on the drummer’s name and her job as a hairdresser's assistant. The single’s sales started slowly, but by the end of July the record started to climb in the UK Singles Chart. At the end of August the record reached No. 1. Outside the UK "Have I the Right?" was a big success too. The song became No. 1 in Australia, Canada and Sweden. In the US the record reached No. 5 and in the Netherlands No. 2. "Have I the Right?" sold worldwide about two million copies within a year. Lawsuit In July 1965, the British music magazine NME reported that it had been agreed in the London High Court that "Have I the Right?" was the work of Howard and Blaikley. Composer Geoff Goddard agreed to drop allegations that he, and not they, had written the song. Goddard had been Meek's principal songwriter, but the two had fallen out. He claimed that the song was adapted from his earlier song "Give Me The Chance", but was too shy to testify in court. German version The Honeycombs also recorded a German version of the song: "Hab ich das Recht?" (Deutsche Vogue, DV 14210). Both the English and the German version reached No. 21 in the German charts: the English one in October, the German one in November 1964. The German version was recorded without the group’s stamping their feet on the stairs and without speeding up. One line was left out, so the German version is still shorter than the English one. Later versions The song was recorded 13 years later, in 1977, by Scottish boy band The Dead End Kids. Their version peaked at number six in the UK singles chart, and topped the Irish pop charts for two weeks.. It also peaked at number 36 in Australia.Dead Kennedys played the song in their concerts in the 1970s. A version is featured on their live album Live at the Deaf Club. Off Broadway included the song on their 1997 album Fallin' In. The song appears on the 2006 live album Rockin' the Paradiso by Chris Spedding and Robert Gordon. Charts Notes and references External links Lyrics and additional information for "Have I the Right?" 1964 debut singles UK Singles Chart number-one singles Song recordings produced by Joe Meek Songs written by Ken Howard (composer) Songs written by Alan Blaikley RPM Top Singles number-one singles 1964 songs Pye Records