I’ve been tracking through my own homemade 10-disc chronological ‘50s CD set this week, and want to salute my favorites from that era that didn’t have the name Presley, Berry or Holly attached to them. Elvis, Chuck and Buddy easily combined for at least another 50 classics from the Fabulous ‘50s, so I’ll focus on that mighty triumvirate later, and give tribute to the best of everyone else here:
50) "Matchbox"—CARL PERKINS (1956) The Beatles covered this one in ‘63, but it barely clocked in at 1:45, for some reason. Carl’s version was a tad longer, and just as good…
49) "Kissin’ Time"—BOBBY RYDELL (1959) Okay, I’m a tad biased here because Kiss (reluctantly) recorded this one in 1974, but at least B. Rydell was good enough to mention Kansas City in the first verse, unlike that bastard bat-lizard G. Simmons! We Kansas Citians are a tad sensitive about things like this…
48) "Sea Of Love"—PHIL PHILLIPS (1959) Robert Plant chose a fine classic indeed to remake in 1985 under the Honeydrippers’ banner. It certainly oozes (not to mention drips) in sentimentality, and it works!
47) "(The Night Time Is) The Right Time"—RAY CHARLES (1958) Song made even more famous nearly 30 years later in an episode of “The Cosby Show”. Also covered by the likes of Creedence Clearwater Revival and Otis Redding & Carla Thomas.
46) "La Bamba"—RITCHIE VALENS (1958) “Rock ‘N’ Roll in Spanish?” incredulous manager Bob Keane asks Ritchie in the film La Bamba. Why not?!? RV apparently had a head cold the day this was recorded, accounting for the somewhat nasally condition of his voice therein.
45) "Trickle, Trickle"—THE VIDEOS (1958) Obscure little doo-wop classic that didn’t even make the Top 40, but was later covered quite nicely by Manhattan Transfer in the late ‘70s.
44) "Sixteen Candles"—THE CRESTS (1958) Outstanding lead vocals by Johnny Maestro on this classic that eventually morphed into the Molly Ringwald movie of the same name, thus giving birth to the phrase. “Wot’s happenin’, Hot Stuff…”
43) "A Lover’s Question"—CLYDE McPHATTER (1958) Original lead singer for the ever-changing Drifters, this dude had a great voice and died way before his time in 1972.
42) "Summertime Blues"—EDDIE COCHRAN (1958) Another guy who died way before his time, yet was successfully channeled by Stray Cat Brian Setzer in La Bamba and by The Who on their classic Live At Leeds album.
41) "Chantilly Lace"—THE BIG BOPPER (1958) Jiles Perry Richardson was part of the doomed triumvirate on “The Day The Music Died”, but he excelled at novelty songs, and this one’s a classic of that genre. Seems as though he knew what we liked…
40) "Purple People Eater"—SHEB WOOLEY (1958) Another novelty song composer, ol’ Sheb was also a regular on TV’s “Rawhide” and also appeared in the film Hoosiers in 1986.
39) "This I Swear"—THE SKYLINERS (1959) Natural follow-up to their killer hit “Since I Don’t Have You”. The backing track is almost identical to that of its predecessor, but the vocals don’t quite soar as high…
38) "Do You Want To Dance?"—BOBBY FREEMAN (1958) Infectious little tune featuring that patented studio trick, the almighty false ending.
37) "Book Of Love"—THE MONOTONES (1958) “Well I wonder-wonder whom-ba-doo-hoo-whoomp—who wrote the book of love?” Doo-wop at its utterly silliest…
36) "At The Hop"—DANNY & THE JUNIORS (1957) Only song I know of that discusses Calypso-ing with a chicken, whatever that means…
35) "Silhouettes"—THE RAYS (1957) Doo-wop classic about some poor sap who’s on the wrong block. Haven't we all been there/done that at one time or another? Later successfully covered by Herman’s Hermits in 1965.
34) "Wake Up Little Susie"—EVERLY BROTHERS (1957) Phil & Don’s classic about copping a few Z’s in the movie theater. Yeah sure, likely excuse…
33) "Mr. Lee"—THE BOBBETTES (1957) Girl group classic that predated girl groups easily by three or four years...
32) "Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On"—JERRY LEE LEWIS (1957) Good gravy! How many pianny players were influenced by this song? Everyone from Elton John to Jon Lord of Deep Purple to even Benny Andersson of ABBA, and several others along the way…
31) "Love Is Strange"—MICKEY & SYLVIA (1957) Song made even more famous by the classic scene in 1987’s Dirty Dancing with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. Sylvia later had a fairly filthy hit record with her orgasmic whispery vocals on “Pillow Talk” in 1973.
30) "I Ain’t Got No Home"—CLARENCE “FROGMAN” HENRY (1956) Listen to this one, and you’ll quickly realize why they called him “Frogman”. Levon Helm of The Band had a little fun with the “Woo-woo-woo-ooh-ooh” bit on their early ‘70s cover version too…
29) "Shake Rattle And Roll"—BILL HALEY & HIS COMETS (1955) Sexist as all get-out, but a classic all the same. Elvis’ version is even better, but as previously stated, The King’s contributions are in a separate class…
28) "Tequila"—THE CHAMPS (1958) Pee-Wee Herman’s fave tune. Not to be confused with “Tacoma”, which isn’t nearly as mind-numbing…
27) "Long Tall Sally"—LITTLE RICHARD (1956) Engrossing story about an apparently hairless woman, one “bald-headed Sally”, her Uncle John, and jumping back-and-forth in some misbegotten alley. Paul McCartney’s blistering vocals on The Beatles’ 1964 cover version (released precisely eight days after my birth) blows the original to the moon and back…
26) "Sleep Walk"—SANTO & JONNY (1959) Appropriately hypnotic instrumental that served as the coda for the La Bamba film.
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2 comments:
Fine list. You do know Big Joe Turner's original "Shake, Rattle, and Roll" is twice as sexist and twenty times better than either Haley's or Presley's, right?
Turner's original lyrics were considered so salacious in the mid-50's that Bill Haley, the quintessential white boy, cleaned them up considerably when he recorded his version.
All I gotta say to all that is, it's only Rock 'N' Roll, and I kinda likes it! And part II is coming soon to a blog near you...
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