one position for two weeks in September (the 21st and the 28th) and remained in the Top 40 until November 9. "Sleep Walk" also reached number four on the R&B chart. It was the last instrumental to hit number one in the 1950s and earned Santo & Johnny a gold record.
Cover versions[]
One of the first covers was by Betsy Brye (stage name of Bette Anne Steele), also in 1959. It was released on a single by Columbia Records as catalog number DB 4530. Although Santo & Johnny wrote lyrics for "Sleep Walk", they never recorded a version with the lyrics; Brye's version includes these lyrics.
The song has been also covered by Al Kooper (playing the guitar part on synthesizer), Paul Mauriat, The Shadows, Les Paul, Tom Doughty, The Ventures, California Guitar Trio, Jake Shimabukuro, Danny Gatton, Larry Carlton,Deftones, Leo Kottke, Chet Atkins, B. J. Cole, Basil Henriques, Micah P. Hinson, Amos Garrett, Henri Rene, Jonathan Richman, Jeff Beck,Joe Satriani, Charlie Musselwhite, The Chantays, Tommy Crook, The Stokers, Steve Howe, Blake Mills and Carlos Santana recorded a cover version for the musical score to the 1987 feature film La Bamba but this version was not released in the soundtrack.
The Brian Setzer Orchestra recording of "Sleep Walk" received a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance of 1998.
Country Music Hall of Famer Jimmy Russell recorded a version in 2001. French guitarist Jean-Pierre Danel had a Top 20 hit in Europe with his version of the song, recorded in 2006.
Modest Mouse, Deftones, My Morning Jacket, and The Raveonettes have all recorded adaptions of the song with lyrics.